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CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL CAPSTONE PROJECTS THAT STUDENTS HAVE COMPLETED IN THE PAST

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Business Management Capstone: A student analyzed the marketing strategies of a mid-sized pharmaceutical company and proposed recommendations to help increase sales of their top 5 best-selling drugs. Through competitive research and customer surveys, the student identified gaps in the company’s marketing approach and recommended refocusing marketing dollars towards digital campaigns and collaborating with physicians to promote the medical benefits of the products. A implementation plan was proposed outlining tactics, budget, timeline and metrics to measure success. This provided the company valuable insights that could potentially help boost revenue.

Nursing Capstone: For her nursing capstone, a student chose to focus on increasing childhood vaccination rates at a rural community health center. Through a comprehensive literature review, she identified barriers to vaccination adherence among the patient population which included lack of education, limited transportation options and distrust of the medical system. She then designed and led an educational outreach program that included distributing educational material in both English and Spanish, hosting community seminars at local churches and schools, and making home visits for at-risk families. Post-implementation surveys showed an over 20% increase in full vaccination compliance among children under 5 at the clinic, demonstrating how her project helped improve public health.

Computer Science Capstone: A computer science major worked with a local software startup to develop an app to help connect veterans experiencing homelessness or poverty with volunteer-based assistance programs in their local community. Through user experience research and iterative programming cycles, he designed and built a functional mobile app prototype that allowed users to input their location, desired assistance categories like food/housing/employment and be matched with relevant non-profits offering aid nearby. The prototype demonstrated an elegant, easy-to-use technical solution that could one day help address a real social issue if further refined and marketed by the company.

Engineering Capstone: A mechanical engineering student consulted with engineers at an electric vehicle manufacturer to help improve the battery cooling system design in their upcoming model. Through computational analysis and laboratory testing, she evaluated alternative heat exchanger designs, coolant flow paths and thermodynamic models to identify the most energy and cost-efficient configuration. Her recommended design changes were estimated to provide a 10% increase in battery thermal management performance while lowering component costs. The company was so impressed they offered her a job after graduation to help implement her improvements in the production phase.

Social Work Capstone: A social work major collaborated with a state child welfare agency seeking ways to minimize placement disruptions and better support foster family stability. Through interviews and surveys of foster parents, social workers and child welfare administration, she pinpointed organizational barriers hindering continuity of care such as high caseloads, lack of foster parent training and delays in licensing approval. Her capstone paper proposed a series of policy and procedural recommendations including reducing social worker ratios, streamlining the home study process and providing ongoing resources/mentorship for foster families. The agency implemented several of her suggestions which showed early promise in boosting placement retention rates.

The film and media production students also complete compelling capstone projects. For example, one group of students worked with a nonprofit organization that provides arts education to underserved youth. For their capstone, the students produced a short documentary film highlighting the meaningful impact of the nonprofit’s programs as seen through the experiences of the children, their families and volunteer instructors. The film was used by the nonprofit in grants applications and community outreach materials to garner more support. Another student created an animated public service announcement promoting wildfire prevention safety tips. The California Department of Forestry featured the PSA on their social media channels during peak wildfire season when awareness of burning restrictions was critical.

These are just a handful examples that demonstrate how capstone projects provide real-world, applied learning experiences for students across diverse fields. By directly consulting with and addressing needs of community partners and organizations, capstones allow students to utilize their academic knowledge and skills to design solutions for issues facing the public/private sectors. This bridges the classroom to practice and provides valuable work samples that showcase competencies gained, making capstones an impactful concluding experience for undergraduate degree programs. Overall capstone courses foster self-directed learning, collaboration skills and civic engagement through practical application-focused projects.

CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF CAPSTONE PROJECTS THAT STUDENTS HAVE COMPLETED

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Business Management Capstone:

A student created a business plan to open a retail coffee shop in their town and presented the plan to potential investors including market research, financial projections, operational plans, and strengths/weaknesses analysis.

Computer Science Capstone:

A group of students developed a mobile application for a local nonprofit organization to help volunteers track hours and tasks completed. The app included user registration, a database to store volunteer data, and reporting features for organization leadership. They presented a demo of the working app.

Engineering Capstone:

As part of a senior design project, a team of mechanical engineering students worked with a manufacturer to develop a new process to automate part of the production line for one of their products. The students created 3D models and prototypes of the automated machinery, documented the design process, and created training materials for installation and use of the new system.

Nursing Capstone:

For her capstone, a nursing student chose to conduct research on best practices for diabetes patient education. She developed an educational module to teach patients how to manage their diabetes and monitor blood sugar levels. She presented her research findings and the new educational program to nursing administrators and doctors at the hospital where she had completed her clinical studies.

Education Capstone:

An aspiring high school history teacher created and taught a new unit on the U.S. Constitution to a Mock Classroom of peers and professors who took on the role of students. They developed lesson plans, activities, and assessments aligned to state standards. The student received feedback on their teaching skills and reflected on ways to improve instructional practices.

Communications Capstone:

For their capstone, a group of communications majors planned and implemented a large-scale public relations campaign for their university’s upcoming capital fundraising campaign. They developed messaging, graphics, news releases and organized special events on campus. They presented their PR plan and the results of their campaign efforts to university administrators.

Criminal Justice Capstone:

An honors student interested in a career with the FBI conducted an in-depth research study analyzing the trends in cybercrime over the past decade. They interviewed prosecutors, law enforcement, and cybersecurity experts. Their resulting 30-page paper with references provided recommendations on how law enforcement can better address evolving cyber threats.

Public Health Capstone:

A small team of students partnered with the county health department to address the lack of access to healthy food in low-income urban neighborhoods. They conducted surveys in the community to identify needs, then organized a 6-week pop-up farmers market and nutrition education workshops. At the conclusion they presented their project documentation and outcomes to demonstrate impact.

Psychology Capstone:

An ambitious psychology student designed an original research study on the correlation between socioeconomic status and career aspirations of high school students. They created IRB-approved surveys, collected and analyzed quantitative data from a sample of local high schoolers. The capstone concluded with a formal research paper and conference-style presentation of their findings.

Social Work Capstone:

For their culminating project, a social work major completed an internship at a domestic violence shelter where they helped develop new trauma-informed counseling resources for clients. They also facilitated support groups and aftercare programs. At the end of the semester they presented to site supervisors and received feedback on their work and skills in serving vulnerable populations.

These are just a sampling of the diverse capstone projects undertaken by college students across various majors. In each case, the goal was for senior students to integrate and apply the knowledge and technical skills gained throughout their course of study by conducting significant projects that addressed real-world problems or organizational needs. Presenting final projects allowed students to demonstrate their competence and receive feedback to help prepare for future careers or postgraduate studies. Capstone experiences provide an authentic way for learners to culminate their educational experiences.

WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF CAPSTONE PROJECTS THAT IT STUDENTS HAVE COMPLETED IN THE PAST

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Many IT students choose to develop software applications for their capstone projects. Some examples include:

Customer relationship management (CRM) software: One student developed a CRM platform that allowed small businesses to track customers, manage leads and sales, and get insights into purchasing trends. The application was built using Java and incorporated a MySQL database.

Inventory management system: Another student created a web-based inventory management system for a local hardware store. The system allowed employees to track inventory levels in real-time, generate restocking orders, and print barcoded labels for shelving. It was built with PHP and utilized both a MySQL database and barcode scanning hardware.

Expense tracking app: To help freelance consultants and small businesses better manage finances, one student designed a mobile expense tracking application. Developed natively for Android using Java, the app allowed users to scan or manually enter receipts which were then categorized and stored. It also generated expense reports that could be exported.

Campus transportation map: A transportation map of a large university was created by a student as a single page web application. Using the Google Maps API, the app incorporated an interactive campus map with icons indicating bus stops and routes. Users could get walking or driving directions between locations. It was built with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Some IT students also undertake infrastructure-based projects, such as:

Network overhaul: One capstone project involved completely redesigning the network infrastructure for a small school district. The student implemented a more robust wired and wireless network using Cisco routers and switches. They also set up a centralized Active Directory domain, migrated users and devices, and configured network security policies.

Hyperconverged storage solution: To improve storage performance and capacity for a manufacturing company, a student deployed a VMware vSAN hyperconverged infrastructure. This included procuring and installing new servers with local SSD caching, configuring the vSAN in a stretched cluster across locations, and migrating virtual machines from a legacy SAN.

Cloud migration: As part of a cloud migration strategy, another student worked with a nonprofit to move their on-premise virtual infrastructure to Amazon Web Services. This included installing and configuring AWS tools like EC2, VPC, RDS, and S3 then migrating VMs, database, file shares, and developing deployment pipelines in CodePipeline.

Some capstone projects also focus on new technologies, such as:

Blockchain record keeping app: To explore blockchain use cases, a student developed a proof-of-concept desktop application for securely tracking financial transactions on a private Ethereum network. The app was built with Electron and Solidity smart contracts.

Serverless website: As serverless computing gained momentum, one project involved creating a dynamic multi-page website completely utilizing AWS Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and S3. The serverless architecture eliminated the need to manage any infrastructure.

IoT smart home prototype: As a prototype smart home system, a student designed and built an IoT network connecting various sensors and actuators around a mock property. An Azure IoT Hub integrated door sensors, motion detectors, light bulbs, and more which could be controlled from a mobile app.

Information security is another popular area for capstone work, such as:

Penetration testing: Students have conducted authorized ethical hacks and security assessments of organizations, documenting vulnerabilities and providing recommendations. This involved using tools like Nmap, Nikto, Metasploit, Burp Suite, and more.

Data encryption application: To address HIPAA compliance, one project developed a desktop encryption utility for securing medical files on endpoint devices. It used the AES encryption standard and secure key storage.

Social engineering prevention: As part of an employee security awareness campaign, a student researched and prototyped various phishing simulation solutions using tailored email templates and tracking engagement. Reports helped identify risk areas.

The examples shared here represent just a sample of the diverse and innovative capstone projects undertaken by IT students. By developing real-world solutions, students gain valuable hands-on experience in domains like application development, systems administration, information security, and emerging technologies to apply toward their careers.

CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF CAPSTONE PROJECTS THAT PREVIOUS STUDENTS AT HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY HAVE COMPLETED

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One popular type of capstone project for students in Huntington’s biology program is research-based projects where students design and conduct their own experiments investigating topics related to areas like cell biology, genetics, ecology or physiology. For example, one student investigated the effect of different light wavelengths on plant growth. She designed a controlled experiment growing the same type of plant under red, blue, green and full-spectrum LED lights, measuring factors like height, leaf and stem development over time. Her findings provided new insights into how specific light wavelengths can influence plant growth.

In the computer science department, many capstone projects involve developing software or web applications to solve real-world problems. One group created a web application for a local non-profit organization to better manage their volunteer roster and schedule shifts. The application allowed volunteers to sign up for tasks online, admins to track hours and see who was scheduled when. It streamlined their process and provided new analytics on volunteer participation. Another project involved developing a smartphone app for Huntington’s campus activities department. The app allowed students to view the schedule of upcoming campus events, get directions to event locations, and RSVP to attend. It enhanced communication and boosted attendance for campus activities.

In the exercise science program, many capstone projects take the form of original research studies. For example, one student investigated the effects of different post-workout nutrition options on muscle recovery following high-intensity interval training. She recruited volunteers from Huntington’s various athletic teams and had them follow specific nutrient plans after some intense workout sessions. Through metabolic analysis of muscle glycogen replenishment and questionnaires on soreness levels, she was able to determine which nutrients most effectively aided recovery. Her findings provided practical implications for athletes and trainers on optimizing recovery.

The nursing program encourages capstone projects that address real issues and needs within the local healthcare system. One group identified a gap in continuity of care for Alzheimer’s patients transitioning between facilities. They partnered with an area memory care facility and hospital to develop an electronic patient record system allowing smooth sharing of health details between locations. The tool reduced errors and stress on patients and families during transfers of care. Another nursing student conducted a community health needs assessment for Huntington’s local school corporation. Through surveys of students, families and teachers, they identified mental health and lack of nutrition education as primary concerns. Their report informed new wellness programs introduced at area schools.

The communication studies department often involves capstone projects that utilize student skills in public relations, advertising, journalism or film production. For example, one group developed a marketing campaign to increase tourism at a local state park that was facing declining visitor numbers. Their strategic campaign included promotional videos, print ads, social media content, and on-site activities they helped coordinate. Comprehensive analysis found their efforts directly contributed to a measurable increase in park visits over one summer. In another project, a student produced and directed a short documentary film profiling meaningful community organizations and volunteers in Huntington that have helped advance local welfare. The film aired on local access TV and helped spread awareness of their good work.

As these examples illustrate, capstone projects at Huntington University provide rich, hands-on experiences for students to conduct original research, develop solutions to practical problems, or generate other scholarly works that allow them to apply their classroom learning to real-world challenges. By designing their own distinctive capstone projects, students gain valuable skills in critical thinking, project management, communication and more that prepare them for workplace or graduate study success. The diversity of project types and partners with local businesses and organizations also demonstrates the commitment of Huntington students and faculty to enriching their surrounding community through engaged scholarship.

CAN YOU PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF LEADERSHIP CAPSTONE PROJECTS THAT STUDENTS HAVE COMPLETED IN THE PAST

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Developing a Leadership Training Program for College Student Organizations: One student researched best practices in leadership training and development and used this to design a comprehensive training program for student organization leaders on their campus. The program included modules on effective communication, goal setting, delegation, conflict resolution, inclusion and diversity. They piloted the program with 3 student groups and assessed the effectiveness through participant feedback and surveys.

Strategic Plan for a Non-Profit Organization: A student worked with a local nonprofit that provides after school programs for underserved youth. They conducted an environmental scan looking at demographic trends, funding opportunities, programs offered by competitors. They also interviewed stakeholders like staff, volunteers, program participants and funders. Based on this research, they developed a 3-year strategic plan with goals, objectives, tactics and metrics to help the organization better serve their community and ensure long-term sustainability.

Revitalizing a High School Mentorship Program: One student identified that the mentorship program pairing upperclassmen with incoming freshmen at their former high school had declined in recent years with lower participation. They researched best practices in high school mentorship and conducted surveys and focus groups with students, faculty and alumni to understand why engagement had dropped. They then proposed an updated program structure, recruitment strategies, training curriculum and ways to recognize mentor involvement to revitalize the program.

Redesigning an Academic Department Website: A student noticed that their university’s academic department website for their major had not been updated in several years and was difficult to navigate. They audited the existing site and surveyed students and faculty about what information should be prioritized and how it could be better organized to be more useful. They then produced a new customized website design with updated course offerings, faculty profiles, academic advising resources, student organization opportunities and streamlined navigation to improve the user experience.

Implementing Sustainability Initiatives in Campus Housing: One student worked with their university’s residential life department to identify opportunities to incorporate more sustainable practices into on-campus housing. They researched policies and programs at peer institutions and conducted a waste audit to understand current recycling and energy usage. They then created an implementation plan outlining specific initiatives like a green dorm competition, bulk food purchasing program, laundry alternative energy project and student eco-reps in each residence hall to reduce environmental impact and engage students.

Assessing a New Student Leader Training Model: A student organization had recently transitioned to a peer-led training approach rather than faculty-led workshops for incoming student leaders. A student assessed the effectiveness of this new model by comparing pre and post-training surveys of students under the old and new system regarding their perceived leadership skills, knowledge and preparation for their roles. They also interviewed student leaders and organization advisors. Based on this they provided recommendations on refining the new training approach and outcomes assessment plan.

Creating an Inclusive Onboarding Process for New Employees: A student was an intern at a small business that did not have a very formal onboarding process for new hires. They researched the benefits of structured onboarding and the importance of inclusion and belonging. They then designed and proposed to implement a standardized 90-day onboarding program, handbook, checklist and mentorship program to help new employees feel welcomed and integrated, learn about company culture and build relationships to set them up for success in their roles.

In each of these examples, students identified a real leadership challenge or need within an organization they were engaged with. They conducted thorough research on best practices and stakeholder needs and proposed a thoughtful, evidence-based solution. The projects demonstrated an understanding of effective leadership and organizational change through their choice of topic, research methodology, solution design and implementation recommendations. These capstone projects allowed students to apply classroom concepts to address a practical leadership issue, gain valuable experience consulting with an organization, and produce a tangible work product to add to their professional portfolio.