This month 167 students who completed their capstones in the first half of 2016 are being recognized for their outstanding work.
To celebrate student excellence in the completion of this important endeavor Western Governors University (WGU) grants “Capstone Excellence Awards.”
Since November 2015 the Awards have been presented through a continuous nomination/selection process. Capstone Faculty Evaluators nominate deserving capstone projects. The finalists’ work is then reviewed and approved by the Evaluation Management in each College.
Often students’ capstones were chosen because they provided an excellent example of (1) expressing ingenuity (creativity, originality, initiative, or resourcefulness), (2) exhibiting mastery (higher competency, true craftsmanship, or proficiency), or (3) enabling synergy (creating greater value by serving individuals, an organization, or their community).
Besides the nominating statement and examination of the completed capstone project, the reviewers consider:
- Did the candidate earn highest scores on most aspects of the final capstone rubric?
- Was the candidate nominated for an Excellence Award for a prior capstone task?
- Did the candidate average two submissions or less on all capstone tasks?
- Were appropriate Originality scores obtained?
- Was the capstone completed within a reasonable amount of time?
Note: the importance and relevance of these criteria differ somewhat by degree program.
The capstone is the culminating degree project where WGU students integrate all of their program competencies. It represents our candidates’ best work, and most of their projects are archived with student permission, thereby available to other students, graduates, mentors, and accreditors to view. See below the list of WGU students (now graduates) who received the Capstone Excellence Award for their work during the first half of 2016. You can also link from there directly to these students’ nomination statement and archived work in the Capstone Excellence Archive, accessible through WGU authentication.
This recognition is noted on the recipients’ WGU transcript, and they receive a Capstone Excellence Award certificate. This achievement is also recognized in various University publications. For aspiring students seeking future “Capstone Excellence Award” recognition, please review the submissions in the Capstone Excellence Archive and discuss criteria with your Student Mentor and Capstone Course Mentor to guide your capstone efforts.
College of Business
Vicky Ashlock
BS Business - Accounting
[Entity Name] Business Plan
Richard Logsdon
BS Business - IT Management
[Entity Name] Business Plan
Don Flitton
Master of Business Administration
Regional Manager Succession Program
Catherine Richmond
Master of Business Administration - Healthcare Management
Strategies to Improve the Patient Experience of Care on a Critical Care Unit
Kimberly Chapman
Master of Business Administration - Information Technology
Supply Utilization and Revenue Capture Process Improvement (not archived)
William Gardner
Master of Business Administration - Management and Strategy
Hospital-ity
Lola Hall
Master of Business Administration - Management and Strategy
[Entity Name]: Improvements in Technology, Marketing, and Customer Service
Jehil Trivedi
Master of Business Administration - Management and Strategy
Strategy to Improve Profit Margins and Revenue for Company A (not archived)
Mark Huffman
MS - Management and Leadership
Site Leadership Effectiveness
Lindsay Smith
MS - Management and Leadership
Skills Based Volunteering At [Entity Name]
Victoria Kogan
BS Business - Accounting
[Entity Name] Business Plan (not archived)
Werner Mueller
BS Business - Sales Management
[Entity Name] Executive Management Sales Report
Donna Harkreader
Master of Business Administration - Healthcare Management
Primary Stroke Certification at [Hospital Name]
Eric Bennick
Master of Business Administration - Information Technology
Improving the use of IT in Medical Simulation (not archived)
Brian Dyck
Master of Business Administration - Management and Strategy
Inventory Management
David Georger
Master of Business Administration - Management and Strategy
[Entity Name]: Increasing Efficiency through Automation
Danielle MacLean
Master of Business Administration - Management and Strategy
[Entity Name] Credit Union (not archived)
David Cook
MS - Management and Leadership
No Title
Stacy Johnson
MS - Management and Leadership
Above the Benchmark: Solutions for Lowering Blood Culture and Rejected Sample Rates in the Hospital Laboratory
College of Health Professions
Ellen Remily
BS - Health Informatics
Current Status of Health Information Exchange in the United States
Katherine Spicer
BS - Health Informatics
National Health Information Infrastructure and Decision Support Systems
Nicola Adams
MS Nursing - Education
Incorporating a Rapid Response Rotation in New Graduate Orientation
Sarah Barquero
MS Nursing - Education
Changing School Vision Screening: Education Stakeholders about the Benefits of Photoscreeners
Kimberly Boethin
MS Nursing - Education
Development of Orthopedic Surgery Curriculum for Registered Nurses
Stacy Black
MS Nursing - Education
Skin-to-Skin Care After Cesarean Delivery
Judith Clark
MS Nursing - Education
Perfecting the Art and Science of Patient Handoffs
Kayla Cross
MS Nursing - Education
Suicide Risk Assessment Competency
Jessica Ellis
MS Nursing - Education
Detection and Management of the Alcohol Withdrawal Patient
Melissa Gory
MS Nursing - Education
The Use of Standardized Patients in Psychiatric Simulation In Pre-licensure Nursing Education
Bruce Hoffman
MS Nursing - Education
Cardio-Cerebral Resuscitation: What Is It and How Is It Performed?
Robin Hollis
MS Nursing - Education
Improving Computer Based Training Modules for Annual Competency Testing
Colleen Hollister
MS Nursing - Education
Development of a Maternal Newborn Simulation Laboratory for LPN to RN Bridge Students
April Howard
MS Nursing - Education
Development of Resilience Education Curriculum for Nursing Students
Robin Infinger
MS Nursing - Education
Metabolic Monitoring in Patients Receiving Second Generation Antipsychotic Medications (not archived)
Shanna Krausz
MS Nursing - Education
Transforming Care at the Bedside
Jaeca Malacara
MS Nursing - Education
Using Teach-Back in Triage (not archived)
Antoinette (Toni) McCormick
MS Nursing - Education
Promoting Awareness for Evidence Based Practice LGBT Education
Jessica Monaghan
MS Nursing - Education
Quantifying Blood Loss after Vaginal Deliveries: A Practice Change Proposal (not archived)
William Nolan
MS Nursing - Education
Patient Falls in the Emergency Department Before and After Hourly Rounding Was Initiated
Brenda Nordstrom
MS Nursing - Education
Comprehensive Pain Management Education for the Pre-Licensure Nursing Student
Alicia Rains
MS Nursing - Education
Implement Bedside Reporting for Staff Nurses
Lori Smit
MS Nursing - Education
Culture of Safety (not archived)
Kateri Spinella
MS Nursing - Education
Medication Reconciliation in Hospice Patients (not archived)
Leslie Stephenson
MS Nursing - Education
Pregnancy Education for the ICU Nurse
Morgan Stock
MS Nursing - Education
Revision and Implementation Preparation of an Online Practical Nurse Refresher Course
Marie Gladys Villariza
MS Nursing - Education
The Importance of Staff Education on Fall Prevention (not archived)
Tricia Zoeller
MS Nursing - Education
Pediatric Psychiatric Emergency Department Staff Education Module
Cheryl Armijo
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Improving Fall Prevention in a Two Hospital System
Jason Blevins
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Standardization of the Urgent Care Centers (not archived)
Jenny Borje
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Sleep Deprivation: Patient and Night Shift Nurses Safety
Barry Boyce
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Development of an Emergency Department Case Management Program Standard
Tami Bullock
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Utilization of Cord Blood Sample as Alternative to Peripheral Site Sample for Evaluation of Newborn Sepsis
Angela Cantwell
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Decisions for Interventions in Behavioral Health: Restraints as a Last Resort
Rebecca Collins-Squibb
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Staff Retention Program
Regina Deck
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Improving Patient Access to Clinical Trials through the Rapid Activation Process
Melinda DeHoyos
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Implementation of Early Skin-to-Skin Contact after Cesarean Delivery
Robin Donaldson
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Patient Education for Management of Home Medications (not archived)
Karen Evanosky
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Implementation of Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Practices and Their Effect on Initiation and Exclusivity of Breastfeeding
John Floyd
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Pressure Ulcer Prevention
Dawn Galloway
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Development of a Bedside Report Tool (not archived)
Chris Greenwood
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Reducing Patient Falls Through the Use of Centralized Video Monitoring (not archived)
Amber Hoover
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Decreasing Post Angiography Bed Rest
LaTonya Johnson
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Triage to Treatment: Improving Communication in the Emergency Department
Kimberly Judd
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Reducing Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections in an Acute Care Setting
Kacey Larsen
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Anaphylaxis Education in Schools
Elvia Llanas-Lopez
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Bedside Handoff Report: A Scripted Approach
Dwight McCalla
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Employee Recognition Program: A QI Initiative
Nicole McCaughin
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Implementation of Bedside Reporting
Kasey Mullins
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Building a Culture of Shared Governance Through the Use of a Nurse Practice Council (not archived)
Jean Ripley
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Improving Patient Satisfaction with decreased nurse to patient ratios
Andrew Screnchuk
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Re-implementation of the "M" in the Box Medication Education Method for Registered Nurses (not archived)
Anna Steffe
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Patient Hand Hygiene
Molly Tillgren
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Development of a Policy for Prone Positioning of ARDS Patients in the ICU
Maria Angelie Velasco
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Patient Experience Program: Improving Safety and Satisfaction Scores
Renee Walton
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Prevention of Inadvertent Intraoperative Fires: A Patient Safety Issue
Kean Zhang
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Enhance Hourly Rounding by Nurse Leader Rounds (not archived)
Susan Roeser
BS - Health Informatics
Bar Code Medication Administration: A Nursing Perspective
Alena Adams
MS Nursing - Education
Development of the Protocol for Standardized Use of ATI PN Comprehensive Predictor Exam
Mohammed Al-Saad
MS Nursing - Education
Introducing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to Nurses Handling Neuro-Psychiatric Patients to Reduce Burnout
Roxanne Bowers
MS Nursing - Education
Early Detection of Sepsis
Gina Cawyer
MS Nursing - Education
Educating Preoperative Nurses Regarding Effective Patient Teaching Strategies for the Older Adult
Margaret Chege
MS Nursing - Education
Improving Post Open Heart Surgery Patient Education
Earlene Cooper
MS Nursing - Education
Student Support and Advising Online (not archived)
Emily Davis
MS Nursing - Education
Development of New Hire Orientation for Classroom Instructors
Joanne (Jo) Falsetta
MS Nursing - Education
The use of Palliative Care Triggers in Trauma/SICU
Lindsey Gearllach
MS Nursing - Education
Cardiac Medication Competence for Medical-Surgical Nurses
Barbara Harvey
MS Nursing - Education
Tuning In On Alarm Fatigue (not archived)
Mika Hollingsworth
MS Nursing - Education
Education on Fall Risk & Prevention
Lisa Houston
MS Nursing - Education
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Education Module
Katherine Hutchison
MS Nursing - Education
Combating Nurse Alarm Fatigue (not archived)
Kristy Joslin
MS Nursing - Education
Implementing a Screening Process for Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Psychiatric Setting
JoDean Kile
MS Nursing - Education
Simulation Training for Nursing Students in Obstetrics (not archived)
Chipiko Malekano
MS Nursing - Education
Sepsis Education is the Key to Reducing Mortality
Ronda McCown
MS Nursing - Education
Preparing Nursing Students to Perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Using High-Fidelity
Rachel Neill
MS Nursing - Education
The Use of High Fidelity Simulations for Pediatric RN Resuscitation Training
Kasey Nestor
MS Nursing - Education
Discharge Instructions for Skin Tear Management
Carol Powell
MS Nursing - Education
Obstetric Hemorrhagic Event Plan
Tara Saulter
MS Nursing - Education
Hazards of Surgical Plume (not archived)
Karen Sinclair
MS Nursing - Education
Educating Nurses on the Importance for Reducing Distractions During Medication Administration
Marcy Snyder
MS Nursing - Education
Creating a Structured Orientation Process for Pediatric Clinical: Using Multi-Modal Methods to Tie Theory to Practice
Debra Stillwell
MS Nursing - Education
REACT: A Curriculum for Transition into Practice Simulation Lab
Melaney Stricklin
MS Nursing - Education
Educating Nurses About CMQCC's Preeclampsia Toolkit
Holly Whitley
MS Nursing - Education
Alternative Therapies: The Forgotten Modalities for Pain Management
Erin Allen
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Appropriate Vascular Access Selection for Hospital Inpatients
Joyce Bennett
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Improve Communication Through Change of Shift Tool
Gianna Bleyer
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Improving Understanding of the Community Care Programs for Veterans and their Caregivers
Jennifer Bowerman
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Improving Patient Communication (not archived)
Brenda Brooks
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Impacting Hospital Discharge of the High-risk Neonate through Effective Transprofessional Care Coordination (not archived)
Michael Burdick
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Compassion Fatigue in the Emergency Department: Changing a Culture
Nikita Cobb
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Retention of Emergency Room Novice Nurses (not archived)
Sharon Crawford
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
An Evidence-Based Practice Change in the Surgical Department
Jamie Deckman
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Post Operative Management of Patient's at Risk for OSA
Amber Dillon
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Cardiovascular Fall Risk Identification
Ann Ealy
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
More Than The Phone (not archived)
April Farris
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Unit-Based Council: A Shared Governance Improvement Plan to Retain Nurses (not archived)
Cherie Frame
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Nurse Driven Foley Removal
Lindsay Garcia
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Skin-to-Skin Contact after Cesarean Birth (not archived)
Frances (Frankie) Hoffler
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Targeting Sepsis in the Emergency Department: Evidence Based Care for Improved Patient Care (not archived)
Kristen Ilaban
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Burnout in Psychiatric Nursing: "Regain the Flame" (not archived)
Shannon Johnson
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
The Journey to Nursing Excellence Through Shared Governance
Darcie Koffer
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Outcomes-Based Education
Karen Lewis
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Developing a Plan to Implement an Evidence-Based Approach to Postpartum Hemorrhage at [Hospital Name]
Christina Lundberg
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Reducing Burnout Among Med/Surg Nurses
Andrea McCarron
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Oral Intake in Labor and Delivery
Wynema McElveen
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Evidence for Best Practice: Optimizing Heart Failure Reduction Strategies through a Nurse-Led Heart Failure Program (not archived)
Brandon Nance
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
OR/PACU Handoff Project
Michele Rivera
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Fire Risk Assessment during Procedural "Time Out" (not archived)
Bobbi Solarski
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Leader Toolkit to Address Compassion Fatigue
Kristen Stevens
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Keeping Patients Safe through a Just Culture
Victoria Vandenberg
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Control of Off-Label Use of Medical Devices: A Process Improvement Project
Gloria Victorino
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Updating the Rapid Response Team Policy (not archived)
Starla Wilkes
MS Nursing - Leadership and Management
Standardized Preoperative Patient Hand-off
Teachers College
Andrea Marks
M.Ed. - Instructional Design
A Potential Solution to the Dilemma of Finding Time and Resources for Effective and Collaborative Professional Development
Robert Pleva
M.Ed. - Instructional Design
Phonology for English Language Instructors: The Effects of a Training Course on the Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Teaching English Pronunciation
Lynda Seneff
M.Ed. - Instructional Design
MED, Instructional Design Capstone Written Project (not archived)
Kaytie Edwards
M.Ed. - Learning and Technology
Career Readiness in High School Graduates: Writing a Cover Letter, Resume, and Participating in a Mock Interview
Jesse Kinkead
MA - Science Education (5-12), Biology
No Title
Tanisha Sommerville-Knight
MS - Curriculum and Instruction
Use of Shared Reading to Improve Reading Performance
Emily Wilson
MS - Curriculum and Instruction
English Learner Vocabulary Development by Way of Morphological Awareness
Shauna Binkerd
MS - Educational Leadership
Online School Organization Centralized File Management Delivery System
Lori Lynch
MS - Educational Leadership
Increase Student Achievement in Math
Michelle Peet
MS - Educational Leadership
Early College Professional Development Series as a Format for Improving Workplace Collegiality
Michael Palmer
M.Ed. - Instructional Design
Employee Training and Attitudes in Workplace Performance Management Programs
Peter Sawchuk
M.Ed. - Instructional Design
Leadership Development Programs and the Impact on Essential Soft Skills
Luke Anderson
M.Ed. - Learning and Technology
Using Technology to Impact Students in Science Inquiry (not archived)
Johanna Kirkegaard-Blue
M.Ed. - Learning and Technology
Child Pedestrian Safety Education (not archived)
Juan Recinos
M.Ed. - Learning and Technology
Spanish Verb Conjugation
Jessica Quintero
MED - Learning and Technology
Providing Enduring Training for Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) Workers; Overcoming Training Barriers
Paul McDonogh
MS - Curriculum and Instruction
Hybrid Classroom Design: The Effectiveness of an Instructional Design Strategy in a 9th Grade Physical Science Classroom
Gloria Dabb
MS - Educational Leadership
Benefits of Curriculum Mapping in the Elementary Mathematics Classroom
Tracey Mikos
MS - Educational Leadership Creating a
Blended Learning Environment using OneNote Class Notebooks
College of Information Technology
Jeff Arthur
BS - Information Technology
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure for Application Delivery
Robert Lake
BS - Information Technology
[Entity Name] Infrastructure Upgrade 2016
Anthony Orling
BS - Information Technology
Branch Office Secure Network
Joshua Rumphol
BS - Information Technology
Improving SQL server backups
Timothy Stallings
BS - IT Security
Secure Network Solution
Shea Nemeth
BS - IT Software
[Software Name] - A 2D Platformer
Adam Hooper
MS - Information Security and Assurance (MS-ISA)
Implementation of Risk Management Framework under Federally Compliant Standards
John Lovell
MS - Information Security and Assurance (MS-ISA)
Advanced Analytics and Big Data in the Financial Sector
Joseph Whittington
MS - IT Network Management
A CMS Implementation
Nathan Keeter
BS - Information Technology
Next Generation Network Security
Robert Lamb
BS - Information Technology
Information Technology Web Solutions for Small Business
Dominic Ratcliff
BS - Information Technology
Windows 7 and Legacy Application Upgrade
Russell Halfar
BS - IT Network Management
Deploying Windows 7 Images at XYZ Communications
Jedidiah (Jed) Tanner
BS - IT Security
Mitigating Accreditation Risks with ACAS (not archived)
Tony Carman
MS - Information Security and Assurance (MS-ISA)
Workforce Productivity Enhancements in Higher Education With Shibboleth Single Sign-On Capability
Joshua Jordan
MS - Information Security and Assurance (MS-ISA)
Security Policy for a Public Library District
