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	Message from the Dean Thesis advisor Professor Robin Bond mentors Joshua Johnson as he prepares his thesis, “De Originibus: A Comparative Study of Cosmogonies in Hesiod’s Poems and the Hebrew Book of Genesis.” Joshua graduates in May with a bachelor’s degree in history. During the last several weeks, more than 90 Honors College students have successfully completed (and defended) their theses. The thesis is the capstone of the Honors College curriculum. It provides the opportunity for students to work closely with a faculty mentor on research or other forms of creative projects that emphasize critical thinking and the importance of written and oral communication. I was fortunate to serve as an evaluator for Amanda Scott’s thesis. Amanda will graduate this month with a bachelor of arts degree from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. She is majoring in strategic communication and minoring in business administration. As a member of the Harold Frank Entrepreneurship Institute, Amanda’s thesis was actually a business plan for a company she has co–founded: Go KEFI. In Amanda’s words: “As a member of the Honors College, I have had the unique ability to connect with students in different disciplines throughout my four years at WSU. I believe that Go KEFI will be successful because of the cross–discipline collaboration that led to the formation of the company. The Honors College and the Harold Frank Entrepreneurship Institute are two programs that set WSU apart from other public universities, and I’m honored to have been a member of both.” The idea behind forming Go KEFI was market research that showed that 50% of travelers do not have a destination picked out when they begin planning their vacation. Users of the Go KEFI website can plan their vacation based on what they want to do, their budget, desired climate, and travel time. Then, through a partnership with Priceline, the ideal vacation package can be purchased. If you think this is a great idea, then you are in good company! Go KEFI won first place at Spokane Startup Weekend 2014. This fall, the company’s interactive website will be open for business. Amanda and her team are expecting over 10,000 sales by the end of the first year in operation. (The company name comes from the Greek noun kefi, which means the spirit of joy and enthusiasm.) Associate Dean Cathy Elstad directs the Honors thesis program. She works closely with Honors professors Robin Bond and Kim Andersen, who are responsible for coordinating the two major stages of the thesis process. Prior to beginning their thesis activity, students work with their individual faculty mentor to prepare and submit a proposal. Dr. Bond oversees this part of the process. Professor Andersen manages the thesis submission, defense scheduling, and evaluation. From beginning to end, they serve a valuable role in guiding Honors students through their thesis experience. In the middle of May, Professor Andersen will give a presentation about Honors thesis best practices during the Honors Education at Research Universities conference at Oregon State University. In Kim’s experience, “Interacting over the years with colleagues from across the nation has shown that our Honors thesis requirement is both ambitious and rigorous. This semester over 250 WSU professors from across campus interacted with our students as part of the thesis process. I think the Honors thesis requirement provides an important and appreciated role for the academic community.” In this issue of Inside Honors we are proud to also recognize the accomplishments of our Honors College students who presented at the University’s 2015 Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) symposium. Regards, M. Grant Norton, Ph.D. Dean, Honors College mg_norton@wsu.edu Visit the Honors College website » Update Your Info »
	SURCA is a WSU–wide event featuring the faculty–mentored research, scholarship, and creative activities of undergraduates from all majors, grades, and campuses—work that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to a discipline. On March 30, 189 students from all of WSU’s campuses participated in SURCA. Thirty–six undergraduates from this group are enrolled in the Honors College. Overall, 34% of the 44 awards presented were given to Honors students. Listed below are the Class of 2015 seniors who were honored with the highest recognition given to SURCA participants—the Crimson Award. Crimson Award Recipients Zane Duke—Bioengineering • Evaluation of Efficacy of Avian Egg–yolk Derived Antibodies (IgY) against C. jejuni Colonization of Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells Sophie Ascaso—Zoology/Veterinary Medicine • The Importance of Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha (Rara) in Spermatogonia, Defined through the Characterization of Early Postnatal Germ Cell Populations in the Testis Brianna Berg—Biochemistry • The Transmembrane Domain of Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen: Deciphering the Role of the Small–XXX–Small Motif in Oligomerization Lauren Rachel Young—History/Pre–Law • The New Wave of Propaganda: The Effects of Video Games on a State’s Historical Memory and the Psyche of Its Citizenry
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