April 11, 2008
Honors Program seniors to present capstone projects
Seventeen seniors will complete their last requirement to graduate with the Honors Program designation.
The Bryant University Honors Program will present its 2008 Capstone Project Colloquium on Monday and Tuesday, April 14-15. Seventeen seniors will present their theses – the last step before graduating with the Honors Program designation.
To view a complete schedule, visit 2008 Capstone Project Colloquium.
A sampling of Monday’s presentations:
Denise Fuda ’08 (Randolph, MA) used her background in marketing and statistics to study outliers – observations outside the norm – in the consumer buying process, using secondary and primary research she collected and analyzed.
“From my involvement in the Honors Program, I will graduate knowing I was successful because I worked to the best of my abilities,” says Fuda.
Denise Fuda ’08 (Randolph, MA) will present "The Effect of Outliers on Consumer Choice" on Monday, april 14, at 4 pm in MRC 3.
Carol Demoranville, associate professor of marketing and Fuda’s faculty sponsor says, “The skills Denise has developed during this project are ones that she will use in a career in marketing research, market analysis, or any other position that requires critical thinking and decision making.”
A senior accounting concentrator from Franklin, MA, Kristin Lynch’s thesis “Active Service Women During World War II: Helping to Create a New American Culture” came from a class taught by Judy Barrett Litoff, professor of history. It explored the role of American women during World War II.
“I was extremely interested in the information I learned in the class, and decided to take it one step further,” says Lynch, who will begin Bryant’s Master in Professional Accountancy program this summer before starting as a tax associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in September.
Kristin Lynch '08 (Franklin, MA) will present “Active Service Women During World War II: Helping to Create a New American Culture” on Monday, April 14, at 4 pm in MRC 4. Her faculty sponsor is Judy Barrett Litoff, professor of history.
Lynch, who estimated she spent about 160 hours researching, writing, and meeting with Litoff, has already presented similar papers on this topic at two academic conferences.
“As an accounting concentrator with a minor in French, who chose to do her capstone project in history, Kristin epitomizes the multitalented Honors Program member,” says Litoff, who served as Lynch’s faculty sponsor for the project.
Stephen Balkam ’08 (East Sandwich, MA), a finance concentrator, started work last summer on his project that analyzes the retirement readiness of baby boomers, the largest generation ever to reach retirement age.
“I am very glad that I had the experience of undertaking this project,” says Balkam, who has accepted a position with UBS in their Financial Associate Training Program. “It taught me about handling substantial responsibility and managing my time.”
Stephen Balkam ’08 (East Sandwich, MA) will present "Are Baby Boomers Saving Enough for Retirement?" on Monday, April 14, at 5 pm in MRC 4. His faculty sponsor is Peter Nigro, associate professor of finance.
Peter Nigro, associate professor of finance and Balkam’s faculty sponsor, says, “Steve has an excellent background on the most important financial issue facing all generations – effectively planning for retirement.”
Amber Torrey ’08 (Plainfield, NH) will present “The Discriminant Analysis Used by the IRS to Predict Profitable Individual Tax Return Audits.” She devised the project with her faculty sponsor Alan Olinsky, professor of mathematics, to reflect her concentration in accounting and minor in statistics.
“My honors project has truly helped me become an independent scholar,” says Torrey, who will begin tax and audit work at Tyler, Simms & St. Sauveur, an accounting firm in Lebanon, NH. “There was no classroom structure or guidelines for what tasks needed to be done. It was completely up to me to ensure that I was making the necessary progress, which is exactly what will be happening when I begin my career.”
Says Olinsky, “Amber has learned how to write a research paper that has the very real possibility of being presented at a conference or being published in a refereed journal.”
A sampling of Tuesday’s presentations:
Lisa DiNapoli ’08 (Hackensack, NJ) will present “Girl Scouts of Rhode Island: Shaping Girls into Extraordinary Women,” an idea, like Lynch, she developed after taking a class with Litoff. The 30-minute documentary, which she created based on more than 35 hours of interviews, was recently screened on campus as part of Women’s History Month.
“This project helped me realize that my educational journey is just beginning,” says DiNapoli, who will begin working for Allianz Global Investors and PIMCO fund in Manhattan, NY, after graduation. “One of the most valuable lessons I have taken away from this experience is to embrace every opportunity that comes my way.”
“Lisa is an outstanding student who exemplifies the absolute best of Bryant University,” says Litoff, DiNapoli’s faculty sponsor. “She has demonstrated that she is a true history maker.”
Ryan Daley ’08 (Hudson, MA) will present “The Accounting Industry in the Age of Globalization and Offshore Outsourcing.” The thesis is based on an online survey he conducted of public accountants.
“The Senior Honors Project is a manifestation of what you have learned from the previous years – how to manage your time, research and write a paper, and give an insightful presentation on an interesting topic,” says Daley, a triple concentrator in accounting, economics, and literary and cultural studies. He has accepted a job in corporate tax at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Ryan Daley '08 (Hudson, MA) will present “The Accounting Industry in the Age of Globalization and Offshore Outsourcing” on Tuesday, April 15, at 2 pm in MRC 4. His faculty sponsor is Ramesh Mohan, assistant professor of economics.
Ramesh Mohan, assistant professor of economics and Daley’s faculty sponsor, says, “Ryan is one of the most extraordinary students that I have encountered in my 10 years of teaching.”
Dan Keough ’08 (North Kingstown, RI), an actuarial math and economics double major, examined the community benefits of not-for-profit hospitals.
“This project was a lot of work, but it was rewarding working directly with Professor Bates,” says Keough, who will begin working as an actuarial analyst at Hartford Life in Connecticut.
Dan Keough '08 (North Kingstown, RI) will present "Not-for-Profit Organizations: Community Benefits, Efficiency and Quality" on Tuesday, April 15, at 5 pm in MRC 4.
“Dan is an exceptional student,” says Laurie Bates, professor of economics and Keough’s faculty sponsor. “He learned the linkage between theory and application by ‘getting his hands dirty’ and testing his hypotheses with real data.”
Kenneth Sousa, associate professor of computer information systems and the Honors Program coordinator, says the theses teach students how to manage a project, and provide a forum for students to extend themselves beyond what they have done previously.
“It is not an easy project, but it is amazing to see the development of these students as individuals – exceptional and talented people attaining academic excellence,” says Sousa. “I never stop being proud of these students.”
To learn more, visit The Honors Program.
