2023 Capstone Award Winners

On October 20, the Boston University College of General Studies celebrated the outstanding students who received awards for the Capstone projects they completed last May. The Capstone project is a 50-page research paper that CGS students complete in their sophomore year. Students draw on two years of interdisciplinary studies, working together as a team to synthesize data into a meaningful whole. The Capstone award is given annually to the group of students who present the best overall Capstone paper and defense on each team. It is the highest honor bestowed upon a College of General Studies student for an academic project.

Team S: Evaluating Implementation of AI in Healthcare: Effective Use of AI

Student winners from Team S called for more extensive research on the use of AI in medicine.

Team S’s winning Capstone group—Donggyu Kim, Chaelin Lee, Jian Lee, Valerie Mensah, Oghenerukevwe Omusi, Krsna Sarma, Melissa Wills, and Sara Yazdi—acted as medical professionals to investigate the positive and negative effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the medical field. Group members combined their diverse academic backgrounds to suggest feasible plans that would benefit patient care, including the automation of repetitive tasks, freeing professionals for more important work, and reducing costs. Furthermore, their research revealed the harmful results of misdiagnoses associated with biases toward gender, race, or age. The team’s conclusion called for more extensive research put toward the use of AI in medicine to evolve it into a more useful and beneficial tool. 

Team T: A Systematic Review of the METCO Program and its Effects on Boston and Springfield Public Schools

Students from Team T reviewed education policy in Boston and Springfield public schools.

Team T’s winning Capstone group was made up of Alessandro Altavilla, Bermina Chery, Janiyah Flagg, Lola Mukadi, Sophia Sabala, Nabeeha Samater, Isabella Teixeira, and Jack Wallace, who investigated the effects of a voluntary segregation program on Massachusetts students. Their research focused on a variety of areas, including students who were ‘left behind’ and not bussed to schools located in affluent suburban areas. The project produced poignant results and highlighted the impact of a community’s inaction: students experiencing systemic racism in the classroom. Group members named themselves “Boston United,” and hit the ground running early on in the project’s development with passion. Faculty said their dedication to the research shined through in the completed project, which included a thirty page long annotated bibliography, a visually engaging brochure, and excellent evidence provided for all claims. 

Team U: Mental Health Crisis: MindMatch at Boston University 

Jeffery Vail, humanity professor for Team U, speaks about his students’ work on mental health problems at Boston University.

The students from Team U’s winning group–Christian Ahn, Sophia Doiron, Vivian Jiang, Josephine Kim, Jimin Park, Rachell Paz, Jisu Yi, and Chenyu Zhu—extensively researched the mental health problems and solutions specific to the Boston University community. The team created a survey for BU students that offered insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the university’s Student Health Services and helped in constructing possible suggestions to improving the department. The group created ‘MindMatch,’ an online platform dedicated to connecting people to therapists based on their unique needs. Additionally, the team produced 17 appendices of charts, graphs, and other written and visual information to support their ideas. 

Team V: Advancing a Policy to Ensure Peace and Security Across the Taiwan Strait

Student winners from Team V were commended for their well-written Capstone and compelling oral defense.

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Team W: The Greening of Nevada: Vertical Farming and Veggie Trucks in a Las Vegas Food Desert

Students from Team W explored the benefits of vertical farming in Las Vegas.

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Team Y: Partisan Gerrymandering and the Threat to Democratic Representation — An Analysis of the Constitutionality of Partisan Gerrymandering

Student winners from Team Y recommended ending the process of gerrymandering.

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—Compiled by Gabrielle Drillis, Photos by Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu