Senior studies presented at second annual undergraduate research symposium
About 25 seniors at Maryville College presented their findings from their senior thesis research during the second annual Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 21. Presentations included both poster presentations and oral presentations that were held in the Clayton Center of the Arts for anyone to come learn about the hard work of the senior presenters.
A variety of topics were covered at the symposium form the Behavioral Sciences, Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Languages and Literature, Natural Sciences, Math and Computer Sciences, and Social Sciences.
Senior Tessa Wilcox presented her senior study on “Examining the Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Attention in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.” Wilcox is a Neuroscience-Psychology major and plans on going to graduate school after taking a year off from classes.
“It was a special opportunity that allowed me to share my studies with the community and combine all the different educational and career tools that Maryville College has equipped me with over the last four years,” said Wilcox.
Other presentations included a creative thesis by Tobi Scott who is a double major in Design and Writing/Communication. Scott’s thesis “Reading Sarah Dessen” was a magazine written and designed by Scott analyzing the work of young adult novelist Sarah Dessen.
Another interesting thesis was given by Bethany Headrick, a Spanish and International Business double major, who presented her thesis “Guaraníes and Jesuits: A New Socioeconomic Structure.”
“It was nice to present my thesis that I’ve worked hard on all year,” said Headrick.
Headrick’s thesis was inspired by her study abroad trip to Cordoba, Argentina. During her time in Argentina, she experienced the culture and educational system and learned about the importance of Yerba Mate, a traditional Argentinian tea drank in a communal way.
Several other presentations happened including a creative thesis by Design major Sean Holton who created collector’s Scots Baseball cards, and Charles Pratt, Economics major, who presented his thesis “An Analysis of Economic Factors Influencing Tennessee’s Decisions Regarding the American Civil War.”
The research symposium is part of the college’s dedication to being a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research. Maryville College is dedicated to high-quality undergraduate research that collaborates with both students and faculty.