Students present research at 'Private College Scholars at the Capitol'

Four College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University students and their faculty advisers will present results of their scholarship at the Private College "Scholars at the Capitol" program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, at the Minnesota Capitol rotunda, St. Paul.

The event celebrates the research and creative scholarship from Minnesota's private colleges. A total of 25 projects by 37 undergraduate students from 14 private colleges will have their research and creative scholarship on display at the event.

The CSB and SJU students are presenting their honors thesis at the event. They include:

Kristina DeMuth, a CSB senior nutrition (dietetics concentration) and psychology double-major who graduated from Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, Minn., presenting "Identifying the Characteristics of 'Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified' in a Community Sample." Her advisers are Richard Wielkiewicz, professor of psychology at CSB and SJU, and Linda Shepherd, associate professor of nutrition at CSB and SJU.

DeMuth's research compares the characteristics of individuals with "Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)" to individuals with anorexia and bulimia. The EDNOS group of eating disorders is the most commonly diagnosed eating disorder, yet this diagnosis is not recognized by most insurance companies and has been thought to be a "less severe" group of eating disorders. Her research will analyze this group of individuals for prevalence, severity and commonality with anorexia and bulimia, and create an eating disorder severity index which will ignore all eating disorder categories and base individual severity off of core eating disorder psychopathologies and behaviors exhibited.

Daniel Maxbauer, an SJU senior natural science major who graduated from St. Francis High School in Traverse City, Mich., presenting "A New Approach to Understanding the Early Miocene Paleoenvironment of Rusinga island, Kenya: Using Leaf Margin Analysis and Digital Leaf Physiognomy." His adviser is Larry Davis, professor of geology and biology at CSB and SJU.

Rusinga Island is one of the most important Early Miocene (17-20 Ma) primate sites in Africa. To understand selective pressures on these Early Miocene primates it is critical to understand the paleoenvironments in which they lived. There has yet to be a study considering the fossil leaves from Rusinga as potential paleoenvironmental indicators.  Using a collection of 91 fossil leaves from the island, Maxbauer's study suggests that the early paleoclimate on the island could have supported a tropical seasonal forest or tropical woodland.

Abigail Spaniol, a CSB senior English and communication double-major who graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kan., presenting "Rhythms: A Pathography in the Form of Personal Essays." Her adviser is Ozzie Mayers, professor of English at CSB and SJU.

Spaniol's project is a pathography written in the form of a collection of personal essays. A pathography is the study of an individual's life with regard to the influence of a particular disease or disorder. It is based on the recovery of her father, Robert, in August 2009 from septic shock. Over the past year, she has researched the power of medicine, the human body, thought and prayer, and community. She hopes that through her project, she will inspire readers to insert their own experiences into her essays and be motivated to consider some of life's most difficult questions concerning science and religion.

Caleb Wenzel, an SJU senior music double-major (piano performance and music composition) who graduated from Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, Texas, presenting "Sing a New Song: Composing Music for the 21^st Century Roman Liturgy." His adviser is Brian Campbell, associate professor of music at CSB and SJU.

The goal of Wenzel's project is to explore the theological understanding of music within the Catholic Mass, and to create a catalog of music appropriate for use within the Mass. Each work is designed in its formal structure, genre, instrumentation and textual consideration to reflect the liturgy and its theological context while addressing the unique pastoral needs of the city, suburban and rural parishes, using these works in the liturgical context of their own community. He composed approximately 20 Responsorial Psalms, two choral works, a set of songs for counter tenor and organ, and a few short organ interludes. 

The Minnesota Private College Council is the primary sponsor of Scholars at the Capitol. Each college selects and sends its own students to the event.