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 2016
Exploration of Empfindsamer stil: The creation and performance of an informed performance edition of CPE Bach's Concerto in D minor for flute and orchestra, Emily C. Bicknese, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Chimera: a multigenre exploration of the postmodern self, Keegan D. Bosch, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Motion virtual manipulatives in the elementary math classroom, Cole Boudreau, Department of Computer Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Intellectual virtues and the epistemic evaluation of disagreement, Hansen Garlington Breitling, Department of Philosophy and World Religions, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Inclusion: learning without barriers, Amy Lois Bucciferro, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Brand new scars: complex characterization and literary craft elements in Ed Brubaker's Captain America, Lexi Nicole Byrnes, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Still going bump in the night: a structural-esque analysis of yurei, death, and dying in Japanese folklore and anime, Samuel Nicholas Calonkey, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Craic in the concert hall: The benefits of playing Irish traditional music to the classically trained musician, Hannah Carr-Murphy, School of Music, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Equitable discourse in middle school mathematics classrooms: With emphasis on girls and the mathematically gifted, Merci F. Day, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The efficient recovery of deleted data from NAND flash memory, Lisa Diercks, Department of Computer Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The determinants of NFL player salaries, Trevor Draisey, Department of Economics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Education: an unexplored variable on millennial volunteer attitudes, Darian N. Everding, Department of Philosophy and World Religions, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
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 impact of teacher prompting and questioning on third grade students' comprehension, Jenna Francois, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, 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
"Yeah, I taught myself on YouTube": young women and navigating the world of traditional crafting, Emily A. Gardner, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Frequently-used discipline and management techniques in the Cedar Valley, Gabriel Gedlinske, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Liberty and justice for all? : Ethics in the American criminal justice system, Haley Hasenstein, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The adolescent refugee experience: cultural attitudes of high school Burmese refugees living in Iowa, Alexis Helgens, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
To make a better music school, Alissandra Henkle, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Magnetic properties of polymeric framework materials with cobalt, Cassara Higgins, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Proportional reasoning in middle level mathematics textbooks, Rebecca Holzrichter, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Concussions in female collegiate diving: an exploratory study, Sarah Kemp, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of argumentation on student motivation in mathematics, Julie Kirkpatrick, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A book club for children with autism spectrum disorder, Elizabeth Ann Kosmicki, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
An analysis of how public relations professionals use social media, Abigail Jen Kreun, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Civil Rights Movement through the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Hannah Lodge, Department of History, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Determinants of per game average annual attendance for NBA teams, Kevin Joseph McGee, Department of Economics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
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)
A healthy herd: addressing the justifications for vaccine denial and applying the health belief model to the current anti-vaccination movement, Sarah L. McHugh, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A grading catalogue of selected works for solo trombone and piano, Brent Michael Mead, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Testing for modularity in the axial skeleton of fishes, Emily Meier, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Examining the renewable energy consumption-economic growth nexus in sub-Saharan African countries, Luke Neuhaus, Department of Economics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of colonial origin on economic growth, Erica Lynn Pabst, Department of Economics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
No one is here : Poems, Jennifer Pauk, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Dropping in on dropouts: an analysis of withdrawals from the University of Northern Iowa, Lindsey Marie Pedersen, Department of Finance, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The secondary interview : Ethical concerns regarding social media scanning in the commercial hiring process, Christopher Pollpeter, Department of Management, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Contrasting American and Chinese exceptionalism : Representations of political corruption, Tatiana Rice, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Visualizing interactions between Bacillus anthracis bacteriophages and macrophages, Abigail Shew, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Observations of music and literacy in early childhood education, Ann Strom, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A benefit to the profession: Teacher retention in the middle years, Claire Vander Wiel, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Mindfulness in the classroom: Cultivating peace from within, Maya VanDriel, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A case study: language environment analysis of a bilingual child with speech-language delay, Sarah Van Maanen, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 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)
Statistical modeling of earthquake damage, Allison Nicole Waters, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Initiation of communication from users of AAC and preceding communication partner's utterances, Lauren Vaughn Welser, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2015
Female mate selection criteria : preferences in short-term and long-term mating, Elizabeth R. Agey, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Finding community: the importance of intergroup dialogue within diversity workshops, Joslyn Nycole Aldape, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Juror misperceptions of eyewitness evidence : impact on expert testimony and credibility, Tiffany M. Anderson, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Age variation in nonverbal cue recognition in computer-mediated communication, Nathaniel Beyerink, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Documenting the state of kindergarten classrooms: a picture is worth a thousand words, Britney Nicole Bockstahler Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Non-destructive DNA extraction methods that yield DNA barcodes in spiders, Reva Ann Bork, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Primer efficacy in the DNA barcoding of spiders, Rhennetta Jo Bork, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Assessing study abroad outcomes: Groundwork for change in curriculum, Avary Bradford, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The early demagogues : the rise of the plebeian tribunate and their exclusive interests, c. 550-450 BCE, Conner James Brakeville, Department of History, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Relevant decision criteria and their level of importance in consumers' choice of hospital, Jordan Brelje, Department of Marketing, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Similar but different: an analysis of differences in clarinet and saxophone pedagogy and doubler’s misconceptions, Nicholas Jeremy Carlo, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Attention test performance and normal aging: the effect on executive function, Rachel Carmen, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A new system of first-order predicate logic based on Wittgenstein's single operation N, Benjamin Castle, Department of Mathematics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The benefits of legalizing marijuana and products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, Pat Chizek, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of hibernation on the hemostatic properties of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, Kiana Cullinan, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Refractoriness of a transit reaction: Respiratory and aerodynamic response, Michele Dacy, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Measuring the stability of iso-1-cytochrome c variants using heme spectra, Sarah Elizabeth Eikenberry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The impact of hyped IPO's on the market, Elias Escobedo, Department of Finance, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Investigating educational quality at one comprehensive university, Blake Thurston Findley, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The American symphony orchestra: factors affecting concert attendance and predictions for the millennial ticketholder, Hayley Graham, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The impact and evaluation of forgiveness education with early adolescents, Hillary Karyn Elda Hilbert, Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Gleaning in the Cedar Valley: A post-evaluation study, Dylan Thomas Hillyer, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Solving Lights Out on parity graphs, Derek Hofland, Department of Mathematics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The Pura Belpré Award and the portrayal of disability, Zoe Houser Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Diagnosing an international health crisis: A structural exploration of Ebola 2014, Maddison Zayn Jansen, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Updating the classroom: Incorporating modern technology into elementary schools, Allison Kehoe, School of Applied Human Sciences, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Eastern Iowa lithics and their effects on Oneota culture, Caitlin Mary Kelly, Department of Earth Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Pre-service teacher beliefs on gender and aggression within the PreK-6th grade classroom, Kelly Marie Krueger, Department of Teaching, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Music therapy in the treatment of migraine: a comparative literature review of migraine treatments, Grace Lau, Department of Psychology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Analysis of Ipomoea (morning glory) leaf mutants, Abigail Anne Lee, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Impact of cost barrier on high school chemistry laboratory teaching practices, Robin Livermore, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Higher education expenditures and revenues : a case study on the University of Northern Iowa, Thomas Keld Madsen, Department of Economics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Losing Robin Williams: an analysis of user-generated Twitter content following the sudden death of a celebrity, Samantha Mallow, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Understanding community literacy practice through multimodal storytelling, Sarah Marston Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The Son-Rise Program: strategies for teachers working with students on the autism spectrum, Danielle Martens, Department of Special Education, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
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
Perspectives on why the glass ceiling still exists for women in advertising and media and tools to help shatter it, Olivia Hottle Mossman, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
NuMuzArt: an original, multi-sensory, creative experience, Tori Christine Ovel, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Asset-based community development practices in international service-learning: a content analysis of short-term programs in Nicaragua, Kara Christine Poppe, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Digital action: An exploratory documentary of artistic process, Dana Renee Potter, Department of Communication Studies, 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
Investigating the linguistic identity development of dual language learners, Elizabeth Silbernagel 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
Cross-cultural differences regarding participation in University of Northern Iowa classrooms, Suzanne C. Sontag, Department of Psychology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Does religion affect economic growth?, Parash Upreti, Department of Economics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparing application development between desktop and Android platforms, Ramya Varadaraju, Department of Computer Science, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Therapy and treatment crossover for language production impairment between populations with Broca’s aphasia and sequential bilinguals, Nicole Catherine Wakeman, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Turkish identity in poetry before and after the 1928 language revolution, Angela Marie Wrage, Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
How inclusion is defined and implemented in elementary classrooms, Bailey Jo Wright, Department of Special Education, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2014
Public accounting recruiting: implications of the antecedents and consequences of organizational identity on hiring, Ariana Marie Aquilani, Department of Accounting, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Rhetoric and science: examining and identifying the rhetorical techniques used by students in a composition classroom, Amanda Arp, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The impact of the linguistic backgrounds of world language teachers on secondary world language classrooms, Sarah Bair, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
