Senior Research Projects

This page is specifically dedicated to listing the completed senior research projects relating to Environmental Science and Studies.

Description of Senior Research

Each senior in the Stetson College of Arts and Sciences undertakes a project appropriate to his or her field of study: a researched essay, statistical study, report on a laboratory experiment or field observation, poster presentation, gallery or stage presentation, computer program, or creative work. Some seniors elect to join their professors in research projects. Others design their own projects and through independent study follow their own intellectual passions. In some cases, those who have pursued two majors for advanced study might design one project that satisfies the capstone requirement in both disciplines simultaneously. In other cases, those with two majors might, owing to different disciplinary expectations, complete two distinct projects, one for each major. Through the Honors Program, students may elect to design their own course of study and senior project.

Their project is energetically supported by the University's resources, especially a teaching faculty. All of the University's advanced instrumentation and research facilities are readily available to seniors for their research. The goal of senior research is to hone skills of close reading, careful observation, quantitative analysis, forceful speaking, and persuasive writing. Exemplary senior projects are presented at the Stetson Undergraduate Research and Creative Arts Showcase each spring. Seniors also regularly present their work at conferences or publish with their faculty advisers in professional journals. 

  • Higher Benthic Species Diversity May Indicate Good Out-Planting Sites for Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata in Roatan, Honduras by Raquel Gilliland
  • Low Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations Have a Negative Effect on Fish Behavior in Central Florida Freshwater Springs by Ashlee Renich-Malek
  • Comparing Understory Species Richness in Restored Sandhill Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) Habitat by Todd Akin
  • Determining the Effect of Inflorescence Density and Temperature on Pollinator Diversity and Abundance at the Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem in DeLand, Florida by Justin James Pitts
  • Evaluating Consumer Decisions to Purchase Fair Trade Products by Alyssa Hull
  • Modeling Residential On-Site Waste Disposal for Upgrade Prioritization in DeLand, Florida by Todd Akin
  • Assessment of Harvested Duckweed (Lemnoideae sp.) and Pennywort (Hydrocotyl sp.) as Potential Soil Amendments for Crop Production by Jake Bartha
  • Spatial Distribution and Prevalence of Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) in a Population of Healthy and SFD Infected Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) by Amber Clark
  • A Reconstruction of Fire History in the San Juan Islands, Washington, USA by Sarah Coffey
  • Investigating Barriers to the Incorporation of Locally-Sourced Foods into Kitchens in Volusia County, Florida by Courtney Converse
  • A Survey and Health Assessment of the Stetson University Campus Tree Stock by Anthony DiCostanzo
  • Environmental Attitudes, Behaviors and Religion: Determining the Gap by Emily Dolatowski
  • Tourism as a Proposed Remedy to Economic Coal Dependence in West Virginia by Augustine Dotson
  • Single Use Plastic Bags on New Smyrna Beach: A Field Study into their Presence & Proximity to Sea Turtle Nests by Aaron Dove
  • Comparison of Attitudes toward Different Types of Domestic Agriculture in the U.S. and Post-Soviet Nations by Andrew Gansler
  • Evaluating the Effectiveness of Environmental Outreach by Sarah Garcia
  • The Nutrient Uptake of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from St. Johns River Pondweed (Potamogeton sp.), and if it is Suitable for Eutrophication Treatment Purposes by Joshua Gilliland
  • Public Knowledge and Understanding of Volusia County Fertilizer Ordinance by Cheyenne Hammell
  • Investigating the Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Levels on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation within the Chesapeake Bay from the Year 2000 to 2010 by Savannah Hardisky
  • A Comparative Field Study Regarding the Competitive Growth Rates of Ceratophyllum demersum and Hydrilla verticillata by Alexander Krest
  • Mapping “Bikeability” for the St. Johns River-To-Sea Loop Alliance by Kelsy Michely
  • Building a GIS Database: Stormwater Infrastructure for the City of Satellite Beach, Florida by Eilyn Mitchell
  • Habitat Preference of Anolis sagrei Populations on a College Campus by Cody Scott Perrodin
  • Investigating the Accessibility to Select Organic Food Sources Based on Food Desert Characteristics within DeLand, Florida by MacKenzie Quinn
  • Effects of Sea Star Wasting Disease on Intertidal Community Structure in the San Juan Islands, Washington, USA by Ana Rodriguez
  • Drinking Water Quality Tests for Bacterial Coliform and Total Chlorine at Stetson University by Rachel Saunders and Mackenzie Thomson
  • Finding a Fingerprint for Mangrove and Salt Marsh Soil Deposits by Camryn Soehnlein
  • Tidal Current Effects on Marine Epibenthic Growth by Jessica Lynn Stein
  • A 100-Year Storm Coastal Flood and Sea Level Rise Impact Analysis for Volusia County by Honor Stoner
  • Herbivores vs. Carnivores: Who Will Save the Planet? by Clare Sullivan
  • Religion and Ecological Preservation: Comparing the Influence of Buddhism and Islam on Officially Protected Areas within Southeast Asia by Brian Verblaauw
  • Assessing Pedestrian Safety and Accessibility at Stetson University by Neville Williams
  • Divestment from Fossil Fuels: A Fiscal Analysis of Cleaner Investment Practices at Stetson University by George Winsten
  • Effect of Soil Nutrient Levels on Seedling Establishment of a Native Sandhill Perennial, Liatris tenuifolia by Lindsey Doerfler
  • Environmental Injustice by Alexa Fortuna
  • Climate Change is a Hoax! Why Americans Still Deny Climate Science by Anne Semmons
  • Time Spent in and Connection to the Environment: Predictors of Academic Achievement among College Students by Casey Kelley
  • Florida Natural Springs: Pollution, Policy, Consequences and Recommendations by Daniel Lange
  • Investigating Barriers to the Incorporation of Locally-Sourced Food into Kitchens in DeLand, Florida by Courtney Converse
  • Small vs. Supersized: A Qualitative Study Comparing Limited Access in Volusia County Food Deserts by Ann Victoria Roche

  • Nutrient Recycling in Blue Spring from the Exotic Snail Species Melanoides tuberculata and Its Effect on Algal Growth by Stephanie Schreiber
  • Investigating the Effect of Water pH on Amphibian Abundance in New York State by Logan Minckler
  • Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise in the Florida Keys by David Osorio
  • Effect of Algal Growth and Coverage on the Growth of American Eelgrass (Vallisneria americana) by Caitlin Brewer
  • Quantifying Organic Waste at the Stetson University Commons: A Measure of Food Waste and Associated Greenhouse Gas Emissions by John-Everett Doling
  • Blackfish Backlash: Analyzing Sea World's Response to Reputation Damage by Autumn Homer
  • Correlations between Cardiovascular Disease and Greenspace in Florida Counties by Madison Kell
  • Testing Stetson's Soils: An Analysis of Nutrients in the Native Plant Area and the Stetson Green by Sara Nelmes
  • Utilizing GIS-Based models, Hazus-MH and Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM), to Identify Floodplain Conservation Areas for Coastal Hazard Mitigation by Emily Niederman
  • Projecting Climate Change-Influenced Shifts in Georgian Viniculture Using a Species Distribution Model by John Benjamin Pitts
  • The Statistical Association between Breast Cancer and Dieldrin Contaminated Areas by James Rainey
  • Relationships between Socio-Economic Status and Prevalence of Mosquito-Promoting PeriDomestic Containers among Yards in Volusia County Mosquito Control District, Florida by Emma Schaefer
  • Gender-Based Attitudes about Open Space by Carly Batts
  • Climate Change: A Survey of Downtown DeLand and Stetson University by Katie Hansen
  • Florida Superfund Sites and the Social Composition of the Communities that Surround Them by Sompi Harmetz
  • Dynamics of N and P Levels in the St. John's River versus Blue Springs, and Their Potential Impact on Toxic Algal Blooms by Frederick Brown, Caleb Cheatham, Dean Garabedian, and Austin Miller
  • The Influence of Self-Learning on Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Undergraduate Students by Andrea Guedes

  • Light as a Possible Reintroduction Limitation for Propagation of Vallisneria americana (Variety Suwannee Narrow) in Volusia Blue Spring by Robert Barber
  • Does Body Type Really Matter? Relating Climate Change, Coral Morphology and Resiliency by Miranda Camp
  • The Effect of Bidens alba Seed Density on the Germination of Three Native Sandhill Species by Stephanos Alichos
  • The Effect of Herbivory on Floral Volatile Production in Passiflora incarnate: A Bioassay with Honeybees by Benjamin Chase
  • Effect of Trichechus manatus latirostris on Blue Spring Food Web Using Stable Isotope Analysis by Anja Erwin
  • Changes in Water Quality Characteristics across Time and Levels of Land Development for 10 Freshwater Lakes in DeLand, Florida by Adriel Gonzalez
  • Restoration of Sandhill Ecosystems: The importance of soil fungi on the growth of a native perennial, Liatris tenuifolia by Tabitha Petri
  • Geospatial Applications of Proximity vs. Connectivity: A Multidimensional Analysis of Food Deserts within Deland, Florida by Justin Baumann
  • A case study in Discovery Bay, Jamaica: Depletion of Jamaican Fisheries Leads to Rise in Diving Injuries, Emphasizing the Critical Need for New Fisheries Management by Miranda Camp
  • Do Ecological Succession and Invasive Plants Pose a Threat to Biodiversity in Iceberg Point, Lopez Island, Washington? by Benjamin Chase
  • Using Harvested Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes Based Compost as a Solution to the Excessive Use of Inorganic Fertilizer in Central Florida by Alex C. Clark
  • Nutrient and Coliform Bacterial Concentrations in Storm Water Systems in Relation to Varying Septic Tank Density in Volusia County, Florida by Jordan Madio
  • The Effect of Soil Fauna on the Growth of Liatris tenuifolia in a Restoration Sandhill Site by Tabitha Petri
  • Analyzing Conservation Land Use: Can Conservation Land in Volusia County Be Developed without an Adverse Effect on the Environment? by Daylan Ware
  • An Evaluation of the Costs and Benefits of Implementing Corporate Sustainability Values for West Marine by Aidan Bandy
  • The Hetch Hetchy: Environmental Controversy in the Past and in the Present by Kathryn Nathenson
  • The Hetch Hetchy Valley: The Failure of U.S. Water Policy by Kathryn Nathenson
  • A Historical and Contemporary Analysis of the Dialectical Relationship between Environmental Art and Environmental Movements from 1960 to the Present by Stefanie A. Perosa
  • A Model of Nutrient Flow in an Aquaponics System Using Diffusion-Advection-Reaction Equations by Gabriella Warrensford
  • Effect of Land use and Nutrient Concentration on Population Density of Siltsnails (Floridobia spp.) by Sara Davidovich
  • God's Green Earth: Christianity and the Preservation of Nature by Erin Hendryx