George F. Whitworth Honors Program
All George Whitworth Honors students will complete an individual project as part of their Honors experience. Honors students represent nearly every major on campus and possess a wide range of post-undergraduate ambitions. The common thread in these capstone projects can be found in their aims to provide a solution–or some aspect of a solution–to a problem in the world. Whether academic or applied, this digital exhibition offers a taste of the types of projects that students have pursued in spring 2025.

Class of 2025

ALLY McAFEE

MAJOR: English

Minors: Publishing & Editing, Medieval & Early Modern Studies

Literacy for All Learners

Growing up, the bookshelves in my home were always bursting with picture books, and many of them still are, even as the novels pile up on every surface for lack of room. I have long enjoyed reading, and credit my books with my interest in learning. This project came about as an attempt to make this love for reading and learning accessible to more people.

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CALEB McGEVER

MAJORS: English, Theology

Education, Ethics, and Entertainment: Creating In The Loop’s Policy Manuel

A good magazine thrives off of good writing, good design, good photos, and good direction. However, in addition to the talent required to pull off these difficult qualifiers, a good magazine requires consistent policy to ensure the quality and consistency of its work. Additionally, written policy is important for providing transparency, which is a vital element of journalistic writing.  

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CASSIDY FRANKLIN

MAJOR: English

Minor: Theology

A House Not Built with Hands: The Quiet Work of Women in a Reformed World

My project exists to bring glory to God and honor His creative design for men and women by mirroring the literary structure of Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies. In this piece of creative nonfiction, the symbolic building of a Protestant church—beautiful, unadorned, and rooted in Scripture—serves as the framework for showcasing the biblical femininity of six extraordinary women from the Protestant Reformation. 

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DYLAN RICHARDSON

MAJORS: Political Science, Environmental Studies

Minors: Philosophy, U.S. Cultural Studies, Law & Justice

Student Lobbying: Spokane Waste to Energy and Washington’s Climate Commitment

Our climate policy framework is largely built on two significant bills: the 2019 Clean Energy Transition Act, which commits the state to greenhouse gas emission-free electricity generation, and the Climate Commitment Act, which implements a carbon tax and emissions trading scheme. While the CCA and CETA are essential steps, any policy framework inevitably leaves out certain local concerns. My research explores one way that these policies leave out the Spokane area, particularly in the context of our unique geologic history. The Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is particularly vulnerable to contaminated runoff.

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JUDE RUETSCHLE

MAJOR: Theology

Minor: Psychology 

Christ and the Absurd

Broadly speaking, our world tends to see religion as a sort of ‘meaning-making’ device. In faith, one is able to carve divine order into the chaos and fragmentation of the human experience. This makes faith a vehicle for hope—for settling the existential realization that nothing in our lives makes sense. The premise of this project, however, challenges that assumption: What if grasping after order and unity is not a source, but an obstruction to our ability to embrace life?

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KATE VACCARO

MAJOR: English

Minors: Editing & Publishing, Theology

The Small Press: Why They Are Essential in Our Current World

The publishing world has become one of my passions since being in college, so I knew that I wanted my final project to be somehow related to publishing. As I have learned more about the book industry, I have found myself being drawn to the small and independent organizations more than the larger ones. Therefore, I knew that I wanted my project to be about the promotion of smaller presses so that people could join in on my passion.

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MELINDA MULLET

MAJORS: English, American Studies

The Future of Hospice Care: A Christian Perspective

Aging Americans and their caregivers should have easy access to dignifying end-of-life care. The rapid increase in the 65+ population requires policy innovation in current Medicare regulation concerning hospice. Coordinated, intentional efforts between government and private sector providers, insurance navigators, community organizations, and houses of worship are also needed to change public attitudes towards hospice care, encourage referrals, increase uptake, and offer emotional, psychological, and spiritual support.

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JILLIAN WHITING

MAJOR: Biology

Missing Half the Picture: The Research Gap in Women’s Healthcare

Ultimately, my project seeks to foster a more informed healthcare environment. One in which researchers, healthcare professionals, and patients are better equipped to navigate the unique complexities of women’s health. 

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SALWA MEHREEN

MAJOR: Computer Science

Minor: Business

MisMatch: A Sustainable Fashion Solution

My project, MisMatch, started from a real-life frustration — how much time and energy it takes just to pick an outfit. Research shows that people spend around 102 hours a year deciding what to wear (Marks & Spencer), and about 50% of Americans say it’s the most stressful part of getting ready for an event (Trunk Club). At the same time, the fast fashion industry produces around 92 million tons of textile waste each year (UNEP), most of which ends up in landfills. I wanted to create something that helped people in their everyday lives while also promoting more sustainable habits.

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WILLIAM HENKE

MAJOR: English

Minors: Creative Writing, Computer Science

The Use of Violent Language in the Quotidian

Modern language has become violent in a way that abstracts our words from their actual meanings. Phrases like “slay” “break a leg” “you’re killing it” and many others reveal how violence has settled into quotidian linguistics. This reorientation towards violence desensitizes people to its larger social implications and promotes inadequate communication. Language that was once, and by dictionary definition still is, seen as violent or harmful is now utilized in neutral or even uplifting ways. Desensitization towards larger problems in society like gun violence, racism, global warming, etc. engenders an escalation of language in order to gain an appropriate reaction to said issues.

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ZACHARY BROOKS

MAJOR: English

Minors: Psychology, Theology

Patterns of Growth and Transformation in Crime and Punishments and Carl Rogers

In an era where over 15,000 self-help books are published in the United States each year, everyone seems to have two cents to share about how we can improve our lives. Despite these countless publications, each quick-fix or new mindfulness appears ephemeral. Self-help needs help. 

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CALEB FLEGEL

MAJORS: Computer Engineering, Computer Science

Designing a Water Oxygen Saturation Measurement System for Climate Change Research

As the world increasingly deals with the presence of Climate Change, we will increasingly need quality research to understand how it will affect the ecosystems that surround us. For this reason, this project is a collaboration with an existing research team investigating the effects of a changing climate on small aquatic ecosystems such as ponds. In the past, the associated research project has focused primarily on the effects of increasing pond temperatures. But, water oxygen saturation is another key indicator of ecosystem health. Not only does oxygen saturation directly affect the well-being of pond flora and fauna, but it also is affected by a warming climate.

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LIZZIE BERNS

MAJOR: Psychology

Minors: Neuroscience, Sociology, Communication & Cultures

Breaking the Silence: Sexual Assault in Christian Higher Education

My research is specifically looking at Whitworth and how they treat sexual violence on campus. I looked into what resources and programs there are for sexual violence survivors on this campus or any education about what sexual violence is for the rest of the student body. What I found was scarce, not only the research around Christian colleges and sexual assault, but also the resources on this campus for students.

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MARGARET BYLE

MAJOR: Health Science

How Faith Fueled the Scientific Revolution: A Deep Dive into the Lives of Three Scientific Leaders and Their Faith

As a Christian in the science field, these two dominant fields have always been a big part of my learning and worldview. During our time at Cambridge, we read a book by Yuval Harari titled Sapeins. In this book, Yuval Harari is attempting to tell the story of science throughout human history. I observed that in this attempt, Harari is guilty of placing science in a bubble, ignoring big changes going on in the world, specifically around the Scientific Revolution. This realization, paired with my strong passion and fascination for science and religion, led me to desire to be able to better prove that these two fields are not in conflict.  

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MU MU DUN

MAJOR: Chemistry

Minor: Biology

Implementing Communication of Science to the Public Into Classroom 

Scientific discoveries can often seem intricate and challenging to digest. Clear communication ensures these ideas are accessible to a wider audience, including those lacking a scientific background. This enhances public insight and respect for science. Whether discussing health, environmental challenges, or innovative technologies, the public often encounters choices that require scientific understanding. By conveying information effectively, scientists can empower people to make well-informed decisions that can benefit both their lives and society as a whole.

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VINCENT INAYAT

MAJORS: Economics, Political Science

The Political Participation and Lived Experiences of Religious Minorities in Pakistan 

My honors capstone project investigates how systemic marginalization affects the political participation and lived experiences of religious minorities in Pakistan, focusing particularly on Christian communities in Karachi. Through qualitative research involving semi-structured interviews, I examined how fear, discrimination, and historical shifts in state ideology contribute to political disengagement. Participants expressed deep frustration with exclusionary practices, legal discrimination through blasphemy laws, and socio-economic disenfranchisement. Yet, I also uncovered stories of remarkable resilience such as communities leveraging civil society, clustering in safe neighborhoods, and using social media as new platforms for political expression. 

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HANNAH JOHNSON

MAJOR: Sociology

Minor: Criminology

Unequal Pathways: Race, Religion, and Resettlement in Spokane

Immigration has long been a contentious issue in the U.S., but recent years have seen increasingly negative public attitudes shaped by race, religion, politics, and nationalism. Notably, research shows that white evangelical Christians often support restrictive immigration policies—despite professing compassion and a biblical call to welcome the stranger. This study explores how those contradictions play out locally in Spokane, Washington, by centering the voices of immigrants and refugees and examining how race, religion, and legal status shape their resettlement experiences. 

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SERA WIESEN

MAJOR: English

Minor: Editing & Publishing

Crossing State Lines How Abortion Law Misinformation Affects Pregnancy Care in Washington and Idaho 

With the overturning of Roe V Wade came a plague of misinformation surrounding reproductive health. This led to medical practitioners and specialists being misinformed and fearing prosecution for providing lifesaving procedures on pregnant women. Reproductive healthcare doesn’t just involve abortion, it includes emergency care, about the right to survive a pregnancy. The misinformation flooding the system is making everything worse. State laws are murky and full of vague language state by state, leaving medical professionals unsure if they’d be prosecuted for providing necessary, lifesaving care for their patients. To me, it is wrong that in a first world country, people are left to suffer because of this misinformation. My goal is to bring light to proper information about abortion care even in the most restrictive states.

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BRITNEY LEWIS

MAJORS: Economics, Psychology

Forgiveness and Apology Behavior of Men and Women

The stereotype of women apologizing more than men was tested by a psychology study which found that women apologized at higher frequencies. Yet, each gender apologized for an equal proportion of their offenses if it was recognized by them as a transgression (81% mean for men and women). My question was inspired by considering the compliment to an apology, forgiveness. If women engage with apology behavior at higher frequencies, whether or not a transgression has been fully realized, does this water down their engagement with relational repair? Conversely, does a lower frequency and a higher threshold for viewing a situation as apology-worthy influence greater levels of sincerity in the interpretation of forgiveness for men?

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