Emily Bartlett, Spring 2020 graduate
Project: “How to adapt equestrian therapy for students on the autism spectrum”
Emily has loved horseback riding since she was a child and wanted to do a project linked to that passion. She is also aware of the talents and needs of college students on the autism spectrum, and she wanted to merge these interests. Emily found that equestrian therapy can be beneficial for individuals on the spectrum, but there’s a lack of information about how best to do it. To fill this gap, she created practical recommendations for autism-friendly horseback riding classes. Her recommendations could be used by riding instructors who wish to make their classes more inclusive.
Jianna Eisenberg, Spring 2020 graduate
Project: “Working through conflict in the residence halls: Interviews with resident deans and assistants”
Jiana is a psychology major who has also served as a long-time Resident Assistant working with students on our campus. She wanted to understand the myriad ways that residential staff navigate conflict with people living in their communities. For her project, Jiana interviewed over a dozen individuals and presented their wisdom about conflict resolution in real life. Her work can be used by professionals and student leaders working in a Student Affairs setting.
Daniel Lougen, Fall 2020 graduate
Project: “What’s boredom and how can you work with it? Insight from models of executive function”
Daniel is a senior who plans to graduate in fall 2020. His academic curiosity is eclectic, spanning from psychoanalytic theory to modern neuroscience. For his project, Daniel examined the causes and consequences of boredom hoping to learn how to make it go away. He found out that executive function has a big role to play in boredom, so working with boredom means understanding EF. With this knowledge, Daniel created practical tips for addressing boredom from an EF perspective. His work can be used by individuals, counselors, or coaches working on motivation.