The honors thesis is a time-honored tradition in the Lee Honors College. It is an opportunity for students to demonstrate to themselves and others the knowledge and skills they have developed during their undergraduate studies and honors experience. The general purpose of the thesis is to create a capstone work that reflects the expertise they have developed in their major field of study or interest.
Honors theses completed at Western Michigan University are entered into ScholarWorks. Some may be embargoed or restricted by the authors or we have been unable to reach the authors, so the theses may be only available from on-campus computers. If you are an author of an honors thesis and would like to make it available off campus or if you have any questions, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu.
Theses from 2019
Vibrant Statements: LGBTQ+ Multi-Disciplinary Arts Event, Michael Arellano
Communication Debugging Platform, Husam Beitello
Benefits of Doodling, Olivia Bevacqua
A Descriptive Analysis of Drug Interaction Effects, Matthew Boss
Replacement of a Liquid Filling System for Corrosive Materials, William Breining
The Effects of QR Code Prompts Posted to a Solar Charging Bench on Website Visibility, Sage Campbell
Screaming, Humming: A Look into Student Theatrical Direction and the Importance of Queer Narratives on Stage and in the Rehearsal Room, Kropveld Danielle
Found Family, Julianna Drachman
Modular Water Modeling for Manufacturing, Tyler Drobnik
The relationship between droughts and the tourism industry: A case study on Cape Town, South Africa, Katelyn Drummond
Communication Barriers Faced by Female College Students (18-24) During Business Internships, Gail Foldenauer
The meaning of song type: exploring behavioral responses of field sparrows to three simple song types, Eliza Foli
Critique of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019, Katherine Fournier
Determining the Depositional Environment of Amherstburg Formation, Elizabeth Gaines
United Families through Interior Design, Marissa Heintz
Optical Density Analysis of Sensory Neuronal Axons in the Olfactory Bulb of Triton-X Treated Zebrafish, Mariam Husain
Comparing Prompting Methods for Teaching Receptive Identification, Laurel Jungblut
Graduating Presentations 2019 Dance Concert: Labyrinth We See Only Fragments, Katherine Kennedy
Cross Cultural Volunteering: A Best Practices Guide for Aspiras USA, Lindsey King
Virtual Hand Drum, Ross Kmet
An Analysis of the Developmental Enrichment of the Seattle Children's PlayGarden, Caitlin Koob
Looking at the Effects of an Activation Loop Knock-Out in the unc-82 Kinase in Caenorhabditis elegans, Matthew Kornas
Cloud Tectonics: A Footlight 2 Production, Cal Kreiner
An Intimate Death Sentence, Arden Lapin
Maternal Mortality in Southwest Michigan, Alissa Legacy
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Accessibility at Drive-Through Restaurants, Regina McLeod
The Correlation between the Microbiome and Neurodegenerative Disorders such as Alzheimer Disease, Aurora Mokris
The Urban Development of Bronson Circle, Matthew Moulton
The Relationship between Individual Differences and Academic Achievement in Language Learning., Sofia Ovalle
Stigma Mitigation Through Fine Arts, Kendall Owens
Rompiendo Paredes - We're here to stay: A film uncovering the struggles undocumented students face, Stephania Pardo-Juarez
The effects of different types of virtual reality display on perception of a virtual presenter, Ferran Poage
Increasing the Frequency of Tutors' Reinforcement of Compliance Behaviors, Sruthi Rameshkumar
An Exploration of Resources Available to Deaf Children Attending Public and Deaf Community Schools, Katelyn Reid
Exploring a Connection between Learning and Student Perception of Place, Katelyn Roberts
The Laureate, Hannah Ryder
Mechanisms of Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling During Planarian Regeneration, Marwa Saad
LGBTQ+ Student Safety on Western Michigan University's Campus, Kaitlyn Sedorchuk
WMU Musical Theatre Performance Class of 2019 Senior Showcase, Margaret Snyder
The Presence Of Photoreceptor Sensilla In The Posterior Sucker Of Medicinal Leeches Inferred Through Functional Visual Response., Claire Spivey
Increasing Political Behaviors in Local Communities, Bionca Stewart
The Caregiver: A Play Script to Raise Awareness of the Caregivers of Alzheimer's Patients, Sarah Stiner
Effectiveness of a brief online mindfulness intervention on first-year college students’ perceived stress., Danielle Stuut
How the NCAA Can Better Distribute Their Earnings to Further Benefit Student-Athletes, Jack Szott
The Landing, Stephanie Truitt
Best Organic Chemistry Practices in the Midwest, Claire Van Der Bosch
Preparing college graduates for Work Success in a rapid changing modern-day business landscape., Benito Vavra
2019 Graduating Presentation "The Lights Have Vanished", Kylie Vinitski
Design of a Thrust Stand for Electric Propulsion, Hannah Watts
Runway Safety and Runway Incursions at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Kevin Whelan
Theses from 2018
Examining Social Pragmatic Communication: Evidence from Parent and Professional Questionnaires, Katelyn Adams
Mirror Therapy, a Pain Management Therapy, Gabriella Andrews
Conscious Consumerism: A design process for stylish sustainable apparel, Luz Becerra
Senior Showcase, Olivia Belfie
How To Help Kids Succeed - School-Based Programs and Social Mobility, Theresa Bell
Coping Skills, Samantha Blosser
Exploring the transmission of different field sparrow (Spizella pusilla) song types, Eric Branch
Adapting "Gregor the Overlander" for the Stage, Wiegand Brian
An acoustic survey of Fort Drum, New York, for severely declining nocturnal birds, Sydney Brooks
Mental Illness as Portrayed through Art, Brianna Brown
The Context for an Undergraduate Research Program at Western Michigan University, Nathan Browning
Wisteria, Alyssa Brutlag
The Effectiveness of Memory Aids in People Who Have Had a Traumatic Brain Injury, Bridget Bucaro
The Changing Geopolitical Dynamics of the Middle East and their Impact on Israeli-Palestinian Peace Efforts, Daniel Bucksbaum
Food: The Musical, Natalie Burdick
Impacts of Representation on Increasing Flexibility in Understanding Number Composition, Abigail Carr
Distillation Optimization in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Clayton Carter
Graduating Presentation, Tara Charvat
Saving the Earth with Behavior Analysis and Gamification!, Ling Ann Chen
Teaching Body Mapping in the Orchestra Classroom, Gretchen Clemans
American Muslim Women: Feminism, Equality, and Difference, Amber Coniglio
Design of an Advanced Formula SAE Chassis Utilizing Carbon Fiber Laminates, Susanne Crum
Research-based Music Composition for Anxiety Reduction, Carly Crusius
Impact of 2001 - 2016 Supreme Court Establishment Clause Cases, Nicole Cumming
The Rhetoric of Landscape: Through Oil and Water, Alexandrea Davis
The Production of the Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. Integrated Marketing Campaign, Olyvea Davis
Internet Based Interventions for improving mental health on college campuses: A Scoping Review of IBIs, Caceti Dobrowolski
The effects of Feliway on the stress of cats during veterinary examination, Colleen Doonan
Crafting Fear: The Horror Film Trailer, Courtney Dreyer
Nonprofit Leadership: Creating Supply Bags at Universities, Emily Fackler
17th Edition of The Laureate, Jessie Fales
The Criticality of Transactional Cost of Control in Intrastate Conflict, Parker Fleming
Design of Force Versus Displacement Test Stand, Andrew Fritchley
Wishing I Was an English Major: A Collection of Creative Writing, Abrahan Garcia
Vaccine Refusal Dilemmas, Yessica Garcia
UAVs for Electric Utility Inspections, Sarah Gill
Comparisons Between Chinese and Japanese Characters, Ahmina Graves
Optimizing Frosted Mini-Wheats' Finished Food Cooling Process, Jessica Graves
Drag: The Herstory and Phenomenon, Avery Green
Investment Casting "In a Box", Kevin Greer
Structural Reinforcement of Streamline Tubing, Peter Grohs
The Litmus Initiative - Enabling Teachers to Recognize Domestic Human Trafficking, Bethany Hansen
Music Keyboard Based on Flexible Hybrid Electronics, Anthony Hanson
Psychophysiology in relation to music and behavior, Chloe Heintz