Honors Program Induction: Fitting into a Community that is Born to Stand-Out

Overall, Southern Utah University’s Honors Program would greatly benefit from an induction program, a symbol of inclusion, and a mentorship program to foster a stronger sense of group cohesion. By understanding various theories of belonging, I have realized that members are only willing to put effort into a program if they have a place, purpose, and particular gains. From this information, I discovered that the Honors Program needs to create a community based on belonging, so members will become more committed to the program itself. My personal experiences within a study abroad fellowship and a local sorority have provided me with the insight that this goal is possible through support and driven members. An induction ritual will provide a source of common ground as well as cause members to make a promise to the Honors Program. Without feeling like one belongs, an individual will never transcend into higher levels of development, making the need for a closer Honors Program essential. Hopefully, with the development of these recommendations, Southern Utah University’s Honors Program will become the perfect home-away-from-home that students, just like me, desire

Honors Program Induction: Fitting into a Community that is Born to Stand-Out

Watching, waiting, wondering—I knew that in this moment I would either sink or swim in my desire to find my place in this university. I was standing on the sidewalk looking at the open green field; however, this field was not empty. All I had to do was step out onto that grass, but my fear of the unknown held me captive. I really felt like the little freshman I was. Since I had been in college, I had searched for that “home away from home” feeling. I longed to find this feeling, but after searching in the academy . . . I realized that this idea came from something more than my classes, my books, and my studies. A feeling of home comes from finding yourself in others, forming a sense of community, which is what college means to me. So, I decided to step across the sidewalk onto the grassy field, transitioning from self-­‐isolation towards a sense of belonging

A 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Approach to the Synthesis of Resiniferatoxin

The Rh(I)-catalyzed allenic cyclocarbonylation reaction is a formal [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition process that has been used to gain access to 4-alkylidenecyclopentenones. Incorporation of a six-membered ring on the tether between the allene and the alkyne components allows access to a variety of [6-7-5] ring structures featured in the skeletons of various natural products, including resiniferatoxin. This thesis describes the development of two systems, each with a future synthesis of resiniferatoxin in mind. First, a model system was designed to demonstrate the compatibility of the isoxazoline moiety with the Rh(I)-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation reaction. The second investigation involved the synthesis of an asymmetrically functionalized 2-cyclohexenone in order to attempt a stereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The first model system successfully led to the synthesis of the unfunctionalized [6-7-5] core of resiniferatoxin via cyclocarbonylation of an isoxazoline-containing allene-yne. Unfortunately, under numerous conditions, the functionalized cyclohexenone synthesized for the second study failed to undergo [2 + 3] cycloaddition with a nitrile oxide