Senior Capstone
2025
Class of 2025 Senior Capstone Topics
Justin B. '25
The Effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs on Sport: How has the introduction of performance enhancing drugs impacted the overall landscape of sports at all levels, particularly youth sports?
Mentor: Kim Walsh
Will B. '25
The Impact of Private Equity on Orthopaedic Surgery: How have hip and knee replacement volumes changed as a consequence of private equity acquisition, and what does this reveal about the potential impact of private equity investment on patient care and outcomes?
Mentor: Kali Bennett
I.C. '25
How do the modern retellings of myths from the female perspective change the meaning of a story as well as the representation of women’s power?
Mentor: Jimmy Zunka '00
Case C. '25
To what extent is it ethical to use decision-making biases and mass consumer data harvesting to influence behavior, and how do these practices impact customer trust and loyalty?
Mentor: Jacob Stoner '11
Margaret C. '25
The Future of Business: How has the role of data analytics changed the way businesses market their products to consumers, and what effect has this had on global consumerism as well as our school community?
Mentor: Blair McAvoy
Reese C. '25
How can sustainable practices be used to augment the historical restoration of buildings in order to make them more adaptable to modern life?
Mentor: Frank Phillips
Casper d. '25
How do geographic boundaries in the Middle East influence political structures, economic dynamics, and cultural diversity across the region?
Mentor: Jeremy Hart
Cabria F. '25
How does multilingualism influence one’s identity, feelings of self-worth and how they interact with society?
Mentor: Jon Shoup
Kaden F. '25
How do disconnects in space operations including lapses in communication between divisions manifest in space exploration and specifically in failed missions?
Mentor: Dr. Bob Troy
Dylan F. '25
How do individual interpretations of poetry translate into visual representations?
Mentor: James Mattise '10
Nick G. '25
What are the meanings of Originalism and living Constitutionalism and how have these legal philosophies impacted U.S. environmental policy and law since 1950?
Mentor: Laura Robertson
Isabel G. '25
Stormwater Management: To what extent can we utilize stormwater management systems in urban settings to minimize pollutants in waterways?
Mentor: Matthew Groves
T.G. '25
How do forestry techniques in the U.S. and Germany differ, and which strategies and policies best maintain biodiversity while supporting productive land use?
Mentor: Jimmy Zunka '00
Marin H. '25
How did the art pieces and art movements created in the United States during the mid-20th century illustrate the effects of World War II on the social climate in the country?
Mentor: Susan Brodie
Henry J. '25
Hedge Funds in the Role of American Finance (1990 – 2024): How have hedge funds altered their principles through changes in technology to gain an advantage over the market?
Mentor: Jacob Stoner '11
Nicole K. '25
How do the contrasting practices of authoritative and gentle parenting in American households influence the development of adolescents' decision making abilities?
Mentor: Kim Walsh
Lainey K. '25
Articulating the Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation: How can multi-sport participation positively impact young athletes, and how can we effectively articulate those benefits to stakeholders in an athlete’s decision to play multiple sports?
Mentor: Andrea Beardsley
A.J. L-N. '25
Community Building, Activism, and Its Effects on Writing: How does community building and activism with the creation of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe affect Miguel Algarín's writing style?
Mentor: Jon Shoup
Ivy L. '25
How does the representation of diverse skin tones in dermatology literature impact diagnoses and how can we reduce the racial disparity in dermatologic care?
Mentor: Kim Walsh
Carson N. '25
How can we better optimize the workflow of computers by offloading serial work on the central processing unit to parallel work on the graphics processing unit?
Mentor: Blair McAvoy
Chloe P-B. '25
The Merits of Vegetarianism: What are the environmental and physiological impacts of plant-based diets?
Mentor: Jason Webster
Ilias P. '25
In what ways have antitrust acts affected market competition, business behavior, and consumer welfare in the United States?
Mentor: Alison Ruff
Tyler P. '25
How has U.S. government debt from 1940 to the present impacted economic stability and everyday life, and what characteristics define a sustainable debt model for future generations?
Mentor: Laura Robertson
Brynne P. '25
How does comparing the banning of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) in the 1970s with the lack of regulation of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) today provide conclusions to explain the disconnect between scientific evidence, regulation, and public awareness?
Mentor: Pearce Johnson
Willow P. '25
How did exposing the CIA's abuse of power in 1970s domestic espionage affairs reveal large inconsistencies in the distribution and use of power within our federal government and lead to legislation that better protected Americans from intrusions by federal intelligence agencies?
Mentor: Jordan Taylor
Cadigan P. '25
Development of Immune Responses to Cryptosporidium and the Effects on Leaky Gut: How do naive antibodies develop in response to a Cryptosporidium infection compared to levels of memory antibodies and how does the infection affect biomarkers of gut inflammation and barrier integrity?
Mentor: Andrea Beardsley
Lizzie P. '25
What is the correlation between childhood anxiety and disordered sleep and how might we alleviate the challenges posed by this correlation in children
age 13 – 18?
Mentor: Laura Robertson
Mia P. '25
How did media coverage of the Vietnam War affect domestic understanding of the war and the evolution of the anti-war movement?
Mentor: Jordan Taylor
Lilly S. '25
The Gendering of Murder: How has the media representation of serial killers demonstrated gender bias over the past 50 years?
Mentor: Dr. Rosanne Simeone
Sofia T. L. '25
How does postcolonial literature chronicle cultural adaptation through mythology, language, and historical narrative?
Mentor: Laura Robertson
Brody T. '25
How did representations and social constructs of gender evolve and impact queer men from 1940 – 2020s in America and affect the visibility of queer cultures today?
Mentor: Dr. Rosanne Simeone
Sanaa T. '25
What makes an effective character design and how do our decisions affect how the character is perceived?
Mentor: Frank Phillips
Aiden Z. '25
How are automotive companies reshaping their approaches to minimize environmental impacts, and how have these adaptations affected the environment as a whole?
Mentor: Dr. Bob Troy
Chloe Z. '25
An Endless Game of Battleship: How can we use game theory to model 21st century global conflicts like the South China Sea dispute?
Mentor: Jimmy Zunka '00
2024
Class of 2024 Senior Capstone Topics
Taylor B. '24
How Can We Optimize Carbon Capture and Sequestration Through Algae Growth While Remaining Environmentally and Economically Viable?
Amelia B. '24
How Has Drug Policy Shaped the Criminal Justice System Since the Start of the “War on Drugs” and What Are the Different Avenues for Reform?
Alex B. '24
The Link Between Machine Learning and Electrical Engineering: How can the principles of machine learning help the creation of more advanced circuitry?
Alex C. '24
How Did Contemporary Nationalism Manifest Itself in Roman Society and Where Do We See Its Effects?
Andrew D. '24
The Purposes of Reverb in Artistic Settings: How is reverb used to affect the emotional content in music?
Spicer E. '24
What Have Been the Key Drivers of Political Polarization and Partisan Antipathy in the United States, and How Might the Current State of Division Affect the Future of American Democracy?
Lila H. '24
Caging Access: How Local, State, and Federal Legislation Has Set Boundaries on the Access to Reproductive Health Care
How Does Current Legislation Regarding Reproductive Rights Set Different Boundaries To Limit Abortion Access in the United States?
Jacky H. '24
Making the Roads Safer: How might we use technology and design to address environmental factors that contributed to accidents on the road?
Sonia K. '24
Deforestation in the Congo Basin: What innovative agricultural solutions can we use to create alternatives to deforestation for indigenous individuals in the Congo Basin?
Jake K. '24
How Has Mathematical Philosophy Shaped the Development of Unique Proofs and Theorems in the Field of Mathematics?
John L. '24
From Rivals to Allies: The rewriting of Axis powers in WWII
Following the End of WWII, How Did American Occupation Reshape Japanese Society To Turn Japan Into an American Ally?
Abigale N. '24
What Aspects of Korean Culture Are Revealed Through the Study of Korean Literature and the Language?
Whit P. '24
How Does Machine Learning Empower Computers to Accurately Predict Behaviors in Large-Scale Data?
Charlie P. '24
Financial Education: Unequal childhoods
How Have the Inequities of Financial Education Among Different Groups Furthered the Financial Gaps in America, and What Can Be Done to Bridge Them?
Izzy S. '24
How Did the Revisiting of Myths and Feminine Archetypes Enable 20th Century Modernists to Reimagine Gender?
Whitt S. '24
How Have Environmental Regulations Affected the Development of U.S. Corporations, and in What Ways Will Federal Regulation Shape Future Business Practices?
Rex S. '24
How Did Crash Tests in the Past Help Enhance Automotive Safety?
Lyra S. '24
How Does the Usage of Sunscreens in Sensitive Ocean Environments Affect Marine Life, and How Can Adding Restrictive Policies Change Attitudes and Outcomes?
Ben V. '24
How Have Music Festivals Evolved To Become More Environmentally Sustainable in Response to An
Increasingly Environmentally-Conscious World?
Christina W. '24
How Has Nutrition Been Used as a Tool in Psychiatric Treatment?
Cecilia Y. '24
How Do Issues of Female Gender and Sexuality Shape the Writing and Performance of One-Women Plays?
Annie Y. '24
How Can Information From a Zebrafish Model Be Used in Understanding Sleep in Humans?
2023
Class of 2023 Senior Capstone Topics
Jason H. '23
Improving the Photosynthetic Efficiency on Various Plant Species
Katelyn Y. '23
How Science has Advanced and Opposed Abortion
Jordan S. '23
How Did The Republican Party Come To Support The Pro-Life Movement?
Max B. '23
Using stats and coaching philosophy to analyze gameplay
Alexa V. '23
The Mind-Brain Distinction
Adam L. '23
How does The Name Letter Effect affect how People Express their Central Values?
Anthony C. '23
How do early childhood programs reflect different theories and approaches to child development?
Brant Y. '23
How can Makerspaces help schools and students meet Next Generation Science Standards and enhance STEM education?
Zara C. '23
Allegories of Capitalism and Class in Film
Kendall C. '23
What strategies can be implemented by developers and civil engineers to help address the affordable housing crisis in college towns such as Charlottesville?
David D. '23
Using zebra fish as a model, how can we quantitatively examine the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Liam R. '23
How did authoritarianism and authoritarian political styles affect the daily life of Russian citizens from the end of Tsars to the rise of Putinism?
Paul R. '23
How can we use neural networks to predict behaviors and patterns in data?
Kelsey P. '23
To What Extent did Beatlemania Shape Music’s Fan Culture and Curate Sexist Stereotypes Surrounding the “Fangirl”?
Lauren H. '23
How will we be able to differentiate opposing models of our universe’s genesis?
Emma F.G. '23
How can Theory of Mind be employed in the writing of children’s books to best fit the context of the 21st century?
James E. '23
Using Statistics to Analyze Elections
Lily Z. '23
How are form and function reflected in the architecture of the Tang Dynasty?
2022
Class of 2022 Senior Capstone Topics
Mary Holland M. '22
How can fairy tales in the Western canon be adapted to promote socially-conscious and open-minded ideals?
Faculty Proctors
Colleen Belak
Michaela Toburen
Jimmy Zunka (mentor)
Meredith P. '22
How can the analysis of contemporary Middle Eastern fiction through the lens of violence, sexuality and power aid in identifying prejudice and highlighting authentic voices, narratives
Faculty Proctors
Jordan Taylor (mentor)
Emma B. '22
How did the rediscovery and subsequent myth of Pompeii impact the Neoclassical movement?
Faculty Proctors
Kate Bussey
Brandtly Jones (mentor)
Noelle R. '22
Should we strive for happiness or contentment and how do those look different in an individual versus collective setting?
Faculty Proctors
Antxon Iturbe
Michaela Toburen
Alison Ruff (mentor)
Maggie S. '22
How did different cultural backgrounds influence the mental health of teenagers?
Faculty Proctors
Sophie Speidel (mentor)
Esther Lezama
Victoria T. '22
How do different perspectives in Chinese and Western medicine lead to different treatments for Hashimoto's thyroiditis — based on current clinical research.
Faculty Proctors
Todd Jarry (mentor)
Tyler B. '22
Immunomodulation: how can we modify components of the immune system to augment our response to pathogens?
Faculty Proctors
Andrea Beardsley
Paloma Visscher-Gingerich
Todd Jarry (mentor)
Hudson S. '22
“Environmental, Social, Corporate Governance: Creating a Sustainable Business through Ethical Leadership” How Does One Create a Profitable, Ethical and Sustainable Business Model in the 21st Century?
Faculty Proctors
Laura Robertson (mentor)
Sarah C. '22
How does the Supreme Court reflect and impact the evolution of Women’s Rights in the mid to late 20th century?
Faculty Proctors
Liza Rubenoff
Anne Wending
Laura Robertson (mentor)
Channing S. '22
How did racism form the American ideas of diet culture, and in what ways does racism fuel modern-day fat-phobia?
Faculty Proctors
Paloma Visscher-Gingerich
Rosanne Simeone (mentor)
Hannah L. '22
How did the counterculture leave a lasting legacy of alternative communities from the 1960s to the present?
Faculty Proctors
Ian Watson
Terry Lippmann
Jordan Taylor (mentor)
John Ross
Brehanu B. '22
How can one use mathematical equations and models to compose music?
Faculty Proctors
Will Nichols (mentor)
Emily C. '22
How does climate change impact agriculture productivity in Virginia, and what mitigations can be adopted in the future?
Faculty Proctors
Pearce Johnson (mentor)
Antxon Iturbe
Charlie H. '22
What algorithmic strategies and optimal structures can be used to improve the efficiency and generalizability of Information Retrieval?
Faculty Proctors
Zach Minster
Frank F. '22
How did the transcontinental railroad shape US society?
Faculty Proctors
Jason Webster (mentor)
Hans B. '22
How Kissinger Asserted US Leadership through Diplomacy during the Post-October-War Negotiations?
Faculty Proctors
Jason Webster (mentor)
Kiernan Michau
Ruby A. '22
How can we use computer simulations to teach the Central Limit Theorem in a manner that is easily understandable and accessible to all?
Faculty Proctors
Sandra Sohne-Johnston
Brian Bartholomew (mentor)
Ally A. '22
How did humanism influence the changing approaches to education during the Italian Renaissance?
Faculty Proctors
Bob Clark (mentor)
The Senior Capstone is a unique opportunity to explore whatever subject you choose with the freedom of shaping your own learning experience. It allows you to combine your interests into one class. Although you work with mentors, you are the main guide in your research. I can guarantee that not only will you gain valuable time management lessons, but also acquire the skills to fit the level of professionalism the committee expects from you. In the end, the work you do will hopefully have a meaningful impact on the School and broader community!"
- Liza Khutsishvili '19, Recipient of the 2019 Senior Capstone Thesis Award