Honors Program Theses
This page is no longer being updated, so the list of student works on this page may not be current. To see current student works for this department, please go to the Student Works page.
Submissions from 2026
The Importance of Sample Timing and Independence for Typha Species Identification, Sydney Aird, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Characterization of a Unique Mitochondrial Minichromosome in a Chewing Louse, Stachiella octomaculatus, Aubree Blanco, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
RNAi-mediated Silencing of Midgut Aminopeptidase N: Developing Tools to Probe Nutrient Availability for Intestinal Microbes in Helicoverpa zea, Julia M. Costello, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Considerations when Designing In Vivo Protocols for Conducting Biomechanical Research of the Shoulder Joint in Hockey Athletes, Kylie Giesler, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis 2026
A Literature Review of Adoptive Cell Therapy (ACT) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) With Emphasis on Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell and Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapies, Brianna Wickham, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2025
Editing the MGV-1 Gene of Fusarium graminearum Using Homology-Directed Repair, Tatiana Barriga, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Effect of Seed Mix Design and Planting Time on Floral Resources, Madison Carleton, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effect of Mitochondrial Disease on the Eyes and Possible Treatments With an Emphasis on Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Olivia Chambers, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Phylogeography of Rainbow Darter, Etheostoma caeruleum, using RadSeq Analysis, Lauren Klein, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Architecture of the Mitochondrial Genome of a Parasitic Louse, Geomydoecus centralis, Grace Phyllis Mraz, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Genetic Diversity of Bluegill in Iowa, Eva van de Mortel, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2024
Using PTA Staining with Micro-CT Scanning to Analyse Structural and Anatomical Variation in the Tooth Pulp Cavity in Mammals, Derek Thomas Blackburn, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Balancing Progress and Ethics: Exploring the Science and Ethics of Gene Editing: Literature Review, Jackson Burgess, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A Literature Review of Factors Contributing to Archaeal Diversity, Anna R. Carmen, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using GIS To Evaluate Habitat Connectivity Among The Pollinator Conservation Reserve Program Pollinator Habitat (CP-42) Restorations In Northeast Iowa, Ethan D. Dickey, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using Fiddler Crab Species to Identify Coastal Biomes Around the Perimeter of the Atlantic Ocean, Amber Finke, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Adoption and Perception of Pharmacogenomics: A Literature Review, Anna C. Girten, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Characterization of mtDNA Minicircles in a Chewing Louse Stachiella octomaculatus, Jaylie Hicklin, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Role of FLO11 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Colonization of the Lepidopteran Gastrointestinal Tract, Kayla Jeanette Minor, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Editing the Tri5 Gene of Fusarium graminearum Using CRISPR/Cas9, Madelyn Rae Waters, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2023
Evaluation Of Methods To Analyze Microbial Composition In Soils, Joseph Correa, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Monitoring Archaeal Persistence in Cultivation, Payton Hall, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Exploring the Microbial Composition of Moonmilk in Wind Cave National Park, Emma Pellegrino, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effect of Gibberellic Acid Concentration on Gentiana andrewsii Germination, Laura Spies, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Impact of Exercise on Mental Health: The Use of Exercise as Prevention and Treatment for Mental Health Disorders, Abigail Stivers, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2022
Analysis of phylogenetic-based variation in enamel thickness in vertebrate teeth, Carly Jewel Baker, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
How exercise affects the musculoskeletal system in the biological sexes: A literature review, Lauren Connolly, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Water depth selection by Iowa wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) during seasonal activity periods, Jessica Haugen, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Optimization of micro-ct protocols for non-destructive identification of ligament ultrastructure in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, Spenser Jared Richard Larson, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Developing methods to assess the role of Lumbricus terrestris on seed predation in prairie restoration, Jacey R. Meier, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Soil organic carbon accumulation in restored native prairies over time, Samrin Shahnaz, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The development of a photographic atlas of plant adaptations for pollination, Bethany Van Dusseldorp, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2021
Landscape genetics of Iowa's threatened black redhorse, Morganne C. Borsh, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Bacillus bacteriophage Q11 may have a 5' covalently attached protein, Emily Cornelius, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A review of the molecular mediators of host-baculovirus interactions in Lepidoptera, Olivia Crouse, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The search for life in extreme environments: Measuring diversity and quantity of Archaea in Wind Cave National Park, Nicole Geerdes, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of fluoride on macrophage THP-1 cell apoptosis, Jessica Heims, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Evaluation of archeal growth on complex media and antibiotic regimes, Melanie Miller, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Evolution of pocket gophers and chewing lice as ring species across the Upper Mississippi Valley, Isabel Louise Wolf, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2020
Histological morphology and structural integration in the four major morphologies of the Cypriniform Weberian apparatus, Jeremy Raymond Abels, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Supplemental seeding and seed predation in a newly planted tallgrass prairie, Isabella Betzer, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Genetic variation within a broadly distributed chewing louse genus (Thomomydoecus), Clarissa Elizabeth Bruns, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Examining variation in tooth morphology using micro-CT analysis, Luke Thomas Butikofer, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Identification of genome-linked bacillus bacteriophage proteins, Katherine Dyer, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Association between wild bee communities and floral resources in the Conservation Reserve Program, Allison Eagan, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Preparation of the CRISPR Cas-9 system for directed mutagenesis of the FSR1 gene of the filamentous fungi Fusarium verticillioides, Jacob Horn, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Construction of a target-specific CRISPR-Cas9 vector for the purpose of introducing mutations into the FUM1 gene of Fusarium verticillioides, Jennifer Petsche, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Editing Fusarium graminearum using CRISPR/Cas9, Grace Marie Sack, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Seasonal habitat usage of Iowa wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta), Amanda Stewart, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2019
Construction of CRISPR/Cas9 vectors for directed mutagenesis of Fusarium graminearum, Rebekah Akers, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of leukocytes in Ebola infected skin explants, Alyssa J. Deuso, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of fluoride on macrophage THP-1 cellular functions, Ashlee Renee Osier, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Genetic analysis of a parasite contact zone in the southwestern United States, Tanner Storbeck, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Inhibition of the P2X7 receptor and its effects on epithelial cell actin distribution and fiber size, Shayla Warrick, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2018
Effect of extracellular ATP on cellular actin fibrils' location and characteristics, Dianna Huisman, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Does folic acid compete with glutamic acid at the postsynaptic membrane NMDA receptor?, Amanda Nicole Koenig, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Literature review: Analyzing the reasons behind the long-standing debate of evolution and religion in America, Michelle Kathryn Matchell, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Chiropractic usage among college students: An extended literature review, Elizabeth A. Schwenker, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Occupational therapy in cancer rehabilitation, Cassandra Sells, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2017
Developmental analysis of Leea guineensis (Leeaceae), Sally Gray, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The genetic relationship between leaf margin regulation and vascular patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana, Lulua Rawwas, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of hibernation on the time of coagulation of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, Joshua Samec, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Developmental immunity of the skeletal elements of the Weberian apparatus to the effects of exogenous estrogen (17-β estradiol), a known disruptor of cartliage development, Bailey Jordan Wetherell, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2016
Excess folic acid as a potential competitor of glutamate may interfere with neural development, Benjamin Fick, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effect of rearing temperature on somite formation and skeletal development in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, Sarah Jean Freeland, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Valproic acid activates hyperactivity in cultured neurons: possible support for overconnectivity hypothesis of autism, Alexis McGinley, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Testing for modularity in the axial skeleton of fishes, Emily Meier, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Visualizing interactions between Bacillus anthracis bacteriophages and macrophages, Abigail Shew, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Morphometric analysis of simple, lobed, and compound leaf development in the genus Ampelopsis (Vitaceae), Austin Joseph Voves, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2015
Primer efficacy in the DNA barcoding of spiders, Rhennetta Jo Bork, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of hibernation on the hemostatic properties of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, Kiana Cullinan, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of Ipomoea (morning glory) leaf mutants, Abigail Anne Lee, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Functional analysis of drought-resistant genes in barley using VIGS, Natalie Catherine Martin, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The analysis of diruthenium compounds on human cells as potential chemotherapeutic agents, Elizabeth McCulloch, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The future of restorative dental care, Carl Reitz, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Effects of ATP and ATP inhibitors on the P2X7 receptor, Holly Marie Salzbrenner, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of protein expression for potential biomarkers in human pancreatic tumor cell lines, Jade Ashley Simpson, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2014
The genetics of bipolar disorder, Laura Cross, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of hypergravity on development of the heart and behavior of Xenopus laevis, Stacey Howes, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using seed recovery methods to determine causes of failed germination in native prairie species, Paige Leytem, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of the canola lip mutant, Matthew Rafferty, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A preliminary systematic analysis of the species of genus Physaria (Brassicaceae) of Wyoming, Kayla Rethwisch, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The role of KNOX genes during simple and compound leaf development in the genus Ampelopsis (Vitaceae), Allie Marie Simpson, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2013
ATP-induced changes in F-actin expression Via P2X7, Taylor Hircock, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A study of the genes TFL1 and LFY as agents in the divergent evolution of the plant species Arabidopsis thaliana and Carica papaya, Ryan Lockard, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Utility of phosphoglucose isomerase (PgiC) intron sequences in the phylogenetics of Physaria (Brassicaceae), Troy Joseph Mensen, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A Population genetic study of the fish Rhinichthys cataractae in northeast Iowa using microsatellite genotype data, Haley Ann Rinehart, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparative phylogeography of species across the Mississippi embayment, Matthew James Samec, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Relationships between habitat preference and population size of the declining longnose dace, Erica Anne Scullin, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2012
An Evaluation of the Species Status of Physaria intermedia (Brassicaceae), Katie Arp, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Morphological Variation Among Populations of Uca rapax in the Gulf of Mexico and Northern Caribbean, Amanda L. Brase, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using Ecological Niche Modeling To Resolve Cryptic Taxa Within the Greenside Darter Species Complex, Jack Alphonse Kosmicki, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Pulling Back the Veil on Stem Cell Research: The Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as an Alternative to Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Sara Ternes, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2011
Factors controlling hop flowering and their potential for use in the brewing and pharmaceutical industries, Margaret Nicole Crain, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of Hypergravity on Xenopus Embryo Growth and Cardiac Hypertrophy, Bryce Joseph Duchman, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of MYD88 Inhibition on Bovine Lung Endothelial and Epithelial Cell Cytokine Expression, Cassandra Kay Hayne, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Effect of Egg-Incubation Temperature on Growth and Selected Temperature of Apalone Spinifera, the Spiny Softshell Turtle, Amy L. Klopfenstein, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Formation of Intercellular Junctions During Secondary Neurulation in the Tail Bud Region of Developing Chick Embryos, Selena Mae Losee, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2010
Towards Cloning a Tyrosinase Gene from Pitayas, Kurt J. Chamberlain, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Physical Therapy Availability in the Rural Counties of Iowa, Kelsea Elizabeth Leacox, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
