Torero Tidbits: Honors Colloquium; Engineering, Computing Showcase; Keck Fellows; Student Org Awards

The academic year is winding down — albeit remotely — and final exams are just around the corner (May 15-21). While many things have been affected at the University of San Diego due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some things remain standard on the academic calendar — it’s a great opportunity see what projects and research our standout undergraduate students, mostly from the class of 2020, have been working on for the 2019-20 year.

Honors Colloquium

Since May 3 and running through May 13, the campus community can access links to view the 42 recorded thesis presentations done by graduating USD Honors Program seniors as part of the annual Honors Colloquium. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a virtual event.

Students who participate in the Honors Program represent all three undergraduate schools at USD — College of Arts and Sciences, USD School of Business and the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering.

Major disciplines represented by Honors Program students at this year's Honors Colloquium are: accounting, art history, behavioral neuroscience, biochemistry, biology, business administration, business economics, chemistry, computer science, English, environmental and ocean sciences, finance, history, international business, international relations, liberal studies, mechanical engineering, political science, psychology, real estate, sociology and Spanish.

Engineering and Computing Showcase

On Friday, May 8, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering will present a virtual event for its annual Engineering and Computing Showcase from 2-5 p.m. Register now to access more than 40 capstone senior design projects in a virtual, interactive poster format that cover computer science, electrical, industrial and systems, mechanical and integrated engineering.

Once you register, you’ll gain access to a link to a landing page. There will be five Zoom rooms (a main home room and four student team rooms with about 10 projects apiece).

Keck Undergraduate Humanities Research Fellows

On May 4, the 2019-20 cohort of six Keck Undergraduate Humanities Research Fellowship students presented the projects they've been working on all year and have been supported by faculty mentors.

The fellows and their majors are: Kate Burnite, Political Science; Julia A. Gonzalez, Visual Arts and Art History; Cooper Kent, Theology and Religious Studies/Physics; Alexandra Mueller, Communication Studies; Noah Pallmeyer, History and Communication Studies; Henry Tran Quevedo, Spanish and Computer Science.

Burnite's research project is titled, "Have We Sized Out of the Democratic Project? Designing Democratic Spaces in a World that is too Big." Burnite's faculty mentor has been Timothy Wyman McCarty, PhD, assistant professor, Political Science and International Relations. Gonzalez's topic is "To Plumb Rough Matter: Using the Power of Painting to Investigate Women of Color's Embodiment." Matt Rich, MFA, Art, Architecture and Art History professor, is her faculty mentor. Kent focused on "A Contemplative Solution to Thought Manipulation," working with faculty mentor Rico Monge, PhD, from Theology and Religious Studies.

Mueller delved into "What Sublime? Southern California Landscape in a Time of Change," with Farrah Karapetian, MFA, Art, Architecture and Art History. Pallmeyer examined "Official Histories and Monuments in Presidio Park and the San Diego Mission," mentored by Colin Fisher, PhD, professor of History; and Quevedo's research was on "Using Tech to Reveal the Fictions of Narco Cultural Productions," with faculty mentoring by Amanda Petersen, PhD, a professor in Languages, Cultures and Literatures.

USD Student Organization Awards Nominees

The USD Associated Students Government and Student Activities and Involvement posted nominees for its 2019-20 Student Organization Awards as an @usd_asg Instagram story on May 5. There are 10 awards. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, May 12 on the same Instagram account. Here are the categories and nominees:

Outstanding Community Engagement Award: Filipino Ugnayan Student Organization (FUSO), Saturdays with Seniors.

New and Emerging Student Organizations Award: Law, Ethics and Technology Club, Saturdays with Seniors, USD A Capella Club.

Advisor of the Year Award: Bahar Davary, Muslim Student Association, Alyssa Izizarry, International Student Organization, Kelly Morton, American Marketing Association, Kristen Reynolds, USD Panhellenic.

Excellence in Inclusion Award: Alliance of Disability Advocates, FUSO, Students of Color in STEMM.

Emerging New Member Award: Melissa Arana, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Michael Daly, Saturdays with Seniors, Marisol Fontillas Ronk, Gamma Phi Beta, Catherine Gibson, Women in STEM, Christina Ledford, Alliance of Disability Advocates, Austin Peters, People of the Islands, and Alexis Smith, Student Alumni Association.

Outstanding Student Organization Award: FUSO, People of the Islands, Real Estate Society, Saturday with Seniors, Student International Business Council, Students of Color in STEMM, Sustainability Club.

Innovative Connections Awards (2): Organizations — USD Entrepreneurship Club, FUSO, Saturday with Seniors and Student Alumni Association. Student Leaders — Isaiah Charles, Real Estate Society, Stephanie Maeda, People of the Islands, and Mia Westphal, Sustainability Club.

Cultural Event of the Year Award: FUSO's Kamayan Night.

Outstanding Student Leader Award: Rachel Alef, Saturday with Seniors; Destin Altman, ASHRAE; Cecilia Barnhill, Mortar Board; Ava Bellizzi, American Society of Mechanical Engineering; Mariana Jones, FAMA and USD A Capella; Kyla Knauf, Biology Club; Jack Koster, STEM Outreach Club; Luke Leideger, Ecstatic Dance Club; Stephanie Maeda, People of the Islands; Trent Melara, Delta Tau Delta; Ethan Mickelson, Alpha Epsilon Delta; Anil Nankani, Interfraternity Council; Chidiebele Okaru, African Student Union; Lauren Rivers, American Marketing Association; Jenelle Seguin, FUSO; Nikta Shahbaz, Law, Ethics and Technology Club; Paulina Sierra, Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance; Alexis Smith, Student Alumni Association; Aimee Sznajderman USD Jiu-Jitsu Club; Delaney Tax, USD Panhellenic; Brandon Verma, Torero Gaming; and Lauren Washington, National Society of Black Engineers.

— Compiled by Ryan T. Blystone

Video of December 2019 Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering Expo by Daniel Telles