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. To filter by department, use the Advanced Search function. Some theses and dissertations are not eligible for open access.
Submissions from 2018
Organized Gaming and Its Effect on Collegiate Academics, Mark Cochran, Department of Marketing, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The rise of social media marketing: How an entire industry has transformed, Ryan Steven Doser, Department of Marketing, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The use of mod in Old English: Tracking semantic drift in the Anglo-Saxon period, Joanna Eyanson, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Personality in politics, Rachael Fix, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of vibrational modes of chemically modified tone wood, Madison Flesch, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Van der Waals interactions in ultrafine nanocellulose aerogels, Byron John Fritch, Department of Physics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
"Night Devils:" An exploration of identity in a long form adult novel, Johnathan Cody Galbreath, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
An examination of the moderating role of hormones on the relationship between sleep patterns and mood regulation, Claire A. Guderjahn, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A study in positive psychology: An analysis of pictured victims and empathetic reaction, Alyssa Hanken, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Effective leadership: Prior research vs. the millennials, Marissa Heinzerling, Department of Management, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effect of asthma on transitions to college: An exploratory study, Meghan June Hirsch, School of Kinesiology, Allied Health, and Human Services, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Attitudes on education policy in Iowa, Sarah Lois Hofmeyer, Department of Political Science, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Biotech fever: Market overreaction to FDA clinical trials, Ethan J. Hugstad, Department of Finance, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Effect of extracellular ATP on cellular actin fibrils' location and characteristics, Dianna Huisman, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
"Perks and produce of the Panther Plot": A multi-component program to engage UNI first-year Cornerstone students in local foods, gardening, and food system sustainability, Lauren Janning, School of Kinesiology, Allied Health, and Human Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Variations in state higher education grant programs: Potential reforms from a case study, Rachael Johnson, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The propitious puzzle for small business owners: Understanding the Section 199A deduction, Kameron Elizabeth Kehoe, Department of Accounting, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The intercultural communication of the business world: A review of the literature and application to Colombian and English-speaking professionals, Anna Colleen Kelly, Department of Languages and Literatures, 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
Learning to write, writing to learn: Cedar Valley high school teachers' use of formative assessment, Kenna Marie Koster, Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Adapting curriculum for autism in art education, Melanie Jo Lambert, Department of Art, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
New insights into the "manna from heaven" hypothesis, Clare Laubenthal, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Money matters: An analysis of campaign finance in United States House of Representatives elections, 2010-2016, Destiny Leitz, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparison of two levels of inpatient dysphagia treatment dosages on swallowing outcomes, Paige Licht, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Marriage premium among homosexual men in the United States, Cole Robert Malcolm, Department of Economics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
President Trump's transgender military ban: A legal analysis, Kailee Martens, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Factors influencing academic performance: A study of predicting student performance at a regional comprehensive university, Hannah Martin, Department of Management, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
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
Pre-service teachers' attitudes of students with chronic pain, Katelyn A. Melcher, Department of Psychology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
NMDA: Review and clinical implications for potential cognitive deficits, Madison A. Miller, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Honors Program Thesis (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Resale value of individual sets of Magic the Gathering, Nichole Bolas Mlodzik, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
English proficiency and earnings of U.S. immigrants, Toni F. Moeller, Department of Economics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Avoiding heteronormativity: Breaking barriers in the English classroom: A potential model for a teaching workshop, Jessica Morris, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Representations of health and wellness in children's literature, Emily Kate Murphy, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effectiveness of encouraging habilitation in adults with wearable activity trackers, Ashley Norem, School of Kinesiology, Allied Health and Human Services, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The role of the University of Northern Iowa carillon: A study in the future purpose of a campus landmark, Samuel Thomas Ogilvie, School of Music, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
An analysis of equity-linked insurance pricing, Clara C. Ortgies, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Misconceptions of HR: An analysis of post-millennials' thoughts before entering the workforce, Sarah Paukert, Department of Management, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Motivation to engage in occupational therapy, Karla Peterson, Department of Psychology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Detection and determination of food residues in Native American pottery, Katherine A. Plotzke, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Intercalating transition metals in tantalum disulfide nanostructures, Madeline Christine Roach, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Honors Program Thesis (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Beyond refuge: Testimonial injustice and female refugees, Gabriella Ruggiero, Department of Philosophy and World Religions, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Rates and patterns of evolution in a duplicated genome in the family Catostomidae, Megann Michelle Schmidt, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 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)
Prebiotic potential of aerosols, Emma Rae Shipley, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
La discriminación contra los Latin@s, Lauren Swan, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Exploration of counter examples of balanced sets, Jake Allen Weber, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A song to remember : The effects of music therapy on individuals with Alzheimer's disease, Gabrielle Woods, School of Applied Human Sciences, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2017
Organizational culture: An analysis of the aggregate impact on financial performance, Arijan Alagic, Department of Management, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Masculinity, dress, and power: A theoretical intersection, Parker Bennett, Department of Political Science, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The business of fraud, Jessica Marie Berkshire, Department of Accounting, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Magnetic behavior of bulk and nanostructured MnxTaS2, Lucas Paul Beving, Department of Physics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Formation of Titan aerosol from CO and CH4, Tate Christensen, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A presidential paradigm shift: Changes in presidential rhetoric regarding Cuba, Alyssa Chellan Dixon, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The professional development of students through global experiences, Myle Duong, Department of Marketing, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Gender and music: Can we hear a difference between female and male composers and performers?, Arianna Edvenson, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Cedar Falls Community Main Street: A gap analysis of customer & business owner perceptions, Cassie Evers, Department of Management, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Major depressive disorder in adults: Determining demographic causes and links between health insurance and government aid, Taylor Lillian Fox, Department of Economics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Employee wellness program attitudes, Lucille Madden Gee, Department of Psychology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Realizing EDGAR: eliminating information asymmetries through artificial intelligence analysis of SEC filings, Ryan H. Giarusso, Department of Computer Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Developmental analysis of Leea guineensis (Leeaceae), Sally Gray, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Disparities in infant mortality: are sociocultural risk factors shaped by institutionalized racism?, Madison Grimm, School of Kinesiology, Allied Health, and Human Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A reflective analysis of the practice and performance of a degree tuba recital, Taylor Hicks, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Culturally responsive teaching from a culture specific perspective: Chinese students' experiences of CRT in the U.S., Tessa Noel Horn, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
"Contrasts": Differences and similarities in choral settings of Christina Rossetti's poems, Coren Hucke, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Lessons from "The Fleet": improving organizational leadership based on Prairie Lakes Church practices through fictional narrative, Christopher Huling, School of Kinesiology, Allied Health, and Human Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Results and efficacy of two measures of executive function in adolescent athletes, Jocelyn Jenks, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Education inequity: a comparative analysis of Johannesburg and Chicago city schools, Melissa Marie Johnson, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Homo humanus: An installation investigating the omnipresence of self-documentation, Ashley Elizabeth Jones, Department of Art, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Gender differences in sexual assault and PTSD stigma, Megan Kennedy, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparison of various technologies in the acquisition of speech samples for transcription purposes: listener perception vs. acoustic analysis of signal quality, Alexa Klimes, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Trying to fit in with the weird parts of the Internet: Online subcultures and content creation, Isak Fedeler Knivsland, Department of Marketing, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A comparison of technologies for recording speech and the effects of speaker age, Jacquelyn Marie Knustrom, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Investigating the role of the written curriculum on lesson planning for first-year elementary mathematics teachers, Anna Kron, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Effects of role-goal methods on student engagement: A case study, Zachariah John Lillquist, Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Shrink and squeeze: today's teaching pressures and its effect on teaching social studies, Alyssa Diane McKeone, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
"Slavery wasn't that bad": An examination of the effects of reduced social studies class time and student misconceptions, Matthew Karl Mengler, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis 2018 Award
Anticipatory reactions to erotic stimuli: An exploration into "psychic" ability, Margarita Meza, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
"A special program for highly gifted students:" The evolution and growth of UNI's Honors Program, 1959-2009, Matthew Christian Miller, Department of History, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The impact of terrorism on commercial office real estate in Manhattan, Madeline M. O'Donnell, Department of Finance, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of governance and inequality on economic growth, Ethan James Philo, Department of Economics, 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)
An examination of the association between traumatic brain injury and sleep disruptions among athletes in contact and non-contact sports, Olivia A. Rigdon, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
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
Live notes: bringing the power of desktop MIDI input to the Android platform, Joshua Schriever, Department of Computer Science, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Secondary mathematics educators and coaches' role in providing motivation, Reggie Schulte, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Workplace friendship as an antecedent of employment engagement, Victoria Marie Settanni, Department of Communication Studies, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Accommodating invisible illnesses and disabilities in the workplace, Elizabeth Simmons, Department of Management, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Evaluating trends in financial literacy: The impact on individuals and workplaces, Michelle Temeyer, Department of Finance, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Using the growth mindset to improve opportunities for negotiation in argument-based inquiry elementary classrooms, Bridget Tharp, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparing first-generation and continuing-generation college students' self-efficacy, campus involvement, and academic performance, Kaylin Nichole Upah, Department of Educational Leadership and Postsecondary Education, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Effects of studying abroad on college students, Kaliana Villa, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Student perceptions on the innovative use of technology in Iowa classrooms, Preston Vorthmann, Science Education Program, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Connections between science teachers' professional development preferences and their teaching practices and beliefs, Jessica Marie Wayson, Science Education Program, 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
The gamers in gaming: Studying Twitch TV and its followers, Micah Zeimetz, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2016
Tessellations: An artistic and mathematical look at the work of Maurits Cornelis Escher, Emily E. Bachmeier, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Branding the UNI/Wellness Recreation Center: creating a cohesive cross-media collegiate recreation identity, Rachael Bair, Department of Art, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Celebrating 100 years of the National Park System in the classroom, Kailyn Louise Bettle, Department of Geography, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
