Senior Honors Theses - Unrestricted Open Access (UMKC)
Permanent URI for this collection
The items in this collection are the senior honors theses produced by the students of the Honors Program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Access to this collection is open to the entire global research community.
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War: Rwanda, Global Silence, and the #MeToo Movement (Institutional Complicity, Cultural Silence, and the Fight for Change)(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2025) Hams Scroggins, ShicagolynThis study explores the intentional use of sexual violence as a weapon of war during the Rwandan Genocide and draws parallel insights from other global conflicts. It centers survivor testimony, including that of women, men, and children, whose suffering, resilience, and voices have too often been marginalized or silenced. The research poses two fundamental questions: How has sexual violence in war been weaponized and erased through global apathy, media silence, and limited judicial accountability? And how can survivor-centric narratives help reshape collective memory and advance justice? Drawing on historical records, international jurisprudence, and documentary film, the study integrates emotional and contextual perspectives often missing from official discourse. Through a qualitative, multi-method lens, it examines how conflict related sexual violence is framed, acknowledged, distorted, or ignored. The research also considers how movements like #MeToo are shifting global conversations around gender-based violence, even in post-conflict contexts. What emerges is a clear and urgent call: for media, justice systems, and institutions to center the lived experiences of survivors, to tell the truth, and to commit to long-overdue recognition and healing. This work advances a survivor-centered, intersectional approach grounded in care, accountability, and moral courage.Item Interpreting the Republican Spirit: The Genet Affair and the Rhetoric of Radicalism(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2025) Connors, ChristopherThis project examines the 1793 Genet Affair, a diplomatic incident in early American political history between the minister plenipotentiary of revolutionary France and Washington’s cabinet. Edmund Charles Genet arrived in the United States to great fanfare with the mission of strengthening the relationship between the two countries as France prepared to go to war with the monarchies of Europe. Upon encountering reticence on the part of the American government, Genet reportedly threatened to appeal to the people in a total rejection of the structure of the post-constitutional convention federal system. In essence, the minister made the claim that Washington had abandoned the precepts of the American Revolution and begun acting contrary to the will of the people. The Genet Affair exposed an ideological conflict that had been brewing in the aftermath of the war for independence not only in Philadelphia, but in France and Britain as well, representing a transatlantic dialectic of radicalism. The minister’s arrival prompted the formation of America’s first political societies, leading to a flurry of debates in the flourishing printing sphere from elite and non-elite writers alike. These missives were colored by British anti-Franco propaganda, which in turn became visible commentaries on the United States government direction and philosophy. In visiting the Library Company of Philadelphia and analyzing these printed essays, broadsides, and cartoons in reference to the rhetoric espoused by Genet, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and others, a more distinct picture of American attitudes at the time becomes apparent. As a result of this incident, radical republicanism became delegitimized in America in a manner that can be tracked through rhetorical shifts regarding aristocracy, governmental legitimacy, and the future of egalitarian republicanism.Item Language in Healthcare: Assessing Medical Translation Services in the Kansas City Metro Area(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2024) Mohamed, RahmaObjective: To explore the scope of medical translation and interpretation services available to support patient care among healthcare providers within the Kansas City Metro Area, including the barriers and facilitators associated with the stewardship of these services. Methods: A mixed methods study utilizing an investigator designed electronic survey distributed using Qualtrics software was disseminated via email to personnel at four healthcare facilities from January 2024 through March 2024. Results: A total of 41 healthcare personnel responded to the survey, upon filtering those who opened the survey but did not complete it sufficiently (n=7), the final sample produced 34 participants varying in work positions: Medical doctors (9%), Registered Nurses (12%). Practitioners (6%), Administrative Staff (3%), Community Health Workers (15%), and Other (55%). Majority were female (82%) and participants averaged 6.38 years of employment as their respective facilities. 94% of staff reported having an adequate medical translation system to meet the patient's needs. 100% of respondents reported Spanish as being the primary language service utilized. Providers reported facing multiple barriers when delivering interpretation services to patients with amount of time for the patient visit as the most prominent (45%). 35% of personnel reported not knowing any local policies mandating medical translation services, whereas 47% report being unsure of any organizational policies mandating medical translation services at their place of employment. Overall, 50% reported having a feedback system in place to evaluate patient satisfaction with the level of medical translation services provided. Conclusion: Kansas City providers are facing various obstacles when providing care and the majority report ambiguity on knowledge of the policies mandating the use of medical translation services. Although there are federal laws regulating the standard of language assistance services for Low-English proficient (L.E.P) patients, several gaps in knowledge and finances in practice present challenges in the delivery of care. As such, additional research is needed to explore the systemic changes needed to enhance the quality of interpreter services and support for medical facilities and providers in the Kansas City Metro area.Item Investigating the Lipid-Hydrogel Biomaterial Structure and Self-assembly at the Interface(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2024) Dang, GraceAs intricate three-dimensional (3D) polymer networks, hydrogels are composed of hydrophilic polymer chains, maintaining an abundance of water within their structure. Noteworthy for their high biocompatibility, exceptional processability, and an assortment of chemical, physical, and biological attributes, hydrogels emerge as versatile entities. This versatile utility encompasses many applications from regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy as well as to drug and gene delivery. Beyond these fields, polymeric hydrogels have also been used in patches or arrays for transdermal drug delivery within the domains of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. In order to further explore these medical applications, I conducted this research in collaboration with Dr. Niroobakhsh, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering. Our joint interest centered around exploring the biomedical applications of advanced materials. Our investigation focused on the pivotal impact of Soy Phosphatidylcholine (Soy PC), a compound extensively employed in health and food sectors as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and wetting agent. Its biocompatibility, biodegradability, metabolic activity, and low toxicity relative to synthetic alternatives have made it a preferred option in clinical applications over many years. Due to these advantages, Soy PC holds promise for pharmaceutical use. Based on an extensive review of existing literature, we explored ternary systems involving castor oil, Soy PC, and ethanol/water. This system when coupled with a polymeric hydrogel has been effectively used within liquid-in-liquid 3D printing platforms. This enables the making of resilient intricate constructs, complete with internal nanostructures from aqueous solutions. Although this material system offers substantial printing versatility, apprehensions arise regarding its compatibility for biomedical applications due to potential toxicity associated with the oil component—specifically, oleic acid. Due to this, there is a curiosity to explore the creation and development of a soft material system that is composed of lipids and a biocompatible oil. Our research offers a path towards safer biomedical materials by investigating hydrogels and lipids, notably Soy Phosphatidylcholine. This work holds the potential to revolutionize various biomedical applications, from more efficient drug delivery to regenerative tissue solutions.Item The Ethical Implications of Stem Cell Research(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2024) McCarthy, NatalieStem cells have significant potential in both medicine and research due to their capability to replace damaged cells and their potential to regenerate damaged organs, especially within the context of genetic diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. The ethical and scientific debate revolving around the use of stem cells in research has been of great interest in recent years, as the potential uses of stem cells in research expand. Stem cells were discovered in the early 1960s, and the first treatments using hematopoietic stem cells began in the late 60s. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were derived from mice in 1981, and human ESCs in 1994; which were then discovered to have regenerative powers. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) began in 1998, and embryonic germ cells were discovered soon after from donated fetal tissue (Cohen, 2007). Embryonic stem cell research requires the derivation of pluripotent stem cell lines from embryos and oocytes; which is ethically ambiguous due to the dispute concerning the moral significance of the embryo. Further, downstream research involving the use of human stem cells introduces dilemmas regarding consent and oversight of research. This paper will discuss the origins and history of stem cells, as well as the role of umbilical cord blood donations within the context of the ethical implications of this research, applying a variety of ethical theories to these topics. I will also discuss ethical dilemmas in the context of research using somatic stem cells, embryonic stem cells, the use of stem cells in gamete creation, and somatic cell nuclear transfer. Then, taking these arguments, I will argue in favor of the pursuit of research using stem cells, applying a principlistic model of ethics to support the claim that the nuanced topic of stem cell research is ethical in some, but not all scenarios.