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 2024
Energy Recapture in a Soluble Corn Fiber Process, Nicholas Cutrara
The Rise of Merope, Emily Czerniak
Aerodynamic Noise Reduction of Wind Turbine Blades, Steven Davenport
Wearable Technology in Intercollegiate Sport: Ethical and Legal Considerations of Collecting Student-Athlete Biometric Data, Taryn DeShane
Solar Module Material and Support Testing, Darbi Dorr
Shedding Light on Shadow Casts, Kiara Durbin
Physical Therapy Interventions and Outcomes for Right vs. Left Side Cerebral Vascular Accidents (CVA), Elissa Ferris
Green Solutions: A Smart Strategy for Recycling Electronics in Ghana, Yodit Fitsum
Effects of Peer Mentoring on Success and Satisfaction in Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Pilot Study, Rebecca Fraley
Does Kinesiology taping support lateral ankle sprains and provide stability to the injured ankle?, Lilianna Giacalone
Female Athletes' Psychological and Emotional Experiences Following Surgery Caused by Sports Injury, Brielle Gomez
Female Athletes' Psychological and Emotional Experiences Following Surgery Caused by Sports Injury, Brielle Gomez
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children’s Resources in K-12 Mainstream American Schools, Ashley Green
Medication Errors: The RaDonda Vaught Case, Nayeli Guandique-Benitez
A Tale of Two Toroidal Graphs, Akshat Gulgulia
Finite State and Sequential Automata, Kriti Gulgulia
Condemned to Affliction, Cameron Hachigian
Sisu, Kaizen, and American Management: An Exploratory Study of Cross-Cultural Approaches to Organizational Success, Bryan Hagenbarth
An Investigation of Bone Preservation as a Result of Environmental and Cultural Variables in Mortuary Contexts, Adyn Hallahan
Improving the Xplore.0 Lab with MES Integration, Mallory Hammill
BFA Show, Emma Hampel
Synthesis and Characterization of Substituted Pyrazole Ligands for Nanojars, Emily Hayward
Reusable Takeout Container Research and Implementation in the City of Kalamazoo, Alexa Hempel
Women, Collective Creative Practice, and Community Health, Anne Hensley
Women in Business Marketing: An Analysis of the Glass Ceiling, Hailey Hornberger
American and German Environmental Policy: Differences in Institution Building between the Great Lakes and Lake Constance, Thomas Johnson
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Catalyst Test Stand for Single Cell Evaluation, Tyler Johnson
Personal Insights: Navigating Informal Networks, Catherine Jordan
WMU Technical Director for Clue, Fleck Joseph
Kangaroo Care’s Role in Fostering Neonatal Health and Parental Well-being in the NICU, Ayah Kasem
A Comparative Analysis of the Gastrocnemius Muscle Fiber Types in Diverse Rat Strains, Byrd Kayla
Ethics of AI in the classroom, Kyle Kos
NSAC AAF Case Competition, Sydney Kott
Natural Medicine Use in Costa Rica, Elizabeth Krol
The Role Internships Play in Political Science Education, Madaline Lankford
National Advertising Campaign for Indeed, Karen Larsen
LATU MAE RISSA: Leader Come to War! An Autoethnography of Colonialization and Post-colonization, Leah Latumaerissa
Energy-Absorbing Helmet for Safer Football, Aidan Laudeman
ESG Systems and Financial Reporting, Madison Layton
Comprehensive Analysis of the Different Fields of Law, Kaitlyn Lee
Leo: a carrier to help increase disaster evacuation compliance among cat owners, Anna Lorino
The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Relationships: Examining the Correlation Between TEIQue Score and Support System Health, Anna Lowes-Cannizzaro
Fear of the Other: Judaism and its Role in the Horror Genre, Wesley Luka
Production of mRNA Vaccine for Influenza, Christina Miller
How Social Movements Have Influenced Child Custody Standards Over Time, Victoria Miller
Enhancing M&A Valuation Accuracy: A Comparative Analysis of Traditional Financial Models and Machine Learning Approaches, Rachael MManga
What Is Known and Not Known About the Impact of Social Media on Self-Esteem: Systematic Literature Review of Research on Adolescents (2014-2024), Kailen Mokhantha-Sopraseuth
Informative Recital, Avery Molnar
to us 2024 Graduating Presentation, Jordan Moyer
The Immune System Under Pressure: Understanding the Impact of Stress on Immune Function and Health, Kaeshwinie Murugan
Neurogenic Effects of PNU-282987 Treatment on Blast-Induced Ocular Trauma in Adult Mouse Retinas, Giovanna Nolasco de Carvalho
Investigating the Role of Apoptosis in Planarian Regeneration, Caitlin Nolff
The International Lens of Western Michigan University, Tesha Nowak
An Introduction to Supply Chain Management, Sydney Osinski
A Legal Analysis of the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act of 2021, Nicholas Owczarzak
Migratory and non-migratory Yellow Perch differ in locomotor traits, Wade Poling
Ellie Underground: Exploring Archaeology through Middle-Grade Graphic Literature, Hollie Powless
Virtual Flywheel Torque Sensor, S Tousif Raiyan
College Football Success and its Impact on the Surrounding Community, Local Economy, and Institution Enrollment, Jacob Reynolds
Implementing choice in treatment modality for adolescents with autism learning daily living skills, Silvia Robazza
The Effects of Therapy Dogs on Students, Chloe Romack
Reclaiming the Tides Within, Ashlie Roth
Scramjet Combustion Lab Test Section Manufacturing Project, Andrew Rusu
A Survival Guide to the Aviation Flight Science Degree at Western Michigan University, Aidan Schmidt
Charlie Takes Flight! at Western Michigan University, Alicia Schneider
Happy Horn Business Plan, Joseph Schwarz
The Progression of B-Cell Lymphoma in Human Cells Overexpressing GPRASP2, Abdulaziz Shebrain
Flying Safely: Mitigating Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Risks in Long- Haul Travel, Archana Shrestha
Interneurons Distinguish Between UV & Green Light Depending Upon Spatially Relevant Inputs in H. verbana, Gwenyth Sirrine
Improving Restaurant Customer Service through Job Aids, Madisyn Slater
5675 WiredCats Scouting Hub, Sebastian Smiley
Understanding the evolution of the genes and pathways responsible for caffeine production in Ilex paraguariensis, Madeline Smith
Advocating for the Role of an Occupational Therapy Assistant in the Mental Health Field, Aleah Snell
The End Credits Music of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Nikolas Solfronk
Restorative Land Management Practices Can Alter Soil Microbial Enzyme Activities, Angela Solis-Sarat
Accessibility in ASL Through Dance, Jocelyn Supanich
Kalamazoo Nature Center Mobile Application, Jacob Tebben
Stress Levels During the COVID-19 Pandemic for BIPOC and White Individuals, Juliette Wackerle
Electric Ducted Fan Lander, Maggie Waechter
The Impact of Personality on Pluralism in Medieval Valencia, Abigail Ward
Musical Figures in Mythology and their Effect on Ancient Greek and Roman Culture, Nathaniel Weeldreyer
Dollarization in Latin America, Chloe Wieber
How Does Childhood Exposure to Toys and Video Games Relate to Young Adult’s View on Gun Control?, Shelby Wilmot
Dance Inclusivity for People with Low Vision, Emma Winckler
Theses from 2023
Implementation of the Probability Hypothetical Purchase Task to Assess Attitudes Towards Bilingualism, Abigale Airo
Our Journey: Resilience Through Adversity, Julienne Alphonse
The History of Lee Honors College: The Growth of Honors Education from 1962-1992 at Western Michigan University, Afrida Amin
Development of an App for the Kalamazoo Nature Center, Ernest Au
Is the Fair Use Doctrine a viable argument for Generative AI?, Olivia Bainbridge
Design of a Dynamometer Test Platform for Formula SAE Internal Combustion and Electric Powertrains, Ryan Bare
Blood flow restriction therapy as a treatment in rehabilitation, Sara Barr
Effect of Various Binders on Si-anode Performance and Feasibility of Battery Production Plant, Sarah Beasley
Fundraising in the Theatre: A Reflection of the WMU Theatre Guild President's Performance, Lindsey Beck
"Interior: Panic" Bringing to Life a World of Psychosis and Hope, Emma Belew
Loneliness Among College Students, Jaime Benson