Pence-Boyce grants are sponsored by Olivet alumni who wish to honor two outstanding former faculty members who exemplify integrity, dedication and spirit in pursuit of academic excellence. Students apply for research grants, and only a select few receive these grants each year in order to study mathematics, science or engineering during the summer.
Elbert Pence was professor of Physics at Olivet from 1962 to 1969. His extensive experience with the U.S. Navy provided valuable background for his students. His energy and enthusiasm were driving forces in developing the physics major at Olivet. He exemplified excellence in higher education in physics and engineering. Professor Pence passed away in 2016.
Fanny Boyce was professor of Mathematics at Olivet from 1963 to 1970. She came to Olivet after many years of service at Wheaton College. Her high standards and teaching performance served as inspiration to those she taught. Dr. Boyce passed away in 1986.
Theses
Impact of AMPA (Aminomethylphosphonic Acid) on the Fertility of Live Bearing Fish, Stephen Nicholas Alvarado
Comparing Pollinator Communities: ONU’s Swanberg Sanctuary v. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Stephanie Clark
Pollinator Communities at the ONU Biological Sanctuary Relative to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Stephanie Clark
Elliptic Curve Cryptography: Extensions of Subfield Curves in Characteristic 2, Joel DeArmond
Foraging behavior of red-headed woodpeckers in endangered black oak savanna habitat, Mike J. King
Assessing the stability and distribution of a newly discovered endangered bumble bee population in Northeastern Illinois, Barbara Locascio
The protective effects of anthocyanins on neurons, Abigail Lynn
Hexavalent Chromium Toxicity on Human Epithelial Cells and Protection by Ascorbic Acid and Epigallocatechin Gallate, Timmy Mayotte
Optimizing Percentile Matching, Joshua Megchelsen
Preprocessing of Astronomical Images from the NEOWISE Survey for Near-Earth Asteroid Detection, Rachel Meyer
Study of Blood Viscosity with Added Sodium Nitrate and Temperature Variance: A Potential Therapy to Regulate Blood Flow After Induced Hypothermia, Brianna Munnich
Protective Effects of the Novel Phytonutrient S7 Against Intestinal Tight Junction Disruption: Composition Matters, Erin E. Olson, Alexi L. Zastrow, and Daniel R. Sharda
Harmony Amid Chaos, Drew Schaffner
The Community Composition of Bark and Wood Boring Beetles in Woodland and Endangered Midwestern Oak Savanna Habitats, Tanner Senti
Prospects of an Astrotourism Site in Namibia, Chris Stone
Measuring the decrement times of volatile anesthetics in Drosophila melanogaster using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Jason Tolley
Study of alpha mangostin as a chemoprotective agent for breast cancer via activation of the p53 pathway, Vanessa Van Oost
Survey of the Performance of Gold Nanoparticles Within an ssDNA-Stabilized Biosensor for the Detection of Hg2+, Madalyn Zagajowski
The Combination of Phytonutrients in Spectra7 Provide Synergistic Inhibition of M1-Macrophage Activation, Alexi L. Zastrow, Erin E. Olson, and Daniel R. Sharda