The Honors College at the University of Maine is a community of nearly 800 students who, along with nearly 100 faculty members, are committed to taking intellectual risks through exploring questions both within and outside their academic disciplines in the course of a four-year curriculum.  The College is committed to both broadening and deepening the academic experience of its students, providing them with the resources and skills needed to critically engage important questions and issues.

For those students who graduate from the Honors College, their journey ends with the writing of their Honors thesis. Over the course of the senior year, they work with a faculty mentor completing independent research or a creative project in their discipline. At the end of the two-semester experience, they present the thesis to their thesis committee of five faculty members and professionals in their field.  For these students, this is the culmination of their work at the University of Maine and a springboard to future opportunities and achievements.

“The intense supervision of my Honors thesis was the most important academic experience of my life. My advisor’s personal guidance and insistence that I couple precise research with creative and original thought has served as a benchmark for me for over thirty years.” – James E. Tierney ’69, Attorney General of Maine (1980-1990)

The first four theses were written in 1937, in recent years the number has approached 100.  We plan to populate this digital archive with  many of the over 1300 theses that have been written in those over seventy-five years. 

For more information, contact the Honors College at honors@maine.edu or 207-581-3263.

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Honors Theses from 2023

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The Embodied Performance of Tics and Tourette Syndrome in the Academic Environment, Benjamin Allen

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Adjustment and Social Media Use During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Alexis Banner

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Mutual Aid: A Community-Led Solution to Economic Hardships at the University Of Maine, Tamra Benson

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Evaluating eDNA Metabarcoding as a Mic-Roe-Scopic Net to Catch Salmon Pathogens, Noah Burby

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Using 2D Animation with Interactive Elements to Create a Culturally Interesting Web Experience, Nhan Chau

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The Sociocultural Significance of Maine's Oyster Based on Media Coverage Analysis, Syeira Clark

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Stratigraphic Architecture of Pozuelo Mounds as Revealed by Earth Resistivity Tomography, Caeli Connolly

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Assessing College Students' Understanding of Geologic Timescales, Ethan Couture

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The WPATH Standards of Care: Their History and Importance in Advocating for Transgender Health, Alexander Cross

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Behavioral Interactions Between Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Drosophila Suzukii) and It's Parasitoid the Samba Wasp (Ganaspis Brasiliensis), Dominic Crowley

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A Study on Scaling Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Geometry and Hydrostatics with Increasing Turbine Size, Samuel Davis

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A Historical Comparison of the St. John and St. Matthew Passions of Johann Sebastian Bach, Emily Dunlap

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Incel Bonding: Masculinity and Storytelling in Online Misogynist Spaces, Gunnar Eastman

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Inclusivity in Combat Amputee Research: An Analysis of Underrepresented Populations, Victoria Eichorn

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Coral Restoration: Comparisons in Space, Time, Impacts, and Costs, Allison Fargo

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University Students' Experience With Primary Care During Their High School Years and the Impact on Transition to Adult Primary Care, Grace Finley

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Developing Durable Health Promotion: The Connections Between Exercise Setting and Adherence to Exercise in College-Aged Women, Tara Flubacher

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Thermal Stability of Platinum-Silicon Alloy Films Grown on Langasite Substrates for use in Microwave Acoustic Sensor Technology, Kell Fremouw

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What Makes a Good Stage Manager, Laura Garfein

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One Theme, Infinite Interpretations. Exploring Perspective Through Photo Sharing., Avery Gosselin

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The Maine Queer-y: An Analysis of a "Gender Queer" Book Challenge in Maine, Antyna Gould

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Critical Discourse Analysis: Sexual Violence in Maine Department of Public Safety (DPS) "Crime in Maine" Reports, Emma V. Grous

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Maine Monsters: How Indigenous and Non-Indigenous People Perceive Environmental Monstrosity, Cheyenne Hebert

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Carlisle Indian Boarding School's Role in the Unconstitutional Relationship Between Organized Christianity and the U.S. Federal Government, Kayleigh Hogg

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The Ghost of Amritsar, Joe Horne

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Polarized by Design: Does the Structure of Congress Eliminate Moderates?, James Hotham

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Modeling Franconia Ridge, New Hampshire Using Structure from Motion and Developing New Techniques for Fracture Detection, Dane Johnson

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Comprehensive Overview of Causative Agents of Alzheimer's Disease: Tau Protein and Amyloid Betas With Their Biochemical Pathways and Proposed Treatments Including Cost Analysis, Ethan Johnson

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Bike Ride: An Audio/Visual Examination of Liminal Spaces as a Ritual for Personal Growth, Myles Kelley

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Home in the Dawnland: Sense of Place and Eco-Cultural Relations in the Penobscot River Valley, Kate Kemper

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Analyzing the Use of Social Media to Communicate the Intersection of the Gut Microbiome and Mental Illness, Grace LaFrance

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Identifying the Interconnection Between Maine's Lobster Industry and the North Atlantic Right Whale Population in Order to Guide Federal Action, Devon Lammert

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Kinematic Vorticity and Porphyroclast Rotation in Mylonites of the Norumbega Fault System: Implications for Paleoviscometry, Hendrik Lenferink

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On the Fly Audio Processing for the Vocal Conditioning Unit, Tim Lester

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The Illustrations Of Jay Jackson: A Visual Analysis of the Chicago Defender in the 20th Century, Ruth Lewandowski

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Exploring Interfaith Sex Education, Bailey Lewis

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Inspiration: The Cogs of Our World, Casey Libuda

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The Impacts of COVID-19 on Friendship Reciprocity in Adolescents, Tori Lucia

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Lethal and Sublethal Effects of Beauveria Bassiana on Maine Ticks Across Soil pH, Alexander Mahar

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Best Practices Guide for Building Sustainable, Mutually Beneficial Relationships Between the Lewiston/Auburn Community Market and Local Farmers Within the Greater Lewiston/Auburn Area, Hannah Mathieu

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Understanding Community Abundance and Anthropogenic Impact on Acadia National Park's Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem Through Photoplot Analysis, Kayla McLagan

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Characterization of Manganese-Induced Neurodegenration in C. elegans Treated with Winterberry Leaf Extract, Brendan Moline

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Religious Self-Identity and Racism, Alexandria Morgan

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Stackpole Bridge: Rebuilding a Connection to the Past, Abigail Morrison-Ouellette

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Exploring the Relationship Between Designing and Composing With an Analog Synthesizer, Felix Morrissey

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"I Want You the Feel the Fear That I Feel Every Day": An Analysis of How Climate Change Affects Youth Political Participation, Kristina Norbury

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Evaluation of an Adaptive Sampling Approach to Characterize Microbes Associated with Pneumonia in White-Tailed Deer, Claire Nowak

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Life Experiences of First-Year College Students Who Resided with a Parent Experiencing Depression, Jasmine Olshin

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Beagle Music: The Liberating Power of Poetic Constraint, Rachel Ouellette

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Expression of the RAG-1 Gene in Larval Yellowtail Kingfish, Gabriella Peluso

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A Study of the Current State of Providing Fruits and Vegetables in Maine's Middle Schools, Renee Pickard

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Otherworldly Ethics: Trouthe and the Fairy Mistress in the Lays of Lanval, Graelent, Guingamor and Sir Launfal, Abigail Roberts

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Everyone's a Waiter: A Data-Driven Queuing Simulation Model of Mike's Clam Shack, Natalie Robinson

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Transforming 'International Aid' to 'International Partnerships': An Analysis of the U.S. Voluntourism Industry, Caroline Scott

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A Study on the Effect of the #MeToo Movement on State Level Policy Making, Claire Shaw

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Directional Tensile Strength of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid in Extrusion Based Additive Manufacturing for Custom Failure Parts, Lucinda Slattery

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I Ain't Afraid of No Crab: Intertidal Gastropod Littorina Littorea Behavioral Response to Predation Risk by Carcinus Maenas, Isabelle Erin Smy

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Effects of Lobster Shell Meal as a Soil Amendment on Verticillium Wilt and Potato Growth, Ross Sousa

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High Automation, Fascism, and Our Social Revolution, Sean C. Staton

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Extraction and Characterization of Antifungal Compounds Produced by Lowbush Blueberry Plants in Response to Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi Infection, Sophia Suriano

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Evidence-based Family Strengthening Training in Maine: A Resource Assessment and Proposal to Reduce Barriers and Increase Facilitators, Elaine Thomas

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An Examination of the Social and Ecological Risk Factors for Lyme Disease Exposure Amon High School Students in Penobscot County, Maine, Willow Throckmorton-Hansford

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Hunting in Maine, Elizabeth Tibbetts

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Climate Action at the University of Maine: A Documentary Short Film, Santiago Tijerina

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People Eater, Lilas Verrill

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Imagining Gender Euphorias, Willow Wind

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A Critical Application of Communicative Concepts Concerning Creative (Songwriting) Processes, Alfred J. Wright III

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Citizen Perceptions of the Sustainability of Marine Aquaculture, Bruce Wyatt

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Simulation and Testing of a High-Temperature Oscillator Circuit, Jude Zanoni

Honors Theses from 2022

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Human Cryptosporidiosis: A Review and Staining Method, Amatullah Ahmad

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An Examination of the Influence of Sustainability on Business Strategy in the Three-Dimensional Printing Industry, Yvette Alexandrou

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How Weather Affects Total Mixed Rations and Why it is Significant to Dairy Cattle, Juliana Baranowski

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The Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus Mastitis in Maine Dairy Cattle, Morgan Belvin

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From Dialogue to Script: Philosophical Forms ad the Spectacle of Theatre, Connor Bolduc

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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices and Their Effect on Veterinary Medicine, Erin N. Bradstreet

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Pinus Longaeva: Exploring the Intersections of Art and Science Through Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees, Delaney Burns

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The Performance Assessment of a Small Lighter-Than-Air Vehicle for Earth Science Remote Sensing Missions, Maxwell F. Burtis

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Effects of Religious and Science Identity on Compatibility, Darby C. Casey

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The Potential Use of Tree Leaf Silage For Livestock Nutrition, Including Willow, Drumstick, Mulberry, and Acadia Species, Jade Chin

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Effects of Rumination and Co-Rumination on the Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Depressive Symptoms, Evelyn G. Clement

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Quantifying Equine Behavior Utilizing GPS, Vanessa M. Cote

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Linkind Deadwood Inhabiting Fungi to Carbon Dioxide Flux of Decomposing Coarse Woody Debris, Elyse Daub

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Document Analysis of Behavior Expectations and Disciplinary Action Policies of Public Preschools in Maine, Kristin Davies

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Envisioning a Bold Food Waste Policy for Maine: A Mixed-Methods Study into the Context of Landfill Diversion of Food Waste, Dominique Danielle DiSpirito

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Mediation of the Religion-Prejudice Link, Aaron R. Dustin

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The Impact Of Glycine Betaine Applications On Drought Response In Wild Blueberries, Abigail Fisher

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Using Thermography to Determine Mechanisms of Heat Loss in the Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Volans), Colin Flynn

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Sisterhood and Survival: An Exploration of Women's Relationships in Feminist Speculative Fiction, Madeleine Gernhard

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Perfectionism, Perceived Stress, and Maladaptive Eating Behaviors in High-Achieving and Honors Undergraduate Students at the University of Maine, Jaimie Giguere

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Assessing State Communication of Resources and Education Effectiveness for Well Owners in Northern Maine: A Case Study, James Greenwood

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Development of a High Throughput, Whole Organism Assay for Studying Metabolic Capacity in Crassostrea virginica, Avuntaura Gulledge

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Preparing Future Teachers to Meet the Needs of English Language Learners: A Proposal for Curriculum Reform, Alyson Haley

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The Penobscot Nation, the State of Maine, and the River Between Them, Jarred Haynes

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The One Way Bridge, Robert Hebert

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Implementing Landscape Design Principles to Improve Green Spaces and Promote Ecotherapy on a College Campus, Jessica Hutchinson

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Comparing Two Non-Invasive Methods for Assessing Marine Mammal Genetic Diversity: Environmental DNA vs. Fecal DNA, Sydney Jackson

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Investigating 3D-Printability of a Maine-Based Bio-Ink, Jordyn Judkins

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COVID-19 and Outdoor Recreation in Maine and New Hampshire: Analysis of Trends Using Passive Visitation Data, Andrea Knapp

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Efficacy of the FIFA 11+ Injury Prevention Program in Maine High School Soccer, Meg Lander

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Confrontation as a Coping Strategy to Protect Women's Mental and Physical Health, Ailin S. Liebler-Bendix