“One of the strengths of Olivet Nazarene University’s Honors Program is the strong Christian focus,” says Dr. Stephen Lowe, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who serves as program director. “We are committed to preparing scholars who will be servant leaders in the Church and our world.”
Meet the seventh cohort of Honors Program students — 10 graduates who are part of Olivet’s Class of 2017 — and learn more about their plans for the future.
Sarah Allison
Majors: Psychology and Sociology
Hometown: Carthage, New York
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “Male Body-Satisfaction and Ideal Body Images in the Media: A Positive Intervention” with Dr. Kristian Veit, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Find employment and work for a year or two. Then go on to graduate school to become a mental health counselor.
Erica Browning
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Mount Vernon, Ohio
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “The Political Glass Cliff: How Seat Selection Contributes to the Underperformance of Female Congresswomen” with Dr. David Van Heemst, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Currently interviewing with the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps with the goal of working in the area of humanitarian aid.
Joshua Dille
Major: Political Science with minors in Legal Studies and Music
Hometown: Bartlett, Illinois
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “Predictable Politics: Whether Students’ College Majors Relate to their Sociopolitical Views at Olivet Nazarene University” with Dr. David Van Heemst, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Attend law school at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law through the early decision scholarship. Marry my fiancée, Allison Westfallen.
Lisa Hartman
Major: History
Hometown: Aurora, Illinois
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “Dividing the House: Divorce and the Great Depression in Aurora, Illinois” with Dr. Bill Dean, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Continue as lead historical interpreter at Blackberry Farm in Aurora with plans to pursue a degree in public history and become a certified archivist.
Grace Hohn
Major: Biochemistry
Hometown: Grand Blanc, Michigan
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “Synthesis, including Microwave Promotion, of Selected Cyclopropyl Derivatives as Stereochemically Rigid Probes of Certain Pharmalogical Receptors” with Dr. Douglas Armstrong, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Attend University of Michigan College of Pharmacy.
Emily Lohr
Major: Multimedia Communications
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “A Mixtape for your Minivan: Writing the Line Between Fiction and Non” with Professor Ian Matthews, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: An internship with the Walt Disney Company in Orlando, Florida.
Ryan Marcotte
Major: Music with a minor in Legal Studies
Hometown: Herscher, Illinois
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “A Unified Approach: In Defense of Town of Greece v. Galloway” with Professor Charles Emmerich, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Attend law school.
Luke Salomone
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Bridgeview, Illinois
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “The Effect of Website Design, Need for Cognition, and Argument Quality on Information Assessment” with Professor Alison Young-Reusser, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Attend graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in medical sciences.
Macy (Murray) Sprunger
Major: Biochemistry with a minor in Music
Hometown: Keokuk, Iowa
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “Partial Preparation of 1-Anilino-8-(Mercaptoamino)-1,8-Octadione as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Huntington’s Disease and Selected Cancers” with Dr. Douglas Armstrong, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Attend graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis for a doctoral program in chemistry.
Andrea Wojciechowski
Majors: Chemistry and Biology
Hometown: Roselle, Illinois
Capstone research project, presented during Scholar Week 2017, and faculty mentor: “Using α-Mangostin from Garcinia mangostana to block cell death caused by paclitaxel in proliferating BHK cells” with Dr. Greg Long, mentor.
Post-graduation plans: Attend graduate school at Vanderbilt University for a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences.
The Olivet Honors Program began in the fall 2010 semester, dedicated to encouraging and nurturing academically gifted students in integrating Christian faith and learning. As cohorts bond and learn to work together, they experience an intellectual and social community. They study together in interdisciplinary classes taught by a faculty team of subject-matter experts, experience cultural events and engage in service projects with nonprofit organizations. During the junior and senior years, each student completes a funded, faculty-mentored research project and presents his/her work during Olivet’s Scholar Week.
“One of the major aspects of Olivet’s Honors Program is creative, cross-disciplinary group learning,” says Dr. Stephen Case ’05, associate director and a professor on the faculty team. “This learning is student-driven and has a real impact in our community.”
For more information about Olivet’s Honors Program, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463.
