Hastings College students will share research and projects, and the College will honor the high achievements of students and faculty during its annual Celebration of Excellence on Wednesday, April 29.
All events are free and open to the public.
Additional details can be found at hastings.edu/as. Classes are canceled for the day so students and employees can participate in the events.
Celebration of Excellence opens with Academic Showcase, which includes more than 20 research, academic and other presentations. Presentations are about 20 minutes in length and are located in Morrison-Reeves Science Center, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 2:00 p.m.
In addition, more than 30 research posters will be available in the Morrison-Reeves atrium from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Specific presentation titles, times and locations are listed below, while abstracts are available online.
Academic Showcase is sponsored, organized and managed by Hastings College Alpha Chi, a national college honor society.
Honors Convocation, the second portion of the day, will be held at French Memorial Chapel at 3:30 p.m. During the Convocation, students and faculty are recognized for their accomplishments from the academic year. Honors Convocation will be streamed on the College’s YouTube channel — youtube.com/HastingsCollege.
Honors Convocation is also when the Who’s Who and Bronco Award recipients are announced. Established in 1924, the Bronco Award is the College’s highest non-academic award granted to students. Recipients of the award and the accompanying Who’s Who list are determined through a vote of their peers and a joint student-faculty committee.
The Honors Convocation speaker is Brett Williams, who graduated from Hastings College in 1998, majoring in history and English with a minor in philosophy.
After Hastings College, he spent three years at Information Technology, Inc. in Lincoln, where he traveled to 37 states working on bank software. He then moved into higher education at the University of Wyoming, serving in a variety of IT roles over 24 years, including director of applications and customer relationships. A native of Broken Bow, Nebraska, Williams is excited to return to Hastings College as director of Information Technology. He earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Wyoming and credits Hastings College with teaching him how to think, communicate and listen.
Academic Showcase Presentations
Note: The full schedule and a link to abstracts can be found at hastings.edu/as.
9:00-9:20 a.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center (717 N. Ash Avenue)
- Room 219 – “How Language Helps to Shape and Foster Identity for College Students Within the LGBTQIA+ Community” by Lilac Ramsey of Casper, Wyoming
- Room 148 – “Our 3 Year Design Sprint: When Moving Forward is No Longer an Option” by Story Talbert of Morrison, Colorado; and Lucy Reid of Omaha, Nebraska
- Room 213 – “Monuments, Memories, and Intercultural Learning: A Journey to Germany” by Emma Morelli of Thornton, Colorado; Maddie Kamler of Shickely, Nebraska; Clark Boettger of Grand Island, Nebraska; Xander Urmacher of Hastings, Nebraska; Grace Hartman of Hastings, Nebraska; and Isis Abou El Ghiet of Denver, Colorado; with additional students from Germany (this session extends to 9:50 a.m.)
- Room 131 – “Angles on Angels” by Maxwell Blankenship of Queen Creek, Arizona
9:30-9:50 a.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “From Inmate to Artist: Reconstructing Rhetorical Identity Through Quilting” by Hailey Gifford of Eagle, Colorado
- Room 148 – “White Horse: A Horse of All Tropes” by Brooke Brockman of Elwood, Nebraska
- Room 131 – “From HeLa to HIPAA: The Evolution of Ethics and Equity in Healthcare” by Katyn Kappler of Hastings, Nebraska
10:00-10:20 a.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “Until Everyone Can Read: Practical Takeaways from the 2025 International Dyslexia Association Convention” by Annalise Doorlag of Papillion, Nebraska
- Room 148 – “Accessible Wilderness: Notes Towards a Disabled Ecotheology” by Claire Fuqua of Woodland Park, Colorado
- Room 213 – “Development Towards a MOT for Single-Laser Cooling of Rubidium-87” by Ashton Vukson of Corpus Christi, Texas
- Room 131 – “From Bonaerense to Benefic: An Analysis of the Buenos Aires City Police in the Community Policing Context” by Carrie Brosman of Aurora, Nebraska
10:30-10:50 a.m. – Creative Thoughts in Action in Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “Serving Beyond Borders” by Wyatt Ryan of Overton, Nebraska; Molly Kammerer of Sutherland, Nebraska; Catie Reed of Firth, Nebraska; Andrew Heckman of Hastings, Nebraska; Sara Malcom of Roca, Nebraska; Delaney Rodgers of Elgin, Nebraska; Rebekah Reynolds of Hastings, Nebraska; Sam Acosta of Farwell, Nebraska; Brody Fleischman of Overton, Nebraska; and David Gaisford of American Fork, Utah
- Room 148 – “The Predatory Effects of Medical Credit Cards” by Abby Klatt of Hastings, Nebraska
- Room 213 – “AI’s Contribution on Declining Literacy Rates” by Madison Holman of Franklin, Nebraska
11:00 a.m.-1:50 p.m. – Poster Session in Morrison Reeves Science Center Atrium
- “Minority Stress, Future Time Perspective, and Goal Prioritization: An Examination of Socioemotional Selectivity Theory Among LGBTQIA+ College-Aged Adults” by Lilac Ramsey of Casper, Wyoming
- “View of Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development through a Collegiate Lens” by Julia Bernard of Omaha, Nebraska
- “Disposition and Disinterest: The Origins of Ineffective Intelligence Oversight” by Carrie Brosman of Aurora, Nebraska
- “Competing for the Latino Vote: How Religion, Economic Policy, and Candidate Appeal Shape Partisanship” by Victoria Mallory of Westminster, Colorado
- “Anion Exchange on Ionic Liquids” by Story Talbert of Morrison, Colorado
- “Synthesis of Amineboranes” by Odyssey Wentz of Hastings, Nebraska
- “Impact of PTSD on Volume of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNST)” by Marcus Dustin of Lincoln, Nebraska
- “A Spoonful of Seeing: Reviewing Sharon Through an Ethnographic Lens” by Langley Riha of Elkhorn, Nebraska
- “A Quilt Woven with Love, Faith, and Family: Understanding the Life and Legacy of Grandma Marie Taggart” by Danielle Sitts of Wilder, Idaho
- “Acute Effects of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Versus Static Stretching on Range of Motion in Healthy Adults” by Brock Buresh of Phillipsburg, Kansas; and Carson Parde of Lincoln, Nebraska
- “Criterion-related Validity of the TrueForce Technologies Force Measurement Platform” by Sara McCarraher of Grand Island, Nebraska; and Larissa Kaz of Jim Falls, Wisconsin
- “Static Stretching, Dynamic Stretching, or No Warm-Up: Impact on Shoulder Force Production and Racket Speed in Tennis” by Lauren Lee of Fruita, Colorado; and Ethan Mins of Cozad, Nebraska
- “AI in Healthcare: Remote Patient Monitoring” by Makenna Lockhart of Colorado Springs, Colorado
- “AI in Health Care: Mental Health” by Caitlin Bolton of Emporia, Kansas
- “AI in Healthcare: The Application of AI to Nursing Practices” by Isabella Keesee of Phillipsburg, Kansas
- “AI in Healthcare: Surgical Applications” by Miranda Kelly of Omaha, Nebraska
- “AI in Healthcare: Clinical Trials” by Sydney Mills of Greeley, Colorado
- “AI in Healthcare: Diagnosis and Predictions” by Marcus Pulbratek of Peoria, Arizona
- “AI in Healthcare: Perceptions of Healthcare Workers and Patients” by Jacob Lambert of Tucson, Arizona
- “Comparative Assessment of Coral Mortality Response and Restoration Strategies in the Rosario Islands and The Bahamas” by Alejandro Prada of Medellin, Antioquia Colombia
- “Effects of Climate Change on Polar Bears” by Hunter Gilbertson of Lincoln, Nebraska
- “Determining Fertility of Male Sea Turtles by Assessing Anti-Müllerian Hormone Levels in Blood Samples” by Nicky Georges of Nassau, the Bahamas
- “Comparative Analysis of Lichen on Trees at Diverse Locations” by Larissa Salmans of Wray, Colorado
- “Inequities in Water Fluoridation Exposure Among Underserved Communities” by Jenna Sterling of Hastings, Nebraska
- “Mammalian Cadavers Increasing Growth of Field Corn” by Draya Benson of Olathe, Colorado
- “Microbial Bioremediation as a Clean Solution to Heavy Metal Pollution in Soil” by Ornis Barry of Willard, Missouri
- “Mechanisms of Telomere Maintenance and Shortening in Cellular Aging” by Jaida Rowe of Lincoln, Nebraska
- “Social Determinants of Health and the Crisis on Black Maternal Health” by Mahalia Jones of Colorado Springs, Colorado
- “Invasive Mudsnail Populations Compared to Native Invertebrates in the Chesapeake Bay” by Paige Neel of Port Deposit, Maryland
- “A Fight in the Big City” by Israel S. Manriquez of Palmdale, California
- “Distance Dragonflies Travel” by Grace Scamehorn of York, Nebraska
- “The Collection and Taxidermy of Chiropteran Specimens” by Venn Wood of Manhattan, Kansas
- “An Exploration of the Anti-Mullerian Hormone in Female Olive Ridley Sea Turtles” by Marissa Ruiz of Las Vegas, Nevada
- “Macronutrient Preference in Free-Living Squirrels Under Equal Calorie Conditions” by Trinity Doublin of Aurora, Colorado
- “Variability and Conservation of Coronavirus Spike Protein” by Kyla Humphreys of Broomfield, Colorado
- “Polyandry as a Superior Breeding System” by Madeline Kamler of Shickley, Nebraska
1:30-1:50 p.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “Pity, Privilege, and Propaganda: Narratives of Soviet Womanhood and Reinforcing American National Identity” by Michaela White of Florissant, Colorado
- Room 148 – “Is Music Important?” by Dylan Shaw of Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Room 213 – “Examining the Impact of Pre-Competition and Post-Competition State Anxiety in Collegiate Golfers” by Michael Medina of Parker, Colorado
- Room 131 – “Collective Tissue: Animals, Religion, and the Interwovenness of Theology” by Lilac Ramsey of Casper, Wyoming
2:00-2:20 p.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “Sanctified by Suffering, Scarred by War: Queer Protest in ‘The Well of Loneliness’” by Bri Narick of Bellevue, Nebraska
- Room 148 – “Getting Stoked on Jesus: The Commodification of the Jesus People Movement in the 1970s” by Emma Morelli of Thornton, Colorado
- Room 213 – “From Sanctuary to Schoolroom: Promoting Global Perspectives via Children’s Literature” by Hannah Sears of Powell, Wyoming; Hailey Kirchhevel of Omaha, Nebraska; and Fallow Barnes of Hastings, Nebraska
- Room 131 – ‘“That’s So Cute!’”: The Impact of Cuteness on Flavor Perception and Savoring Experience Among Undergraduate Women” by Isis Abou El Ghiet of Denver, Colorado
3:30 p.m. – Honors Convocation, French Memorial Chapel (800 N. Turner Avenue)
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Founded in 1882, the College is dedicated to student success and service to the community. Discover more at hastings.edu.