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 2014
Measuring employee recognition: a review and recommendation, Jessica Sue Clark, Department of Management, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Medication noncompliance in patients over the age of 65: risk factors, problems, and potential solutions, Rachel N. Cook, School of Applied Human Sciences, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Sustainability of sustainability: exploring alternatives in alternative energy, Corey C. Cooling Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The genetics of bipolar disorder, Laura Cross, Department of Biology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Surviving in the age of social media: social media as the technological facilitator in the interpersonal relationships of college students, Ross L. Curnow, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
A kinematic analysis of the softball slap hitting technique, Jonathan Faga, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Concussions: education for coaches and safe return to play for athletes, Catherine Fettkether, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Association between parenting processes and child behavior outcomes: the moderating and mediating role of child characteristics, Taylor Elizabeth Ann Goetzinger, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The gender behind the math in the 21st century, Paige Hageman, Department of Mathematics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Raising your child bilingually: advantages and disadvantages, Olivia Grace Hawley, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The investigation into the conditions of tantalum disulfide nanotube growth, Lauren Holmes, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 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
Barriers to accessing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): Pogo Boards as a potential solution, Amanda Jo Huisman, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The impact of self-objectification on political efficacy: does self-image affect feelings of political adequacy, Victoria M. Hurst, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Tribal and commercial casinos in the midwestern United States: effect on county unemployment, Amber Irlmeier, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The portrayal of stuttering in the film industry, Anna Katelyn Joerger, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Manipulatives in secondary mathematics, Elizabeth Rae Johnson, Department of Mathematics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The feeling that you are where you belong: a qualitative analysis of college music groups and student success, Susan Elizabeth Johnson, Department of Communication Studies, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Patient reported outcomes in response to land and water based exercise on pain and function, Christian Junker, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Study abroad: an essential part of language acquisition, Emillie Kenne, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Things ain't what they used to be: a look at the emergence of female flutists into the jazz world, Megan Kingery, School of Music, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Next to normal: a costume design based in psychological research, Grace R. Kinser, Department of Theatre, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Management information systems: an information portal for a major with limitless interpretations, Benjamin Richard Lahue, Department of Management, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
What variables explain differences in coaching salaries for Division I women's sports?, Tyler Lange, Department of Economics, 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
Determinants of college hockey attendance, Max Martino, Department of Economics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
From College to the NFL Playoffs: An Analysis of Individual Contribution to Team Success, Elizabeth Mastalio, Department of Economics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Activism and offense : a philosophical analysis, Stef McGraw, Department of Philosophy and World Religions, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Semantic feature analysis application for people with aphasia, Alison Meyer, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Determinants of poverty and strategies to reduce poverty in Cambodia, Beth A. Monnier, Department of Economics, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Culturally relevant pedagogy: secondary mathematics in an urban classroom, Julia Glissmann North, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Speech inhibition with utterance length and complexity, Meghan Opolka, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
When I was your age, Pluto was a planet: two children's books concerning environmental issues, Caitlin A. Peterson, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
In defense of defense: a statistical look at roster construction, coaching strategy, and team defense in the National Basketball Association, Luke Ronald Peterson, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Investigating the expression of AHNAK2 and CTHRC1 in pancreatic cancer cell lines, Logan Patrick Poole, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Current developments in forensic science: establishing the credibility of forensic linguistics through authorship analysis, Annette Putnam, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Comparison of life experiences of men and women in the sciences, Tori Nicole Quist, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 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
Conductor influence on student attitude, motivation, and participation, Laura Maria Rodriguez, School of Music, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Muddied waters: exploring Iowa's water policy and practices, Jorgen D. Rose, Department of History, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Positional plagiocephaly among tribal societies and contemporary western societies: a comparison of treatments, results, and effects, Jacinda Rose Ruggles, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
What's faith have to do with it? : the media framing of religion and politics in the 2012 Republican primaries, Zoe Russell, Department of Communication Studies, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Patient preference for physician prayer in medical situations, Blaine Mahlon Schlawin, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Gender differences in pay expectations at three career stages, Elijah Rogeay Seay, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Ethics and executive compensation, Brittany Silvey, Department of Accounting, 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)
Putting management theory into practice in private prisons, Hilary Tanner, Department of Management, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Bridging the social media value gap between fans and artists, Andrew Teeter, Department of Marketing, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Latitude and environmental pressure: their impact on carapace morphology in three species of fiddler crabs (genus Uca) across the Atlantic Ocean, Katherine Susannah Mary Thomas Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Listening to movies: the emotional response of an audience to music in correlation with film, Jillian Whitaker, School of Music, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Variation in state funded student grant programs: political and economic influences, KaLeigh Karr White, Department of Political Science, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Excavation and stratigraphic analysis of a late nineteenth century boiler house, Ariel Marie Williams, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Trauma-informed services and trauma awareness among staff on the college campus, Tricia Wisniewski, Department of Social Work, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2013
A linguistic playground: A case study of trilingual code-switching, Aynur Damirgi, Department of Languages and Literatures, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Leisure trends and technology within Generations X, Y, and Z, Alyssa Eisenman, School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
More than a quick and easy meal: convenience food advertising in Ladies' Home Journal, 1945-1954, Molly Franta, Department of History, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Attainable Arts Integration in the elementary school classroom, Anneliese Gentzsch, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Sustainable Food at UNI: Past, Present and Future: A Documentary, Glenna Maureen Goldman, Department of Communication Studies, Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
UNI's dance craze: A psychological analysis and creative documentary on 'The Interlude Dance' and 'The Dance Party', Ian Goldsmith, School of Applied Human Sciences, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Chicago Americanization movement: Solutions to the immigrant problem, Heather Greel, Department of History, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A study in merger induced galaxy evolution through post-starburst systems, Zachary Dean Griffith Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Jeffersonian ideals: practical in the United States of the 21st century?, Charles William Gustafson II, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Sequencing a DNA polymerase alpha gene in Thermomyces lanuginosus, Sonia Tien-Yang Han, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Learning styles: A viable approach to instruction?, Lauren A. Hanzelka Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Opportunity for engagement : how viewing "The Lizzie Bennet diaries" transcends traditional reader response, Molly Hayes, Department of Languages and Literatures, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
ATP-induced changes in F-actin expression Via P2X7, Taylor Hircock, Department of Biology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effectiveness of Negative and Positive Advertisements, Kristen Hora, Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Does Baby Sign open the door to second language learning?, Nicole A. Hulme, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Going offline: Personality and its effects on the transition of online relationships to the offline world, Morgan Johnson, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Does international recruiting make sense in the Missouri Valley Conference?, Natalie Johnson, Department of Management, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The federal estate tax: a comprehensive look at the effects on American farming and ranching businesses, Taylor G. Johnson, Department of Accounting, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Expressed sequence tag for DNA polymerase alpha in embryonic chicken brain, Rebecca Krewer, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Process of a painting, Dusty Ann Kriegel, Department of Art, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
English-only legislation: The Iowa story, Kari Lien, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 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
Generating new Type II protein models using cytochrome c, Lindsey M. Ludwig, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Should I stay or should I go?: A comparison study of cornerstone and non-cornerstone students' levels of campus engagement and institutional commitment, Theresa Luensmann Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Effects of traumatic brain injury on domestic violence survivors, Elizabeth Marie Martin, Department of Social Work, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Search for catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α in Thermomyces lanuginosus, Chelsea Elyse Meier, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 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 Heroic journey within videogames and the effects of player experience, Jeremiah Moffitt, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
An American's Paris: Tourism and the American identity, 1947-1963, Margaret Nervig, Department of History, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Tempestuous translations: Exploring the artistic and thematic relationship between Shakespeare's The Tempest and Beethoven's "Tempest" piano sonata in D minor op.31 no.2, Chelsea O'Donnell Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
A comparison of Brazil and the United States: How higher education can shape and be shaped by history, politics, culture, and economy, Cassandra Mae Oliveira Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Memories of College Hill: A historical view, Emily Marie O'Loughlin, Department of History, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Competition and extrinsic motivation in the band classroom: A review of literature and suggestions for educational practice, Stephanie Kay Opsal, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Developing crochet patterns for surfaces of non-constant curvature, Katherine Lea Pearce, Department of Mathematics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of mathematical descriptions of gravitational microlensing, Sarah Michelle Pearce, Department of Physics, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
International Students at UNI: An Analysis of Experiences, Kellie Petersen, Department of Political Science, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Influences of Armenian Folk Music on Clarinet Chamber Works by Aram Khachaturian and Alexander Arutiunian, Emma Peterson, School of Music, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Defensive Communication Between Professors and Students and Its Effects on Student Outcomes, Alexa Pomerenk, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Clogging the System, Harrison Postler, Department of Communication and Media, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Beliefs of University of Northern Iowa preservice teachers about gifted and talented learners, Caitlyn E. Reighley, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The "Tragedy" of Down syndrome: Is it really so tragic?, Ashley A. Richardson, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 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)
Categorical vs. dimensional models of mental health assessment, Nic Stewart, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
It's a juggling act: An examination of work-school conflict, Danielle Barbara Stuck, Department of Psychology, Open Access Honors Program Thesis
