Six OBU Students to Present Honors Theses April 6-May 3

March 30, 2017

Six Oklahoma Baptist University seniors will present their honors theses during the months of April and May. The presentations will last approximately one hour and are the culmination of the students’ academic careers at the university. Each student will present the results of their research projects, as well as respond to questions from the audience.

Individually, thesis projects reflect extensive study and attention. Collectively, they represent OBU’s commitment to outstanding Christian scholarship.

Lindsi Skinner begins the spring 2017 presentations Wednesday, April 5, at 4 p.m. Skinner will present her thesis, “Wisdom for the Ages: Nursing Home Marketing in the Age of the Internet,” in the Tulsa Royalties Auditorium located in Bailey Business Center.

Emma Patton will present her thesis Thursday, April 6, at 3:30 p.m. “A Study of the Old Soul: Spiritual Communication of Elderly People with Memory Loss” will take place in the Tulsa Royalties Auditorium located in Bailey Business Center.

Noah Golaboff will bring his presentation “Royalization: Increasing Royal Control of the Colonies in the 17th and 18th Centuries” to the Mabee Lecture Hall in Stavros Hall Monday, April 10, at 4 p.m.

Katherine Ward will present her thesis Thursday, April 20, at 3:30 p.m. Ward’s thesis, “Owning Poverty: Conversations on Poverty in Shawnee, Oklahoma,” will also be held in the Mabee Lecture Hall in Stavros Hall.

Truett Ross will present his thesis Tuesday, April 25, at 3:30 p.m. “Ogle Editorializes Oklahoma: An Analysis of Local News Editorials on National Politics” will also take place in the Mabee Lecture Hall.

Anna Burton will bring the honors thesis presentations to a close Wednesday, May 3, at 4 p.m. with her thesis “Sexuality, Ethnicity, and Class Distinctions in the Works of Edith Wharton and Willa Cather.” The lecture and discussion will take place in the Tulsa Royalties Auditorium located in Bailey Business Center.

Dr. Tawa Anderson, assistant professor of philosophy and director of the honors program, says that these projects are a vital component to both the program and students who take on the challenge of a research thesis.

“The Honors Program Thesis Capstone contributes to student engagement in independent research activities in their discipline,” he said. “Students choosing to write a thesis begin in their junior year with a focused, faculty-mentored research project. Students continue into their senior year with independent research and begin writing the thesis in their major area of study. In sum, the Honors Thesis Capstone is a unique opportunity for advanced undergraduate disciplinary research.”

Anderson also encourages members of the OBU community to attend the presentations.

“By attending these presentations, OBU students, staff and faculty all gain an opportunity to learn from the diligent work our students have undertaken,” he said. “It serves as personal and academic support for the thesis-writing student. These presentations represent the best scholarship produced by some of the best students OBU has to offer. It provides a glimpse into how we pursue one of OBU’s core missional values – pursuing academic excellence.”

For more information on the honors program at OBU, visit www.okbu.edu/academics/honors.