Showcasing the Summit of W.A. Franke Honors College
Student Achievement
Tuesday, April 18th | 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Bear Down Gym
Pinnacle is a special event hosted by the W.A. Franke Honors College that highlights incredible Franke Honors student research, including the Honors Thesis work of our Franke Honors graduating seniors and the work of Quest participants. Outstanding research will be acknowledged with financial award for Quest projects, senior thesis work, and creative video representations of senior research.
Incoming student? Heading toward the finish line?
Past Winners
Senior Thesis Poster Presentation
First Place
Alexandria Scheid, Amplifying the Voices of Underrepresented Students in Nursing Education
Faculty Mentor: Melissa Goldsmith
Honorable Mentions
Kiera Eason, Reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect with Native Trees in Tucson, Arizona
Faculty Mentor: Joey Iuliano
Riley Zuckert, Quantification of Politeness: Multi-Class Classification of Patient Interviewing Phrases for Improving Clinician Bedside Manner
Faculty Mentor: Win Burleson
People's Choice
Luke Safayan, The Effects of Moderate Calorie Restriction on Hepatic and Serum Lipid Content in Mice
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Stern
Senior Thesis Video Pitch
First Place
Samuel Owen, Altre Volta
Faculty Mentor: Elena Canovas Mendez
Honorable Mentions
Veronique Villalba, Giving Back to the Tucson Community via Service Learning: Creating a School Garden Curriculum at Tully Magnet Elementary for Fourth Graders
Faculty Mentor: Greg Barron-Gafford
Ivan Yang, Bela Bartok and His Family's Immigration to America
Faculty Mentor: John Milbauer
First Year Project
OVERALL SHOWCASE WINNER
Kira Morris, Math Signs: Using American Sign Language in Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Melissa Hosten
Analytical Research
Kamryn Rabago, History of Influenza Vaccine as a Predictor of COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake Among Adults in Pima County, Arizona
Faculty Mentor: Purnima Madhivanan
Applied Research/Community Project
Kira Morris, Math Signs: Using American Sign Language in Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Melissa Hosten
Creative Expression
Erin Choi, Neurolimina: An Immersive Exhibit of the Microscopic Mind in Augmented Reality
Faculty Mentor: Jennie McStotts
Design
Cynthia Navarro, Which Dorms of the University of Arizona have a Smart Design for Academic Purposes?
Faculty Mentor: Dean Papajohn
Lab/Field Experience
Ika Lin, Exploring microRNAs as Blood-Based Markers for Breast Cancer Screening
Faculty Mentor: Purnima Madhivanan
Social Justice
Brooke McKalip, Investigating the Standardization of Abortion Education in the U.S. and its Effects on Child and Maternal Health
Faculty Mentor: Elise Lopez
Cambium Winner
Lindsey Bell, Incidence of Plant Disease Among Native and Introduced Plants in an Urban Arboretum
Faculty Mentor: A. Elizabeth Arnold