Honors Program Theses
The University Honors Program is an intellectually stimulating and socially nurturing community of students of exceptional academic achievement. 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 page, click here.
From this page, you can browse our Honors Program Theses by academic department or by the year of completion Some theses and dissertations are not eligible for open access.
Browse Honors Program Theses by academic department:
College of Business Administration
- Accounting
- Economics
- Finance
- Management
- Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Educational Psychology, Foundations, and Leadership Studies
- Health, Recreation, and Community Services
- Kinesiology
- Special Education
- School of Kinesiology, Allied Health and Human Services
- Teaching
- Art
- Biology
- Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Communication and Media
- Computer Science
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Languages and Literatures
- Mathematics
- Philosophy and World Religions
- Physics
- Theatre
- School of Music
- Science Education Program
- Geography
- History
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology
- School of Applied Human Sciences
College of Education
College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Browse Honors Program Theses by year of completion:
Submissions from 2024
Why Would I Read When the Game is On?: Reasons Adults Give for Reading or Not, Emmy C. Nelson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Gender and Student Motivation in Domestic and Foreign Language Study, Macey Overturf Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A Qualitative Case Study of Montessori Approaches to Learning Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in Iowa, Ellie Penick Open Access Honors Program Thesis
An Analysis of Crash Factors on Total Property Damage, Erica Peters Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparing In-Person and Remote Language Assessments for Adults with Communication Disorders: Clinical Applications for Speech-Language Pathologists, Lauren Rotherham Honors Program Thesis (Electronic Copy Not Available)
The Effects of Exercise in Cognitive Function in Older Ad, Josephine Sagan Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Little Miss Sure Shot: Essays on a Young Woman Journalist's Search for Fulfillment, Mallory Schmitz Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Confronting CTE: A Blog Dedicated to Increasing Awareness in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Caden Shea Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Exploring Social Emotional Learning: Impact, Policy, and Effective Implementation, Rebekah Simmons Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Why Play? Exploring the Realities of Play-Based Learning in Kindergarten, Sofia Josephine Steele Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A Comparison Between Two Schools Implementing Trauma-Informed Classroom Management, Maddie Steffen Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Exploration of Affine Functions, Katelyn Jo Stirling Open Access Honors Program Thesis
An Analysis of Post-War Economic Growth in the Balkans, Edina Tahirovic Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Gene Looping in Brewer’s Yeast: Exploring the Role of DNA Mechanics in Three-dimensional Genome Structure, Thalia Torres Guzman Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
An Analysis of Artificial Intelligence's Potential in Assessments of Math Learning, Casandra Tounjian Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Orthographic Influences on the Production of French Nasal Vowels by English-Speaking Learners of French, Claire Evelyn Tow Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Equity in Harmony: Music Teacher Preparedness and Perceptions of Multilingual Learners In The Midwest, McKenzie Vick Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Editing the Tri5 Gene of Fusarium graminearum Using CRISPR/Cas9, Madelyn Rae Waters Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Death and Grief in 21st Century America: A Literature Review on Bereavement & Attitudes Toward Death, Jordan Whitney Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2023
New Policy Opens Trade with India for Pork Producers in the U.S., Morgan Marie Aitchison Open Access Honors Program Thesis
"Variety": A Look at Several Genres, Ryan Dean Carlin Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of Living On Campus Versus Off Campus on Student Engagement, Megan Carlson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Her Story, Her Right: Narrative as a Basic Human Right, Karlee M. Colby Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A Literature Review of the Connection Between Infant Early Intervention and Childhood Executive Functioning, Nola Miriam Conner Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Evaluation Of Methods To Analyze Microbial Composition In Soils, Joseph Correa Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Horror of Darwinism: The Evolution of the Monster in Film and Popular Culture, Ava Deitrich Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Sinking Into My Skin: An Exploration of the Mind and Body Through Multigenre Creative Writing, Ana Elizabeth Eagan Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Language Development and Poverty: Considerations and Applications for Speech-Language Pathologists, Samantha Lynn Ehler Open Access Honors Program Thesis 2023 Award
Monitoring Archaeal Persistence in Cultivation, Payton Hall Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Art Teaching and American Society: An Exploration of How Art Makes Us Think and Why America Needs It Right Now, Julie Marie Hammerand Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Competencies Acquired in the Psychology Major, Jake Harrington Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Exposure, Adaptation and Expectations: How They Affect Perception of Foreign Accented Speech, Isabella Huddleston Open Access Honors Program Thesis
How Economic Distribution Impacts Human Rights on an International Level: A Case Study in Africa and the Balkans, Lindsey G. Ingraham Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Carpet Hell: A Backrooms Story, A Creative Exploration of The Backrooms and Liminal Space Horror, Christian Dean Jauron Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The Power of Homeownership, Esha Sanjiv Jayswal Honors Program Thesis (Electronic Copy Not Available)
The Sacrifice of Artistry for a Convenient Society, Riley Jermier Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Diffusion of Carbon Nanoparticles Intercalated into Layered Materials, Madelyn Johnson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Nature-Based Education: Expanding the Walls of the Classroom, Halle Louise Kilburg Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Investigation into a Potential DNA Polymerase of Thermomyces lanuginosus, Kameron J. Kruger Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effectiveness of Dry Cupping on Low Back Pain: A Validation Case Study, Sierra Kuhlers Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Data Ethics and the Dilemma Created by Turing's Learning Machines, Jacob Kuhn Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Prevalence and Knowledge of Proper Treatment of People Living with Dementia in Physical Therapy, Eric Robert Melrose Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Common Creativity: Conversations with Artists and Nonartists, Will Nachazel Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Bioactive Secondary Metabolites in Cave Dwelling Fungi, Jade Nuehring Open Access Honors Program Thesis
How Hypermasculinity and Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA) Relate to Rape Proclivity in College Males, Cora Lynn Patterson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Exploring the Microbial Composition of Moonmilk in Wind Cave National Park, Emma Pellegrino Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Senatorial Behavior in Recent Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings, Alex Perrin Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Better Solutions to Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Access: Giving Away Vaccines Rather than Vaccine Formulas, Tristen Prouse Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Neurodiversity and the Field of Speech Language Pathology: A Literary Review of the History, Common Practices, and Misconceptions, Wren Anne Repko Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Dose-Response Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Cognitive Function in Healthy Young Adults, Elizabeth Lizzy Lea Richardson Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Un-Swung Heroes: Highlighting Women Instrumentalists’ Contributions to Jazz Repertoire, Alayna Ringsby Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
A Snapshot of War: First World War Postcards from the Cedar Falls Historical Society, James Alexander Schmitt 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
Reversing the Entry: Generation Z's Outlook on Accounting, Andrew Straube Honors Program Thesis (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Alcohol: The Permitted Drug in Our Society, Madison TenHulzen Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Breaking the Marble Ceiling: The Construction of Athena in Greek Thought, Elizabeth Tulley Open Access Honors Program Thesis 2023 Award
Secondary Traumatic Stress: Therapists’ Past Trauma and Workplace Interventions, Morgan Wickman Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Investigation of Unexpected Purple Substance Extracted from Newsprint Paper, Raquel Wilhelm Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Identification of a DNA Polymerase Alpha Gene Sequence in Thermomyces lanuginosus Fungus, Nathan Williams Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Admittance Processes in Gifted Education and Their Influence on Equity, Rachel Wohlgemuth 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)
Changes in brain oxygenation of rugby players before and after head trauma, Megan Benmore Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Assessing and meeting the mental health needs of student athletes - A case study of the University of Northern Iowa, Samantha Bennett Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Best practice for treatment and prevention of ankle sprains in ballet dancers, Sara Bergin Open Access Honors Program Thesis
College-age students' attitudes toward essential oils, alternative medicines, and modern medicine, Taylor Nicole Brown Open Access Honors Program Thesis
How exercise affects the musculoskeletal system in the biological sexes: A literature review, Lauren Connolly Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Selective mutism in immigrant children, Lauren Cummings Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of acute aerobic exercise on motor cortex activation and piano performance, Maya Deuso Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Blough dairy farm comprehensive safety & training manual, Riley Elaine Elenz Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Graduate student knowledge and skill development in infant feeding: Effectiveness of high-emotion simulator training, Emmalee Fannon Honors Program Thesis (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Water depth selection by Iowa wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) during seasonal activity periods, Jessica Haugen Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Young adult Holocaust literature: How is the Holocaust depicted and what is appropriate to teach?, Madison Hilbert Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Influence of the CPA credential on the life satisfaction of University of Northern Iowa accounting alumni, Derek Richard Koppes Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Communication in mass media surrounding public health crises: A comparative analysis, Megan Grace Kramer Open Access Honors Program Thesis
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)
Entering the field of scientific "edutainment", Rowan John McCarthy 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
Exploring high school students' perceptions post a social justice mathematics lesson, Emily Terrones Moore Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Weird critters: A visual narrative inspired by paleontology and teratology, Kate Murray Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Testing the efficiency of the NFL betting market, Ryan Earl Oswald Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Leveraging machine learning for detecting IoT-based interference in operational WiFi networks, Josh Pulse Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Social media recruitment and online propaganda by extremist groups, Megan Marie Robinson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
It's possible: Creating an ability inclusive production approach for the musical Cinderella, Danielle Jean Schmaltz Open Access Honors Program Thesis
"Descendant" or "The Children of Life:" Superhumans, not superheroes, Kellen Schmidt Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Soil organic carbon accumulation in restored native prairies over time, Samrin Shahnaz Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Animal adoption profiles: An application of the human-animal connection, Autumn Stowe Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Preservice teachers, antiracism, and racial literacy: Exploring current preservice teachers' definitions and perceptions of racism and antiracism within teacher education, Olivia Gabrielle Terrones Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Alexander the Great and Achilles: The origin of the connection between the Homeric hero and the king of Macedon, Katie Thessen Open Access Honors Program Thesis
UNI Honors Program students' perceptions of gifted programming in K-12 education, Kylie Tinder Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The development of a photographic atlas of plant adaptations for pollination, Bethany Van Dusseldorp Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Addressing the accessibility gap in music: A review of the literature, Rachel Ann Vaughan Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis of Native American pottery for maple syrup residues, Alexis Wirtz Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using color with care: An exploration of the application of psychological color theory within language classrooms, Mackenzie Wisneski Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The role of self-efficacy in pelvic floor physical therapy, Madison Marie Young Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2021
Theories and applications of blockchain, Matthew R. Barton Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
"It all just ends": Death attitudes across age, gender, and religion, Bekah Bass Open Access Honors Program Thesis
My year with digital supremacists, Nick Baur Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Identification of fungi and their secondary metabolites from Wind Cave, Kyle Biscoglia Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Landscape genetics of Iowa's threatened black redhorse, Morganne C. Borsh Open Access Honors Program Thesis
