Outstanding Master's Thesis Awards
This is a collection of recipients of the Outstanding Master's Thesis Award given by the UNI Graduate College. Only award winning works posted to UNI ScholarWorks are listed below. For a complete list of award recipients, go to the Graduate College website. To go to the Graduate Student Award Recipients collection page, Click here.
Theses from 2024
The Effect of High-Emotion Simulator Training on Students’ Reaction Time in Response to Infant Stress Cues During a Simulated Bottle Feeding, Claire Michelle Biermann, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Thesis (Electronic Copy Not Available) 2025 Award
Theses from 2023
Monitoring and Modeling Urban Heat Patterns in the State of Iowa, USA Utilizing Mobile Sensors and Geospatial Data, Clemir Abbeg Coproski, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 2024 Award
Intervening for a Depressed Peer: The Effects of Resilience Empathy, and History of Depression, Brendan Weed, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2024 Award
Theses from 2022
Mental illness stigma toward Black and White elite male athletes, Nicholas William Clark, Department of Psychology, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2023 Award
Training for challenging behaviors in the school setting, Kenzie Heusinkvelt, Department of Educational Psychology, Foundations, and Leadership Studies, Open Access Thesis 2023 Award
Theses from 2021
Pasting our past: Cultural memory, family photographs, and ephemeral street art, Isaac Wilson Campbell, Department of Communication and Media, Open Access Thesis 2023 Award
Quality and quantity of social support in college students with ADHD symptomatology, Chloe J. Reeble, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2022 Award
Theses from 2020
Through their eyes: Exploring the relationship between college females' body perceptions and recreation center messaging, Sydney Leigh Ann Cindrich, Department of Kinesiology, Open Access Thesis 2020 Award
Stained glass, synthetic web: The simultaneous rise and fall of something person, Seth Thill, Department of Languages and Literatures, Thesis (Electronic Copy Not Available) 2020 Award
Theses from 2019
Outcomes of an intensive exercise-based swallowing program for persons with Parkinson's disease: A single-case experiment, Jocelyn Jenks, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Thesis 2019 Award
Therapist self-doubt when facing severe psychopathology in adolescent males, Zachary Mark Meehan, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2019 Award
Evaluating livelihood vulnerability of farming communities to winter storms in Iowa, Yiyi Zhang, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 2020 Award
Theses from 2018
The moth-eaters & other stories, Adrianne Lea Lloyd, Department of Languages and Literatures, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2019 Award
Theses from 2017
Leishmania infantum infection at the cellular and organismal levels : foamy macrophages and sex-dependent responses, Ryan David Lockard, Department of Biology, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2018 Award
Obsessive-compulsive disorder stigma: Accurate and inaccurate portrayals in electronic media, Camille Mirabelle Marie, Department of Psychology, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2018 Award
Psychoeducational module to promote knowledge and reduce stigma towards recreational marijuana users, Stephanie J. Strong, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2018 Award
Theses from 2016
Visualizing belonging : Deliberation and identification in the Vestavia Hills mascot controversy, Scott Neil Bredman, Department of Communication Studies, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2017 Award
"Rock Against Reagan": The punk movement, cultural hegemony, and Reaganism in the eighties, Johnathan Kyle Williams, Department of History, Open Access Thesis 2017 Award
Theses from 2015
Predictors of racial prejudice : a meta-analysis of the influence of religion and political orientation, Kristin Ann Broussard, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2016 Award
Development of a gray iron alloy for improved thermo-mechanical fatigue life in a cylinder head for diesel engine applications, Jeremy M. Kessens, Department of Technology, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2017 Award
The traumatic incursion of the Old South on gender and motherhood in William Faulkner's novels The sound and the fury, As I lay dying, and Light in August, Jordan Lea Ludwig, Department of Languages and Literatures, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2016 Award
Identification of sluggish cognitive tempo by pre-service teachers, Rachel Elizabeth Meisinger, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2016 Award
Theses from 2014
Population structure, size, and the thermal ecology of Iowa wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta): A comparison between suburban and rural populations, Samuel Wesley Berg, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 2015 Award
Theses from 2013
Predicting commitment for those in military relationships, Darrina Sofia Bledsoe, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2014 Award
Social and cultural influences on alcohol drinking habits among native American college and university students across the United States, Wayva Waterman Lyons, Department of Psychology, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2015 Award
A description of swing parameters and their relationship to in game batting performance in Division I softball players, Cassandra Reilly-Boccia, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Thesis (UNI Access Only) 2015 Award
Where loyalties lie: A study of workplace dissent through the lens of loyalty, Katelyn L. Santy, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Thesis 2014 Award
Theses from 2012
Producing early modern space and the mind in public and closet drama, Megan M. Gallagher, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Thesis 2013 Award
Strategic communication in women's rights organizations: Tools, challenges and best practices, Anastasia Kalinina, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Thesis 2013 Award
Self-defeating behaviors in sexual offenders: Exploring factors of social support and motivation to change, Cassie Rose Nieman, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2013 Award
Circulating and organizational testosterone and the perception of dominance, Jon C. Pedersen, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2014 Award
Theses from 2011
Transforming lives: Exploring the impact of transitioning on female-to-male transpersons and partners of female-to-male transpersons, Megan Marie Tesene, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Thesis 2012 Award
From a weak tribual to a branch of government: The Supreme Court of the United States from 1789 to Marshall, Dale Edward Paul Yurs, Department of History, Open Access Thesis 2012 Award
Theses from 2010
Creating salsa, claiming salsa: Identity, location, and authenticity in global popular music, William Guthrie LeGrand, School of Music, Open Access Thesis 2011 Award
Trends in Environmental Concern by Grade Level: A Study of Elementary, Middle, and High School Students, Ryan David Lensing, Science Education Program, Open Access Thesis 2012 Award
Status is fine for the in-group but out-group members watch out: Examining an optimal model of face processing using eye-tracking, J. Daniel McCarthy, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2011 Award
Theses from 2009
Captivating emotions: Sentiment and the work of rhetorical drag in colonial and early national captivity narrative, Gleidson Gouveia, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Thesis 2010 Award
The effects of Indian-accented English and need for cognition on message evaluation: A field study, Duoc V. Nguyen, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2011 Award
A test of TMT: Mortality salience and avoidance of worldview threats, Taylor Wayne Wadian, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2010 Award
Theses from 2008
Exploring the relationship between parent beliefs and athletes' perceptions: A sport commitment approach, Heather M. DeWaard, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Thesis 2009 Award
Surface temperature mapping of the University of Northern Iowa campus using high resolution thermal infrared aerial imagery, Alexander Savelyev, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 2010 Award
Theses from 2007
The effects of facial attractiveness, weight, and immediacy on social influence: A test of dynamic social impact, Melinda Bullock, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2009 Award
Significance of the general public for public relations: A study of the blogosphere's impact on the October 2006 Edelman/Wal-Mart crisis, Sergei Golitsinski, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Thesis 2009 Award
Tree species identification in an urban environment using a data fusion approach, Matthew A. Voss, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 2008 Award
An examination of group agreement among functional ankle instability participant inclusion criteria, Shantelle A. Howe Weichers, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Thesis 2008 Award
Theses from 2006
Biomonitoring organochlorine and cholinesterase inhibiting insecticide in eastern Iowa streams, Matthew Thomas Fisher, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 2007 Award
The contribution of socio-economic status and maturity on injury risk in youth soccer, Kristin Noel Stoneberg, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Thesis 2007 Award
Voicing women's resistance within religious studies: An interrogation of rational choice theory, Anne E. Tedore, Department of Philosophy and World Religions, Open Access Thesis 2008 Award
Theses from 2005
Monitoring spatial and temporal water quality changes in Iowa lakes using airborne hyperspectral imagery, Nathan Robert Green, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 2007 Award
Investigating the Effectiveness of Professional Development on High School Physics Teachers’ Conceptual Understanding of Newtonian Mechanics, Instructional Practices, and the Conceptual Growth of Their Students, Julia K. Moeller, Science Education Program, Open Access Thesis 2006 Award
Sticks, stones, & stigmas: A social-cognitive account of stereotype threat mechanisms, Michael C. Philipp, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2006 Award
"Second-class families": Media portrayal of adoption in America, Jennifer Ellen Struve, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Thesis 2006 Award
Theses from 2004
Modeling and measuring the dispersion of odors from hog confinements, François Béra, Department of Earth Science, Open Access Thesis 2005 Award
Mapping wetlands and potential wetland restoration areas in Black Hawk County, Iowa using object-oriented classification and a GIS-based model, James Harken, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 2005 Award
Theses from 2003
The effects of social identity salience on the cohesion of demographically diverse groups, Michael Anderson, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2004 Award
Culture from chaos: The formation of social norms from the dynamic self-organization of individuals' attitudes and behavior, Jerry G. Cullum, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2005 Award
Body image, eating disturbance and estrogen levels across the menstrual cycle, Mei-Chuan Wang, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2004 Award
Theses from 2002
Organophosphorous insecticide contamination in streams: Insects as bioindicators, Brian M. Andersen, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 2003 Award
"Good stuff for wise men to laugh at or honest men to take pleasure at": The Arthurian tradition during the Renaissance, Crystal Stallman Open Access Thesis 2003 Award
Emergence and mortality of native prairie forbs seeded into an established stand of grasses, Dave Williams, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 2004 Award
Theses from 2001
A contrastive cross-cultural study of the speech act of correction in Egyptian Arabic and American English, Nadir Anis Open Access Thesis 2002 Award
The effect of valproic acid on motility and morphometry parameters, and actin and N-cadherin distribution in avian neural crest cells, Leah Christine Fuller, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 2002 Award
The coupling of biotechnology with electrochemistry: Electrodenitrification of water using the enzyme nitrate reductase, Cyril Geyer Open Access Thesis 2002 Award
The effects of individual factors on punitive attitudes toward juvenile offenders, Jennifer Keely Mac Connell, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2003 Award
Theses from 2000
Assessing the classification accuracy of digitized National Aerial Photography Program imagery: Comparison with botanical data, Mark Arthur Alexander, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 2001 Award
Similarities in aggression, inattention/hyperactivity, depression, and anxiety between friends and nonfriends, Kristin A. Clark, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 2001 Award
Photodecomposition of crystal violet dye in water solution and suspensions of metal oxides, Tatiana Yurievna Zakharian, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Thesis 2001 Award
Theses from 1999
Yusef Komunyakaa: Questioning traditional metaphors of light and darkness, Katarzyna Jakubiak Open Access Thesis 2000 Award
The Commonweal in the heartland: Charles T. Kelly and Iowa's industrial army, Ryan James Sprau, Department of History, Open Access Thesis 2000 Award
Theses from 1998
The morality issue: How Darlan influenced the Allied unconditional surrender pledge in World War II, Brian Fiderlein, Department of History, Open Access Thesis 1999 Award
Breeding bird use of intensively managed rotational grazing pastures, native prairies and savannas: A comparison, Jennifer Marie Hurley O'Hara, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 1999 Award
Estimating the potential available labor supply for mid-sized Iowa communities, Randal Robert Pilkington, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 2000 Award
Theses from 1997
Fuzzy logic: An analysis of logical connectives and their characterizations, John F. Hamman, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Thesis 1998 Award
Macrophyte-macroinvertebrate interactions in a lentic ecosystem and the effect of fluridone treatment to control Myriophyllum spicatum L., Gregory J. Moeller, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 1999 Award
Theses from 1996
RN and LPN perceptions of front-line delegation, Martha E. Colwell, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Thesis 1997 Award
Invisible walls: Milliken v. Bradley and America's urban apartheid, Sonia E. Ingles, Department of History, Open Access Thesis 1998 Award
All our days are numbered --: Journey through breast cancer with traditional and alternative medicine, Tomma Lou Maas Open Access Thesis 1997 Award
The effects of ibuprofen on exercise-induced muscle soreness and performance, Atta Kofi Osei, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Thesis 1998 Award
Theses from 1995
The development of SCARS for identification of AM fungi, Jason Daniel Abbas, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 1997 Award
The political geography of a Palestinian state: Main problems of implementation, Saed Jamal Abu-Hijleh, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 1996 Award
Is the error-reaction time correlation in category verification tasks evidence of fuzzy limits in categories?, Sergio Chaigneau, Department of Psychology, Open Access Thesis 1996 Award
Radon reduction, improvement of indoor air quality, and energy savings through an original solar ventilation system, Heather E. Rhoads, Department of Physics, Open Access Thesis 1996 Award
Theses from 1994
Iowa's wolf in populist clothing: Norman Baker, 1925-1936, Eric Scott Juhnke, Department of History, Open Access Thesis 1995 Award
A partial "squeezing theorem" for a particular class of many-valued logics, Stephen Michael Walk, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Thesis 1995 Award
Theses from 1993
Predicting adolescent AIDS-related risk behavior from psychosocial factors: A replication, Erika Lea Kumerow, Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, Open Access Thesis 1994 Award
Theses from 1992
The Egypt-Palestine/Israel boundary: 1841-1992, Thabit Abu-Rass, Department of Geography, Open Access Thesis 1993 Award
Stream microcosm toxicity tests: Colonizing test organisms and predicting the effects of fenvalerate on riffle insect communities, Dan H. Breneman, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 1994 Award
A descriptive study of bone health risk factors in females ages 13 to 16 years, Anita M. Johnson, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Thesis 1993 Award
A pretension of place: The industrialization of corn belt agriculture, 1940-1965, Philip Jeffrey Nelson, Department of History, Open Access Thesis 1993 Award
Towards the development of a Kantian environmental ethic, Sally Nelson Wiedmann, Department of Philosophy and World Religions, Open Access Thesis 1994 Award
Theses from 1991
"Ego, scriptor cantilenae": The Cantos and Ezra Pound, Steven R. Gulick Open Access Thesis 1992 Award
Sociological implications of technology: The historical treatment of technology in sociological theory and a proposal for empirical research, Martin E. Hansen, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Thesis 1992 Award
The implementation of naturalistic evaluation of reading comprehension: A descriptive study of first graders in a Chapter 1 reading program, Beth Ann Hardy Nordmeyer, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Thesis 1992 Award
Theses from 1990
Gas exchange of four Viburnum species, Lisa Gayle De Berg, Department of Biology, Open Access Thesis 1991 Award
The federal government and the Industrial Workers of the World, 1917-1918: An attempt to crush a labor union, Michael Torrance Prahl, Department of History, Open Access Thesis 1991 Award
Occupational outcomes of bachelor's degrees earned by nontraditional students, Mary Ellen Ellyson Wacker, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Thesis 1991 Award
