Honors Program Theses
This collection contains Honors Program Theses written by undergraduate students in the Department of Biology at the University of Northern Iowa.
Every honors student has the opportunity to complete undergraduate research during their time at UNI by writing a thesis. Students work with faculty members in their major or area of interest to develop and conduct a study during either their Junior or Senior year.
To go to the Honors Program Theses page, click here.
To go to the Department of Biology page, click here.
Submissions from 2024
Balancing Progress and Ethics: Exploring the Science and Ethics of Gene Editing: Literature Review, Jackson Burgess Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A Literature Review of Factors Contributing to Archaeal Diversity, Anna R. Carmen 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 Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using Fiddler Crab Species to Identify Coastal Biomes Around the Perimeter of the Atlantic Ocean, Amber Finke Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Adoption and Perception of Pharmacogenomics: A Literature Review, Anna C. Girten Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The Role of FLO11 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Colonization of the Lepidopteran Gastrointestinal Tract, Kayla Jeanette Minor Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Editing the Tri5 Gene of Fusarium graminearum Using CRISPR/Cas9, Madelyn Rae Waters Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2023
Evaluation Of Methods To Analyze Microbial Composition In Soils, Joseph Correa Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Monitoring Archaeal Persistence in Cultivation, Payton Hall Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Exploring the Microbial Composition of Moonmilk in Wind Cave National Park, Emma Pellegrino Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effect of Gibberellic Acid Concentration on Gentiana andrewsii Germination, Laura Spies 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 Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2022
Analysis of phylogenetic-based variation in enamel thickness in vertebrate teeth, Carly Jewel Baker Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
How exercise affects the musculoskeletal system in the biological sexes: A literature review, Lauren Connolly Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Water depth selection by Iowa wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) during seasonal activity periods, Jessica Haugen 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 Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Developing methods to assess the role of Lumbricus terrestris on seed predation in prairie restoration, Jacey R. Meier Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Soil organic carbon accumulation in restored native prairies over time, Samrin Shahnaz Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The development of a photographic atlas of plant adaptations for pollination, Bethany Van Dusseldorp Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2021
Landscape genetics of Iowa's threatened black redhorse, Morganne C. Borsh Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Bacillus bacteriophage Q11 may have a 5' covalently attached protein, Emily Cornelius Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A review of the molecular mediators of host-baculovirus interactions in Lepidoptera, Olivia Crouse 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 Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of fluoride on macrophage THP-1 cell apoptosis, Jessica Heims Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Evaluation of archeal growth on complex media and antibiotic regimes, Melanie Miller Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Evolution of pocket gophers and chewing lice as ring species across the Upper Mississippi Valley, Isabel Louise Wolf 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 Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Supplemental seeding and seed predation in a newly planted tallgrass prairie, Isabella Betzer Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Genetic variation within a broadly distributed chewing louse genus (Thomomydoecus), Clarissa Elizabeth Bruns Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Examining variation in tooth morphology using micro-CT analysis, Luke Thomas Butikofer Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Identification of genome-linked bacillus bacteriophage proteins, Katherine Dyer Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Association between wild bee communities and floral resources in the Conservation Reserve Program, Allison Eagan 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 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 Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Editing Fusarium graminearum using CRISPR/Cas9, Grace Marie Sack Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Seasonal habitat usage of Iowa wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta), Amanda Stewart Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2019
Construction of CRISPR/Cas9 vectors for directed mutagenesis of Fusarium graminearum, Rebekah Akers Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of leukocytes in Ebola infected skin explants, Alyssa J. Deuso Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of fluoride on macrophage THP-1 cellular functions, Ashlee Renee Osier Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Genetic analysis of a parasite contact zone in the southwestern United States, Tanner Storbeck Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Inhibition of the P2X7 receptor and its effects on epithelial cell actin distribution and fiber size, Shayla Warrick Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2018
Effect of extracellular ATP on cellular actin fibrils' location and characteristics, Dianna Huisman Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Does folic acid compete with glutamic acid at the postsynaptic membrane NMDA receptor?, Amanda Nicole Koenig Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Literature review: Analyzing the reasons behind the long-standing debate of evolution and religion in America, Michelle Kathryn Matchell Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Chiropractic usage among college students: An extended literature review, Elizabeth A. Schwenker Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Occupational therapy in cancer rehabilitation, Cassandra Sells Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2017
Developmental analysis of Leea guineensis (Leeaceae), Sally Gray Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The genetic relationship between leaf margin regulation and vascular patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana, Lulua Rawwas Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of hibernation on the time of coagulation of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, Joshua Samec 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 Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2016
Excess folic acid as a potential competitor of glutamate may interfere with neural development, Benjamin Fick Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effect of rearing temperature on somite formation and skeletal development in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, Sarah Jean Freeland Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Valproic acid activates hyperactivity in cultured neurons: possible support for overconnectivity hypothesis of autism, Alexis McGinley Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Testing for modularity in the axial skeleton of fishes, Emily Meier Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Visualizing interactions between Bacillus anthracis bacteriophages and macrophages, Abigail Shew Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Morphometric analysis of simple, lobed, and compound leaf development in the genus Ampelopsis (Vitaceae), Austin Joseph Voves Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2015
Primer efficacy in the DNA barcoding of spiders, Rhennetta Jo Bork Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of hibernation on the hemostatic properties of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, Kiana Cullinan Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of Ipomoea (morning glory) leaf mutants, Abigail Anne Lee Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Functional analysis of drought-resistant genes in barley using VIGS, Natalie Catherine Martin Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The analysis of diruthenium compounds on human cells as potential chemotherapeutic agents, Elizabeth McCulloch Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The future of restorative dental care, Carl Reitz Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Effects of ATP and ATP inhibitors on the P2X7 receptor, Holly Marie Salzbrenner Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of protein expression for potential biomarkers in human pancreatic tumor cell lines, Jade Ashley Simpson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2014
The genetics of bipolar disorder, Laura Cross Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of hypergravity on development of the heart and behavior of Xenopus laevis, Stacey Howes Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using seed recovery methods to determine causes of failed germination in native prairie species, Paige Leytem Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of the canola lip mutant, Matthew Rafferty Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A preliminary systematic analysis of the species of genus Physaria (Brassicaceae) of Wyoming, Kayla Rethwisch Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The role of KNOX genes during simple and compound leaf development in the genus Ampelopsis (Vitaceae), Allie Marie Simpson Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2013
ATP-induced changes in F-actin expression Via P2X7, Taylor Hircock 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 Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Utility of phosphoglucose isomerase (PgiC) intron sequences in the phylogenetics of Physaria (Brassicaceae), Troy Joseph Mensen Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A Population genetic study of the fish Rhinichthys cataractae in northeast Iowa using microsatellite genotype data, Haley Ann Rinehart Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparative phylogeography of species across the Mississippi embayment, Matthew James Samec Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Relationships between habitat preference and population size of the declining longnose dace, Erica Anne Scullin Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2012
An Evaluation of the Species Status of Physaria intermedia (Brassicaceae), Katie Arp Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Morphological Variation Among Populations of Uca rapax in the Gulf of Mexico and Northern Caribbean, Amanda L. Brase Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using Ecological Niche Modeling To Resolve Cryptic Taxa Within the Greenside Darter Species Complex, Jack Alphonse Kosmicki 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 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 Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of Hypergravity on Xenopus Embryo Growth and Cardiac Hypertrophy, Bryce Joseph Duchman Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of MYD88 Inhibition on Bovine Lung Endothelial and Epithelial Cell Cytokine Expression, Cassandra Kay Hayne 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 Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Formation of Intercellular Junctions During Secondary Neurulation in the Tail Bud Region of Developing Chick Embryos, Selena Mae Losee Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2010
Towards Cloning a Tyrosinase Gene from Pitayas, Kurt J. Chamberlain Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Physical Therapy Availability in the Rural Counties of Iowa, Kelsea Elizabeth Leacox Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Formation of the neural tube epithelium basement membrane during secondary neurulation in the chick embryo, Leslie Ann Mataya Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2009
Treatment Options for Neuropathic Pain, Sara Akre Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of Epigallocatechin Gallate on the Structure and Dynamics of Podosomes in Human Macrophages, Vinay Bajaj Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effect of Homocysteine on Development of Contractions and Expression of β-Catenin in Chick Embryo Precardiac Mesoderm, Michelle Lee Formanek Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Assessing the Potential Habitat Value of Biomass Production Fields for Grassland Birds, Mandy Larson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A light unto our path: Toward a mutual understanding of fundamentalist Christianity and science, Kassidy K. Lyons Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effect of Elevated Homocysteine on the Expression of Cadherins 6B, 7, and 11 in Migrating Neural Crest Cells of Chick Embryos, Chelsea L. Reinhard Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Timecourse Analysis of the Effect of Atrazine on Human HepG2 Cells, Erin M. Schrunk Open Access Honors Program Thesis
What's up with Fiddler Crabs: Does Larval Dispersal Render Genetic Similarity in the Disjunct Distribution of Uca minax (Uca: Ocypodidae)?, Alexa Warwick Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2008
Cell Cycle Analysis of Atrazine-Treated Human Cells, Daniel Pelzer Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2007
The Effect of Homocysteine on Neural Crest Cells, N-cadherin, and its Binding Partners, Kacie Rae Callaway Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Assessment of Key Parameters to Achieve Bacteria Transformability in E. coli and A. tumefaciens, Zach Regelin Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Microbiological Enhancement of Phosphorus Sequestration in Iron-Enriched Sediments, Lindsay Marie Sandersfeld Open Access Honors Program Thesis
