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 wmu-scholarworks@wmich.edu.
Theses from 2016
Effects of Creatine, Leucine, and Ethanol on Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in C2C12 Skeletal Muscle Cells, Daniel Waters
Bioinformatics and Laboratory Study of Tanapox Viral Protein 91L, Kurt Wendland
Study in the States: Making an Impact on Honors Education, Hayley Weston
"Patterns in the Abundance of Benthic Algae in Streams", Courtney Wright
Private vs. Public Healthcare in South Africa, Montgomery Young
Theses from 2015
Importance of Preserving History: A Conservation of an Edwardian Wedding Dress, Brittany Aris
Design of a Quick Connect Coupler for a Surgical Drill, Alexander Auer
Learning from the Past: a comparative analysis of the influences of the Great Depression on the recent financial crisis., Shirish Bade Shrestha
Stage Management Document Sourcebook, Christy Baumeister
The Insights of Hannah Arendt and Virtue Ethics on Education, Benjamin Bellinger
Technology and Nutrition: Interactive Strategies for Children to Learn Nutrition, Nicole Bogden
The Age of the Caudillos: Power Structures, Masculinity, & Neglect in the Argentine National Period, Tyler Bos
The Effects of Adderall on Maternal and Fetal Health, Alyson Brady
A Behavior Analytic Conceptualization of the Assessment and Treatment of Delusional Speech, Rebecca Braginton
Horses: How Saddle Style Defines a Culture and the Skeletal System, Elizabeth Brandon
From the Aztecs Towards Modernity: a Thesis on the Early History of Mexican Surgical Practice, Julia Buck
The Elements of Healing and Wellness Post Diagnosis of Cancer: A Review of the Literature and a Personal Account, Tiffany Bystra
Paper Mill Water Streams, Abigail Cameron
An Analysis of Free-Will, Matthew Campbell
Devoile ou Degage: An Examination of the Debates Surrounding Female Islamic Dress in France, Kristen Canavan
Bridget Cappel: Senior Recital, Opera and Art Song, Bridget Cappel
Physical Therapy Treatments for Diseases Involving Cerebellar Ataxia, Rachel Carpp
Karafuto 1945: An examination of the Japanese under Soviet rule and their subsequent expulsion, Cameron Carson
"Aiding in the Transition: An Analysis of WMU's First-Year Experience Programs", Courtney Conrad
Competing in the International Collegiate Sales Competition, Christina Cook
Cross-examining the United States and Germany's Education and Employee Treatments in Relation to the Unemployment Rate, Natalie Cook
Incidental Phonological Awareness Instruction in Early Childhood Education: The Development of an Observational Tool, Emma Cooper
Managing the Credibility of a Nonprofit Organization in the Face of Unexpected Publicity, Regan Crowell
Design and Fabrication of an Instrumented Cane for the Blind, Aaron Dean
Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Jacob Dean, James Mixter, and Jordan Barr
Mud Volleyball Tournament Fundraiser Event Supporting the Water Project, Morgan Deboer
Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Laureate, DJ Delong
The Waste Land, Mariesa DeSantis
Influence of Road Salt Deicers on Anaerobic Respiration and Metal Speciation in Soils, Danielle Dupuis
The Social World of Drug Forums: Knowledge Exchange and Application on the Margins of Science and Medicine, Scott Duxbury
Expressive Identification of Pictures, Jordyn Elliott
The Historical Evolution of Endoscopy, Sarah Ellison
"Aiding in the Transition: An Analysis of WMU's First-Year Experience Programs", Kelsi Feriend
Doublebass Recital, Steven Fernandez
Bitter Bonds: A Graduating Presentation, Amanda Fitzpatrick
Autism and its Effects on Students, Shane Fitzsimmons
The Effects of Colorimetry and Spectroscopy Using the ISO M0, M1 and M2 Modes, Kaylee Flannery
Habitat Suitability Study of Parcel in Gourdneck State Game Area for Downy Woodpeckers, Emma Fojtik
I'm right here., Emily Gadzinski
Mud Volleyball Tournament Fundraiser Event Supporting the Water Project, Autumn Gammon
Outline Plan for a Student-Involved Fitness Assessment Program at Western Michigan University, Joanna Gangwisch
Increasing Capacity of a Hydraulic Rebuild Center, Matthew Garvin
Effects of Cane Tip on Winter Travel for Blind Pedestrians, Eleni Gaves
Local Response to Climate Change: A Case Study Approach, Nora Gimpel
Chemosensory Receptors: Conditioned or Not? And Effect on Consumer Taste Perception, Kimberley Gira
"Bachelorette": A Footlight Production, Tamsen Glaser
Integration of Resistant Starch in Homemade Pasta, Anja Grommons
"Standing on the Shoulders of Giants", Lasse Grunewald
Quality of Life in Adolescents with Cancer, Alexis Guastella
Joseph Harkins' Senior Recital: An Exploration of Jazz and Popular Music, Joseph Harkins
Unsteady Nasalance Traces Among Sustained Vowels in Typical Adult Speakers: Prevalence & Potential Causes, Catherine Hearit
Black Butterfly: An English Translation of a Short Story by Yoshimoto Banana, Kathryn Hemmen
Saving OurSelves (S.O.S.): A spoken anthology of State-on-Black violence, Ryeasha Hester
Cross-Cultural Comparison for Treatments of Autism Between Germany and the United States, Jenna Hicken
Living in the Shadow of ISIS, Alexis Hickey
Making and Breaking Men: Michigan Colleges, Manliness, and the Civil War, Christopher Hickey
Gender inclusive and gender specific language in English and Spanish, Elyse Hogan
A Comparison of Gastrointestinal Bacterial Population Between Indoor Cats and Outdoor Cats, Farhana Binti Ikmal Hisham
Fueling performance: Determining the efficacy of low-carbohydrate diet models for athletic populations, Chelsea Jackle
"Sacred Symbols: A Critical Discussion of Modern Worship and Designs for the Series of Advent", Jenna Johnson
Design of Novel Respiratory Equipment, Stephen John
Is the zebrafish zombie mutant caused by a mutation in CDC20?, Peyton Johnston
Access to Healthcare: Understanding Disparities among LGBT & Black Communities, Taylor Jones
The Difference Between the On Premise and Off Premise Craft Beer Experience: Implications for the Craft Beer Category, Karen Kalinski
The Effects of Tourism in Jamaica, Natalie Kearns
Comparison of Shareholder value between Full-Service Airlines (FSAs) and Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs)., William Kee
Unrealized Disconnections in Opioid Analgesic Design, Jorden Kegeler
Family Centered Care in ICU Settings, Victoria Kingsinger
Effects of minimum wage changes on the development and use of the student employee pay rate structure at Western Michigan University, Kristin Kinney
Design of a Tandem Rotor Hovering Vehicle, Brent Kostich
Making Marriages Work: Common Factors of Marriage Theories, Jilynn Leeuw
Autism Spectrum Disorder: A case study of Mikey, Gabrielle Lober
Electronic Medical Record for Patients with Autism, Julia Maassen
Western Client: A Business Plan, Connor Makowski
Genetic and Morphological Study of the Role of UNC-82 and UNC-89 Kinases in Thick Filament Assembly, Emily Manzon
Preferential methods used by CELCIS students to enhance conversational skills., Karina Mariadas
For the Fund$ of it: Product Development, Josie Marshall
Art as Work: Value in Vulnerable Populations, Ann Marta
Economic Impacts of the FIFA World Cup in Developing Countries, Mirele Matsuoka De Aragao
Substantiate Percent Yield Within Aerosol Personal Care Plant, Gregory Maxwell
Inventory Management/Warehouse Re-Design, Brian McClure
Film, Video & Media Studies, Luke McCrary
The Laureate Collection, Samantha McVeigh
Horses: How Saddle Style Defines a Culture and the Skeletal System, Brandy Morgan
GigaPan Education, Marissa Morgan
Are there shared characteristics among children with autism who develop speech while training with the Picture Exchange Communication System?, Katherine Neidhart
Potential Cellular Mechanisms of Estrogen's Effects on Maintaining Sperm Production in Aging Rats, Matthew Pate
Family Planning, Pregnancy, and Birth in Guatemala: Maya Women and Modern Healthcare, Kelsay Payton
John Jasper: The Creation of a Character, Blake Price
Motivations and Methods of Income Smoothing, Mark Pula
Site Development at the Corner of Drake and Stadium, Ahmad Sear Rahimi
Bridging Theories of Phonological Awareness for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Perspectives from Verbotonal Specialists in the United States, Jazmin Rambeau