Capstone Projects
Capstone projects in the RAYA Collab are a bridge between undergraduate coursework and graduate-level research or professional careers. Students students work closely with Dr. Hilley to tackle complex research questions, develop quantitative skills, and present research findings on adolescent and young adult development. Explore some of our recent student-led capstone projects below.
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Young Adult Financial Socialization
Motivated by her desire to merge her interests in psychological research and financial advising, Bailey Tocups completed an honors capstone project to explore how parents socialize their young adult children regarding financial decision-making.
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![A young man smiling for the camer, while people walk city streets in the blurred background.]()
Ethnic-Racial Socialization and Future Orientation
In her honors capstone, Elon Haynes explored how the various facets of ethnic-racial socialization influence young adults’ future orientation.
Completing a capstone project is a major milestone!
They stand as a rigorous culminating experience for undergraduate students and require a deep investment of time and energy. Translating a complex idea into a finished scholarship product typically takes about a year from start to finish.
In the RAYA Collab, successful capstones are the rewarding payoff of an established working relationship within the lab. This advanced mentorship is structured for students who have already laid their academic groundwork with Dr. Hilley. Prior to beginning a capstone project, these scholars have spent time developing foundational research skills through coursework, directed studies, or research positions and have begun the process of considering research questions based on existing literature.
We are incredibly proud of our capstone alumni, whose dedication and hard work have turned these ambitious projects into meaningful research contributions.
