As part of its 2025 Honors & Research Night, WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) celebrated the scholarly achievements of six student researchers who presented original work in front of faculty, peers and guests at Umrath Lounge. The evening offered a powerful demonstration of the depth, creativity and social relevance that CAPS students bring to their academic work.
The event coincided with CAPS’ annual Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL) induction ceremony, which honors academic excellence among modern learners. While the ASL induction spotlighted students who have excelled while balancing school, work and life, the research presentations gave a platform to those whose projects extended well beyond the classroom.
“These students have taken on topics that are complex, urgent and deeply personal,” said Academic Director Kami Hancock. “This night gives them a space to show what they’ve learned—and what they’re building for the future.”
Dean Sean Armstrong agreed, adding, “It’s important for two reasons. One, the dedication that students have towards their academic work is important. You can see the responsibilities they have just walking around the room. To see that they have added the time to produce research—to perform at the highest level—is great.”
Erin Kasson: The Fall of Alcohol
Erin Kasson, a student in the Introduction to Public Health course, explored shifting attitudes toward alcohol and the rise of alternative substances like cannabis and psychedelics.
“I picked Instagram because it’s a platform used by youth,” she explained, framing her focus on marketing strategies aimed at younger users.
Through a combination of Google Trends data and Instagram ad analysis, Kasson found that nearly a quarter of the ads promoted cannabis or psychedelics as drink replacements—many with bright visuals and very few age disclaimers.
“Only 3% of the ads had age-related warnings,” she noted. “Adults are clearly being targeted, but there’s limited regulation in what’s actually reaching younger users.”
Her work raised public health concerns around normalization, marketing and youth exposure.
“Future studies are needed to determine how much this content might be influencing use,” she said.
Julie Martin: Compassion and the Law
Julie Martin brought personal experience to her research on immigration and moral decision-making.
“At first, I wanted to write about abolishing the border,” she said. “But the more I researched, the more I realized this is about how our policies ask us to reject our humanity.”
Her presentation centered on the ethical challenges Americans face when the law comes into conflict with basic compassion.
Reflecting on a moment she helped an undocumented community member avoid detainment, Martin said, “The government is asking us to set aside compassion. But no human being is illegal.”
She urged attendees to question who laws are designed to protect—and at whose expense.
“We are being told that to follow our moral instincts is wrong,” she said. “That’s not something we can accept without asking deeper questions about who the law is really serving.”
Dierdre Lockette: Roots of Resistance
Dierdre Lockette delivered a deeply philosophical and historical presentation on racial capitalism and resistance.
“We’re not just reviving history,” she said. “We’re remembering it fully.”
Drawing from Cedric Robinson’s theory of racial capitalism and Walter Johnson’s The Broken Heart of America, Lockette traced how economic and religious systems historically reinforced oppression.
“Before you can redeem a system,” she stated, “you must reckon with what it has done. You can’t heal what you refuse to name.”
She also uplifted African Traditional Religions as spiritual anchors for Black resistance, tying them to the resilience seen in St. Louis history from Indian removal to Ferguson.
Her call to action was clear: “We build something better—not from scratch, but from memory, dignity and truth.”
Lockette said what she had learned through CAPS and this research project had inspired her to consider changing careers.
“ I am an accountant,” she said. “I discovered things like anthropology and history when I got to CAPS and so now I am considering a whole career transition and I might want to become a professor.”
Heather Blue: Cultivating Agile Leadership
Heather Blue focused her capstone on how nonprofit leaders can remain mission-aligned during times of unpredictability.
“I had no idea how complex this landscape would become when I chose the topic—it turned out to be incredibly timely,” she reflected.
Drawing from Canoeing the Mountains and leadership theory, Blue emphasized a coaching style of leadership that centers emotional intelligence and mentorship.
“Effective leaders need to energize a community toward transformation while staying mission-aligned—even in a changing world,” she said. “Coaching leadership isn’t about having the answers—it’s about asking questions, building trust and helping others grow.”
Her work advocates for organizations to invest in cultivating leadership capacity as a long-term strategy for sustainability.
Tea Ruffin: A Policy History of Exclusion
Tea Ruffin drew from her family history to uncover how U.S. policies built racial inequality into the fabric of modern life.
“I didn’t start with headlines—I started with my grandmothers,” she said. “They taught me to ask why so many dreams were interrupted by policy.”
Ruffin’s research spanned the New Deal, post-WWII housing laws and the Reagan era, showing how Black Americans were systematically excluded from opportunities like homeownership and social security.
“These weren’t accidents,” she emphasized. “They were choices that built inequality into our systems.”
Referencing Cheryl Harris’s theory of whiteness as property, Ruffin argued that addressing inequality requires a structural—not symbolic—response.
Ruffin said her work on this project had inspired to return to a lifelong passion – writing.
“Prior to studying at WashU I went to school for journalism but then went through some things and stopped writing,” she said. “Doing this and listening to my grandmother’s stories has inspired me to start writing again and I think I am ready to start writing a book.”
Jennifer Payne: Empowering Emerging Leaders
Jennifer Payne closed the night with a professionally-grounded study on transformational leadership in healthcare and organizational settings.
“Leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers,” she said. “It’s about asking the right questions and listening.”
Drawing from her own industry experience, Payne conducted interviews with professionals to identify what traits help build successful, motivated teams.
“It takes emotional intelligence to lead effectively—empathy, self-awareness, communication,” she said.
Her capstone concluded with practical recommendations for leadership development, mentorship and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
“I’ve done research projects in the past, but nothing like this capstone,” she said. “I’ve learned through my data collection that there are careers out there in leadership coaching and that is a real interest of mine so that may be my next step.”
Faculty members Joe Cruz and Kami Hancock introduced each speaker and moderated the presentations.
“It’s exciting to see students translate complex ideas into accessible, impactful projects,” said Cruz. “There was definitely a mix of nerves and excitement—but what came through most was passion.”
The research presentations stood as a testament to the intellectual and emotional investment CAPS students bring to their work. While the ASL induction honored academic excellence, these projects highlighted how modern learners are using their education to engage with—and influence—the world around them.