By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News
PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Ten Louisiana Christian University honors students presented research at the 5th Annual C.S. Lewis Honors Forum, March 22.
“It is always such an honor and privilege to witness the culmination of the years of hard work each of these students has put forth,” said Honors Program Director Sarah Payne. “This year’s presentations clearly demonstrated each of these student’s commitment to academic scholarship. These students truly embody our motto from Lewis himself – ‘thirst was made for water; inquiry for truth.’ I look with joy to their future impacts as Christian scholars and professionals.”
Riley Armstrong, a senior biology and chemistry major from Eunice, presented “Recycled Ground Glass as a Sand Substitute in Potting Soil.”
Her study investigated the potential of using recycled glass as a substitute for sand in potting soils to promote environmentally sustainable practices. Glass recycling offers significant environmental benefits, such as reducing air pollution, saving energy and minimizing landfill waste. The research examined whether recycled ground glass can effectively replace sand in soil mixtures without compromising plant growth.
Armstrong plans to continue her education in the medical field with the goal of pursuing a career as a physician’s assistant.
Henry “Nic” Chappell III, an accounting major from Mount Pleasant, Texas, presented “Biblical Applications in a Modern Professional Setting.”
Chappell’s project included an exegetical analysis of selected passages throughout the book of Nehemiah. The insights provided in the readings reveal how God’s Word, even the Old Testament, is relevant to the modern world and demonstrates how it can be applied in an everyday business setting.
He plans to enroll in an MBA program while working at an accounting firm in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and pursue a CPA license.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Henry Robertson said the honors students presented research and effort that displayed tremendous scholarship.
“The time each student spent and effort that each one poured into the different topics is truly remarkable,” he said. “These highly gifted honors students showed that a true love of learning can result in amazing work worthy of the highest praise.”
Tarah Elliott, a secondary education major with a concentration in English from Alexandria, is the fifth member of her family to graduate from LCU. Elliott’s research presentation was titled “Motivation and Autonomy in Student Achievement.”
Her research presentation addressed the effectiveness of motivational strategies, both in place of and alongside content-focused strategies. Her research project showed a greater increase in student achievement after motivational strategies than after content-focused strategies.
She plans to continue her education in graduate school as she prepares to teach English and literature on the collegiate level.
Jade Harmon, a biology and chemistry major from Lafayette, presented “The Effectiveness of Using Microwave Oven Extraction to Examine Antibacterial Effects of Oolong Tea Against E. Coli.”
Originally found in China, the value of oolong tea is found in its historical and medicinal benefits. Catechins are antimicrobial agents that are part of the polyphenol compounds in this tea. Tea extraction using a microwave oven was coupled with a disk diffusion assay and precipitation reaction to examine if using a microwave oven would improve the extraction of catechins.
After graduation, Harmon will attend the University of the Incarnate Word Rosenburg School of Optometry in San Antonio, Texas.
Anna Hooker, a secondary education major with a concentration in English from Boyce, presented “The Effectiveness of Peer Feedback/Reinforcement as a Remediator.”
Peer-assisted learning strategies can be an invaluable tool in the classroom. Receiving feedback from one’s teacher is an essential component of learning; this feedback, however, when coupled with peer partnership, has the potential to strengthen students’ overall motivation in the classroom. When students are encouraged to work together instead of apart, learning becomes less of a competition, and errors can become opportunities.
Her post-graduation plans are to teach high school English while working to become a published author.
Leanna Lanford, a biology and chemistry major from Pineville, and Brianne Rotolo, a biology major and chemistry minor from Bridge City, Texas, presented a joint research project on “Implications of Heart Rate Variability on Personality and Personality Characteristics.”
Their study explored the potential relationships that heart rate variability has with personality type and characteristics. Although a direct correlation has not yet been found, previous research suggests that HRV may be related to personality types and characteristics through a phenomenon known as vagal tone. Vagal tone is the link between heart rate and breathing, which plays into its influence on the regulation of cardiac activity. By looking at stress vulnerability and temperance, vagal tone can also be connected to aspects of personality. These relationships illustrate how HRV can potentially link to an individual’s personality.
Lanford will be attending LSU Shreveport School of Medicine in the fall, and Rotolo will be pursuing a doctor of physical therapy degree at LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans.
Julia Thompson, a public relations major from Lafayette, presented “Smack Down Strategies: the Role of Public Relations in Shaping the Professional Wrestling World.”
Professional wrestling, also known as performative wrestling, is not a typical sport. Instead, it is a business, and what it is selling is a story. Thompson’s study argued that public relations strategies have shaped the growth of professional wrestling from its early days to its modern iteration. The project examined the role of key figures, wrestling personas, and marketing tactics that have influenced audience engagement.
Thompson plans to pursue a career in public relations in Louisiana.
Kayleigh Tomasich, a biology major from Denham Springs, presented “Discovering Saponification Properties of Peanuts.”
Tomasich studied the saponification properties of peanuts in an effort to combine disciplines in chemistry, food science, biology, and the history of saponification.
She plans to attend medical school after graduation.
Kamryn West, a biology and chemistry major from Pine Prairie, presented research on “The Anticoagulation and Antimicrobial Properties of Essential Oils.
This study explored the anticoagulation and antimicrobial properties of three essential oils– Frankincense, Myrrh, and Cassia– through three separate experiments. The Blood Clotting Experiment sought to determine if these oils could prevent coagulation within the context of the participant’s blood type. The Oral Surface Experiment observed the antimicrobial effects of these oils against common oral pathogens. Similarly, the Hard Surface experiment assessed the efficacy of these oils against pathogens on a hard surface.
“What an incredible showcase of projects as these students completed their C.S. Lewis Honors program,” said Acting President David Jeffreys. “When I think of LCU, I think of students who have been prepared academically and spiritually, as we can watch and see how they serve God in their future careers. This Saturday was the culmination of many years of work that prepared these students to succeed wherever God directed them. Special thanks to all our professors who participate in this program, our students who go above and beyond as honors students, and the families as they pray and support their loved ones.”
