1997 Student Paper Topics

ABELES ELIZABETH

The Scat Singing of Lady Time

ABODEELY, JOHN

Improvisation and Composition: Dissecting the Working Dichotomy of the Theater

BRENNAN JILLIAN

A Glimpse of Improvisation in Storytelling

BRUMBLAY NATALIE I

The Art of Teaching: Improvisation in Education

CAMPBELL JASON H

Improvisation and its Role in Football

EDELSON ERIC S

Serendipity at its Best

FRANKEL DAVID

Ad-hoc-ism in Music

GELIN MURLINE

History of Improvisation in Western Music

GHENENE SONNYTE

Improvisation in Fashion Shows

HALKET JONATHAN R

Musical Improvisation: The Continuum of Interpretation and Advancement of Dialogue

HARRIS JOSHU

Jack Kerouac's Spontaneous Prose Method

HAUSMANN JONATHAN S

Improvisational Procrastination

HELFAND JESSICA

Improvisation as a Cooking Skill

JACKSON REGINALD R

Guitar Playing and the Glories of Screwing Up

JO PATTY

Hear My Story: A Look at Improvisation in Oral Storytelling

JOHNSON DANIEL R

Violence in Sports

KRISHNACHANDER ANUSHKA

Improvisation in Science

LEE ALLEN A

Improvisation in Music: The Grateful Dead and Phish

LEWIS JACQUELINE H

Improvisation in Child's Play and Fantasy, Lying and Jazz

MACHARIA EDWIN

Jackson Pollock: Master of Improvisation

NICHOLS ELIZABETH A

Improvisation in the Oral Tradition in Ancient Judaism

ORTIZ FRANCISCO S

Chaplin, Keaton and the Marx Brothers: Improvisation on Film

SADA DAVID M

"MacGyver": The Show of the Moment

SCHROEDER ABRAHAM

The Visual Arts As They Pertain to Improvisation

SHULTZ FOREST

Influences on the Music of John Coltrane

STAUFFER BENJAMIN

Improvisation as a Means of Finding Oneself: The Musical Journey of Sonny Rollins

WASHINGTON LAIS

Improvisation and Rap

WESTBROOK BENJAMIN M

A History of Techno Music and the Presence of Improvisation

WOLDORF GILLIAN

The Internal Editor: A Study of Free Association and Improvisation

WURMSER RACHEL L

Butterflies and Killer Bees



1998 Student Paper Topics

ARGYROS, ALEXANDER

Improvisation and Public Speaking

BATISTA PEARL M

The Truth Behind Hypnotherapy and Improvisation

BIRNBAUM SETH M

Improvisation in Political Speech

BONDS TIA N

Jazz Violin Improvisation

BUTLER AARON J

Improvisation in the Woods

D'CRUZ RAJIV A

Improvisation in Squash and Tennis

HARGREAVES-HEALD NATHANI

Decisive Moments and Dark Room Techniques: Improvisation in Photography

HOCHRON ALEXANDER N

Improvisation in Modern Music - Phish

JAMAL ZEEYA

Improvisation in the Oral Arts

RAY HEIDI A

Improvisation in Storytelling: Recreating a Creation

ROWLAND ELIZABETH C

The Beat Poets

RUBIN MARGARET Y

Improvisational Aspects of the Early Abstract Expressionists

SABINO MARCELA R

Improvisation In Jazz

SALEM VICTORIA B

Improvisation In War

SMART MARGARET H

Improvisation in Chinese Calligraphy

UGWONALI OKECHUKWU E

Lyrics: Freestyle Rap as an Art of Improvisation

BARKAN ANDREW B

Creativity and Improvisation in Choral Conducting

BUSH KEVIN A

Improvisation and the Political Aspirations of Muhammad Ali

CAREY ERIC C

Improvisation in the Music of Phish

FITZIMMONS SETH N

Icebreakers, Initiatives and Unconditional Support

GOVERN HEATHER A

Improvisation as a Means to Educationally Develop Children

GRAIF PETER J

Rewriting the Dharma: Improvisation in the Life and Works of Jack Kerouac

KELLEY JAMUNA D

Improvisation in Lying

KOZOULINA VASSILISSA

Tennis and Improvisation

LI YU

Improvisation as Seen in Debate

MCGEE PATRICK J

The Art of Improvisation With Respect to the Game of Football

MORRIS MATTHEW C

Flirting with Nuclear Disaster: A Study of Improvisation in Diplomacy

NICHOLS MICHAEL B

The Improvisation in Swing Dancing

SANDLER ADRIANE M

Improvisation and Cooking

WEST SHELLEY K

You're Getting Sleepy...The Use of Improvisation in Modern Hypnosis

 


1999 Student Paper Topics

Allen, Mary Kate

Improvisation in Child Play

Bonnett, Viki

Creativity and Improvisation in Children

Fitzsimons, Pat

Relationships: Improvised Interaction

Gately, Todd

Improvisational Thinking and the Doctrine of Self-Defense

Graham, Sheila

The Necessary Evil: Improvisation in Parenting

Grigorenko, Tatiana

Oral Poetry, Ballads, Fairytales, Superstition, and Folklore: Improvisation in Storytelling

Hart, Brian

Improvisation in War

Johnson, Colgan

Brain Function and Improvisation

Lee, Yu-Hsuan

Improvisation in Life-Threatening Situations

Lund, Monika

The Improvisation of Language

Rivera, Enid

Improvisation: Time Management and Its Connection to Education

Shike, Nathan

Phish: An Analysis of the Improvisational Style of Today's Best Jam Band

Stahl, Alison

The Role of Improvisation in the Everyday Living of the Blind and Deaf Individual

Sunderland, Jeff

A Study of Jazz

Vasquez, Alan

Improvisation in Sports

Vecsey, Christopher

Antoni Gaudi: Beyond Art Nouveau

Volek, Jude

The Power of the Pulpit: Political Discourse and Debate as a Forum for Improvisation

 


2000 Student Paper Topics

Ahmad, Faraz

The Role of Improvisation in Medicine

Atteniese, Jaime

The Quotidian Improvisation of the Conversation

Blumsack, Lisa

Improvisation in Massage - It'll Rub You the Right Way

Jones, Timothy

Improvisation in African American Culture: The World is a Stage

Kepler, Stacey

Improvisational Theater: Performing Without a Net

Khan, Fouzia

Improvisation and Theater

Miles, Michael

Theater Without a Plan

Nancherla, Aparna

The Use of Improvisation in Competitive Long Distance Running

Olowoyeye, Yinka

Improvisation in the Bebop Era of Jazz

Perry, Krys

Spontaneity and Improvisation in Jazz Performance

Quinn, Don

Improvisation in Basketball

Shapiro, Stephen

Improvisational Comedy

Sparrow, X. Blake

Improvisation in Football

Swearingen-Steadwell, Laura

Cultivating our Creations

Stone, Phoebe

Think Fast: Improvisation in Medicine

Vigorito, Christopher

Improvisation in Musical Composition and Performance

 


2002 Student Paper Topics

Anderson, Rob

Improvisational Psychotherapy: Why Not Play at Work?

Babkes, Danny

Improvisation and the Craft of the Radio Disc Jockey

Brentley, Nick

What Would You Do? Stress and its Effects on our Ability to Improvise

Brown, Laura

Doctors in Wartime and Developing Countries

Chute, Margaret

The Wit of Johnny Carson: His Mastery of Improvisational Comedy

Dwyer, Dan

Improvisation in Aeronautics: The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

Gilbert, Rachel

Improvisation in Cooking: Analysis of Improvisation in Italian and Chinese Cooking Though History

Greeley, Jack

Improvisation of College Sports Coaches

Hogan, Ben

The Spoken Improvisation

Hunt, Kyle

Creative Dating: Improvisation in Forming Relationships

Lynch, Sean

A Practical Guide to Persuasion through Improvisational Conversation

Rilla, Josh

Performance Singing: A Detailed Analysis of Improvisation in the World's Oldest Art Form

Taylor, Andy

The Karnatic Tradition: A Musical Dipole

Wojcik, Lyn

The Importance of Improvisation and Evolutionary Biology in Early Discoveries and Inventions

 


2006 Student Paper Topics

Baer, Jack

Improvisation in New Orleans (Response to Katrina)

Biesecker, Tristan

Improvisation and Crohn's Disease

Cherry, Zack

Improvisation in the Animal World

Cheung, Hoiwan

Cooking without a Recipe

Douds, Haley

Improvisation in Business

Hopkins, Christina

Improvisation in Education

Lawton, Will

Improvisation in Freestyle Rap

Machado, Sulynn

Improvisation in Flight: The Story of the Wright Brothers

Miller, Samuel

Chaos and Machine: Improvisation in Military Strategy

Vigdor, Aaron

Improvisational, Musical Storytelling: A Study in the Cognition of Improvisational Musical Stories

White, Michael

Improvisation in the Field of Firefighting

Wilson, Reid

Improvisation in Architecture: Case Studies in Problem Solving and Play

Yakaitis, Scott

Why Does Music Exist?

 


2007 Student Paper Topics

Adamo, Elizabeth

The Evolution of Comedic Improvisation

Barnes, Alicia

Stage Fright

Bikwa, Ohje

Improvisation in War

French, Jimmy

Jimi Hendrix – Creativity, Originality, and Improvisation

Gary, Andre

Improvisation in the Realm of Hip-Hop

Hanlon, Courtney

Improvisation of Food: Creative Cooking

Kim, Christine

Group Improvisation as a Powerful Resource

Mendoza, Julio

Improvisational Value in Art

Moorman, Julie

Actor Neutral”: Improvisation in Acting

Rutstein, Kalan

Improvisation in Theater with a Focus on Acting and Directing

Shepard, Andreas

Perception, Transcendence, and Improvisation

Smith, Natasha

Into the Depths: Writing Improvisationally

Suechting, Max

The Improvisations of John Coltrane

Young, Bessie

Oppressing the Power

Zetlin, Zach

Improvisations in Sports: The Importance of Improvisation and Getting into the Zone

 


2009 Student Paper Topics

Albert, Sarah

Contact Improvisation: Improvisational Dance

Cook, Robert

The Second City Comedy Troupe

Davis, James

Flash Mobs

Holohan, Tom

Improvisation in the Wild: Survival Techniques

Kahan, Mark

Improvisation and Lying

Kelley, Theresa

Improvisation in Surrealism

Kundu, Aupola

Parkour: Movement in Improvisation

Kusma, Jared

The State of Israel and Improvisation

McNamara, Casey

Improvisation in Cooking

Noon, Spencer

Improvisation in Sports Talk Show Radio

Pearlman, Alex

The Neurobiological Basis of Improvisation and its Evolution

Russakis, Joshua

Bedouin Poetry: The Decline of Improvisation

Salzberg, Emma

Chatter, Chit-Chat, Conversation: It’s Only Talk. Or Is It?

de Sousa Dias, Tania

Improvisation in the Portuguese Fado of Amalia

Taft, Arielle

Exploring the Improvisational Media of Storytelling and Folklore in Various Cultures

 


2010 Student Paper Topics

Davis, Owen

I Rest My Case: Improvisation in Trial Advocacy as Exemplified in The People V. Leopold and Loeb

Dillon, Amanda

Musical Improvisation and the Brain

Fowler, Nick

Marlon Brando: The First Improvisational Method Screen Actor

Hamati, Fadi

A Study of Musical Production: Musical Improvisation

Hugh Sam, Jordan

The Improvisational Demands of Mentalists and Psychics

Johnson, Greg

Improvising the 9/11 Response

Kaake, Andrew

Improvisation, Patterns, and Atonality

Kirgin, Maria

Improvisation Under Constraints

Koomson, Koby

The Art of War

Mlaver, Eli

Actions Speak Louder than Words

Morsy, Nedia

Like A Box of Chocolates: Considering Improvisation Within Forrest Gump

Ortega, Christopher

Improvisation and its Impact on the Birth of Hip Hop

Tan, Samson

Improvising Relationships

Thomas, Wes

Improvisation in Film: The Impact of Christopher Guest's Legacy

Turner, Victoria

Mistakes in Improvisation

Zhu, Katherine

Wassily Kandinsky: The Meaning of Abstract Art

 


2011 Student Paper Topics

Safi Ali

The Art of Spontaneity: Calligraphy

Brand-Thomas, Itai

Improvisation in Haute Couture Fashion

Brathwaite, Christine

Improvisational Music Therapy

Chigova, Liberty

Improvisation in the Wake of a Crisis: The Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami

Collins, Javon

Improvisation and Conversation

Cueto, Javier

Improvisation in Education

Feldman, Jeffrey

iMprovisation: Mechanisms of Spontaneous Creativity in the Era of Web 2.0

Holness, Savannah

Improvisation in Basketball

Idleman, Mark

Improvisational Comedy Redefined: The Awakening of Improv in Chicago

Jacobs, Tyler

Standup Comedy: Improvisation from Start to Finish

Lobdell, Brian

Religion and Respect: The Improvisation of Hip-Hop

Merenich, Dan

Improvisation, Medicine and War

Pinsky, Jordan

Improvisation in Breakdancing

Tower, Matt

Soccer Practice and Improvisation

Willis, Kane

Architectural Improvisation

 


2012 Student Paper Topics

AlBashir, Nasir

Improvisation: the Path to Effective Public Speaking

Butko, Rob

Improvisation in Sales and Business

Hernandez, Abi

 

Jamison, Douglass

The Art of Improvisation in Rap Music

Judge, Doyle

Improvisations of the US Government in Crisis Management

Lambiase, Gina

Teaching Children a Lesson

Lee, Jeanne

Improvisation and Physician-Patient Communication: The Need for Improvisational Teachings in Medical School

Lichtig, Asher

Improvisation in Wilderness Survival

Limatta, Kallie

Improvisation in the Classroom

Sanderson, James

Basketball and Mr. GADs - Is There a Connection?

Suckoo, Sunil

Weaponization: Improvising a Weapon

Washington, Ralph

Improvisation in Public Speaking: A Last Resort or an Underestimated Strategy?

Wilkerson, Eleah

An Analysis of the Role of Creativity and Improvisation in Engineering




2013 Student Paper Topics

Boyette, Rachel

Dating on the Fly

Cruz-Padilla, Katerina

Improvisational Elements within Child Play and their Effects on Development

Danner, Marguerite

Improvisation and the Law

Ehsani, Darien

The Improvisation in Rumi

Espinosa, Sergio

Story Time at Any Time: Improvisation, Storytelling and Society

Horn, Lauren

Freedom in Improvisational Dance

Kothari, Szu-Raj

Improvisation in Leadership

Ligon, Alexis

Improvisation in Public Speaking

Marsland-Rello, Dennison Improvisation in Computer Game Design

Nanez, Ian

Avoiding Death: The Importance of Improvisation in Wilderness Survival

Ruth, David

EnGarde! Improvisation in Fencing, Sports and General Life

Sandel, William

The Voices of a Tradition: The Roots of American Jazz Improvisation and Their Impact on the Nature of the Tradition

Watts, Sydney

Improvisation in Crime

Yang, Joye

Flavors of Spontaneity: Improvisation in Cooking

 


2014 Student Paper Topics

 

Brooks, Caleb Improvisation in Classical Music of Mozart
Ford, Rebecca

Can Improvisation Help Develop Social Skills in Young Minds?: Autism

Kelleherm, Drew Properly Preparing for the Unprepared
Kuan, Eliot Improvisation in Music Therapy
Lynch, Eden Activating the Mind: Improvisation as a Method of Teaching
Mommens, Lilly Improvisation in Medical Television Dramas and Real Life
Moore, Naima Genres of Musical Improvisation
Prostko, Markus Cyphers and Soul: How Improvisational Hip-Hop Creates Identity and Community
Schneider, Samuel The Value of Improvisation for NFL Quarterbacks
Sheehan, Kevin Improvisational Techniques in Comedy
Thomas, Markel Invention in Science and Technology
Turnbell, Elizabeth Improvisation in Everyday Conversation
Nguyen, Xuan Thanh From Artist to Instrument: Improvisation in Klezmer Music
Zafiriou, Nicholas Life through Improvisation