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.
Honors Theses from 2023
Life Experiences of First-Year College Students Who Resided with a Parent Experiencing Depression, Jasmine Olshin
Beagle Music: The Liberating Power of Poetic Constraint, Rachel Ouellette
Expression of the RAG-1 Gene in Larval Yellowtail Kingfish, Gabriella Peluso
A Study of the Current State of Providing Fruits and Vegetables in Maine's Middle Schools, Renee Pickard
Otherworldly Ethics: Trouthe and the Fairy Mistress in the Lays of Lanval, Graelent, Guingamor and Sir Launfal, Abigail Roberts
Everyone's a Waiter: A Data-Driven Queuing Simulation Model of Mike's Clam Shack, Natalie Robinson
Transforming 'International Aid' to 'International Partnerships': An Analysis of the U.S. Voluntourism Industry, Caroline Scott
A Study on the Effect of the #MeToo Movement on State Level Policy Making, Claire Shaw
Directional Tensile Strength of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid in Extrusion Based Additive Manufacturing for Custom Failure Parts, Lucinda Slattery
I Ain't Afraid of No Crab: Intertidal Gastropod Littorina Littorea Behavioral Response to Predation Risk by Carcinus Maenas, Isabelle Erin Smy
Effects of Lobster Shell Meal as a Soil Amendment on Verticillium Wilt and Potato Growth, Ross Sousa
High Automation, Fascism, and Our Social Revolution, Sean C. Staton
Evidence-based Family Strengthening Training in Maine: A Resource Assessment and Proposal to Reduce Barriers and Increase Facilitators, Elaine Thomas
An Examination of the Social and Ecological Risk Factors for Lyme Disease Exposure Amon High School Students in Penobscot County, Maine, Willow Throckmorton-Hansford
Hunting in Maine, Elizabeth Tibbetts
Climate Action at the University of Maine: A Documentary Short Film, Santiago Tijerina
People Eater, Lilas Verrill
Imagining Gender Euphorias, Willow Wind
A Critical Application of Communicative Concepts Concerning Creative (Songwriting) Processes, Alfred J. Wright III
Citizen Perceptions of the Sustainability of Marine Aquaculture, Bruce Wyatt
Simulation and Testing of a High-Temperature Oscillator Circuit, Jude Zanoni
Honors Theses from 2022
Human Cryptosporidiosis: A Review and Staining Method, Amatullah Ahmad
An Examination of the Influence of Sustainability on Business Strategy in the Three-Dimensional Printing Industry, Yvette Alexandrou
How Weather Affects Total Mixed Rations and Why it is Significant to Dairy Cattle, Juliana Baranowski
The Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus Mastitis in Maine Dairy Cattle, Morgan Belvin
From Dialogue to Script: Philosophical Forms ad the Spectacle of Theatre, Connor Bolduc
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices and Their Effect on Veterinary Medicine, Erin N. Bradstreet
Pinus Longaeva: Exploring the Intersections of Art and Science Through Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees, Delaney Burns
The Performance Assessment of a Small Lighter-Than-Air Vehicle for Earth Science Remote Sensing Missions, Maxwell F. Burtis
Effects of Religious and Science Identity on Compatibility, Darby C. Casey
Effects of Rumination and Co-Rumination on the Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Depressive Symptoms, Evelyn G. Clement
Quantifying Equine Behavior Utilizing GPS, Vanessa M. Cote
Linkind Deadwood Inhabiting Fungi to Carbon Dioxide Flux of Decomposing Coarse Woody Debris, Elyse Daub
Document Analysis of Behavior Expectations and Disciplinary Action Policies of Public Preschools in Maine, Kristin Davies
Envisioning a Bold Food Waste Policy for Maine: A Mixed-Methods Study into the Context of Landfill Diversion of Food Waste, Dominique Danielle DiSpirito
Mediation of the Religion-Prejudice Link, Aaron R. Dustin
The Impact Of Glycine Betaine Applications On Drought Response In Wild Blueberries, Abigail Fisher
Using Thermography to Determine Mechanisms of Heat Loss in the Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Volans), Colin Flynn
Sisterhood and Survival: An Exploration of Women's Relationships in Feminist Speculative Fiction, Madeleine Gernhard
Perfectionism, Perceived Stress, and Maladaptive Eating Behaviors in High-Achieving and Honors Undergraduate Students at the University of Maine, Jaimie Giguere
Assessing State Communication of Resources and Education Effectiveness for Well Owners in Northern Maine: A Case Study, James Greenwood
Development of a High Throughput, Whole Organism Assay for Studying Metabolic Capacity in Crassostrea virginica, Avuntaura Gulledge
Preparing Future Teachers to Meet the Needs of English Language Learners: A Proposal for Curriculum Reform, Alyson Haley
The Penobscot Nation, the State of Maine, and the River Between Them, Jarred Haynes
The One Way Bridge, Robert Hebert
Implementing Landscape Design Principles to Improve Green Spaces and Promote Ecotherapy on a College Campus, Jessica Hutchinson
Comparing Two Non-Invasive Methods for Assessing Marine Mammal Genetic Diversity: Environmental DNA vs. Fecal DNA, Sydney Jackson
Investigating 3D-Printability of a Maine-Based Bio-Ink, Jordyn Judkins
COVID-19 and Outdoor Recreation in Maine and New Hampshire: Analysis of Trends Using Passive Visitation Data, Andrea Knapp
Efficacy of the FIFA 11+ Injury Prevention Program in Maine High School Soccer, Meg Lander
Confrontation as a Coping Strategy to Protect Women's Mental and Physical Health, Ailin S. Liebler-Bendix
Life Cycle Analysis and Implications of 3D Printed Bio-Based Homes, A Preliminary Study, Claire Liedtka
Near-Field Thermal Radiation in Graphene-Based Systems, Hua Lin
Self-Oriented and Socially-Prescribed Perfectionism and Satisfaction with the Honors College and Major Experience, Ethan Lowell
The Effect of Large Wood Restoration on Algal Biomass and Spatial Distribution in the Narraguagus River, Kiera M. Luu
Cancel Culture Conundrum, Hannah Marsh
"This Winter is Going to Be Awful": Challenges Facing Maine Domestic Violence Resource Centers Amid COVID-19, Catherine Keely McConville
Solvent Effects in Phenol Hydrogenation on a Supported Ruthenium Catalyst, Daniel McKeon
My Dance of Life: Teshuvah, Sarah Meyer-Waldo
An Overview Of The Potential Effect Of Climate Change On American Pine Marten, Jordyn Morel
Identifying Umbrella Species to Inform the Conservation of Intertidal Areas in Acadia National Park, Abigiail Muscat
Tabletop Roleplaying Games, and Depression, and Social Anxiety, Noelle B. Ott
Identity in the Classroom: How Opening the Classroom Door Opened My Eyes to Keeping Humanity in Education, Maija Overturf
Eating and Exercise Habits Among College Students, Cameron Peirce
Self-Referent Pronouns, Self-Focus, and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence, Olivia F. Petersen
Socioeconomic Status And Cognitive Function: What Is The Role Of Social Stress?, Zoe Prats
Social Isolation During the Covid-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Maine's Nursing Homes, Tanya Roy
Utilizing Post-Newtonian Expansion to Determine Parameters of Compact Binary Black Hole Mergers, Jarrod E. Rudis
Communicating Climate Change Through Dance, Alexandra M. Ryan
Lean on Me: The Impact of Interpersonal Emotion Regulation on Mood as a Function of Binary Gender, Gabrielle Sands
From Points to Potlucks: An Exploration of Fixed Point Theorems with Applications to Game Theory Models of Successful Integration Practices, Llewellyn Searing
Evaluating Forensic Nursing Content Within Maine's Undergraduate Curricula, Paige E. Solans
Optical Illusions to Schizophrenic Delusions: How Your Brain Can Alter Reality, Kathryn Stanislaski
Leveraging the Transparent Zebrafish to Test for Conserved Gene Function Between Mammals and Fish, Lena Stasiak
Variations in Plumage Wear in Three Closely Related Tidal Marsh Sparrow Species, Maeve Studholme
Making Foreign Language Education Accessible Through Spanish Animation, Stephanie L. Tillotson
Riders on the Storm: Using Satellite Transmitters to Quantify American Woodcock Movement Behavior Following Extreme Weather Events, Katherine Trebilcock
For the Women Who Wear Pi Day Shirts, Jacqui Weaver
Writing an Existential Novel: An Environmental and Philosophical Exploration, Julia Whinston
Wavelet-Based Automatic Breast Segmentation for Mammograms, Basel White
Environmental Justice Coalition Building in Virginia: The Fight Against the ACP, William White
Design, Construction, and Investigation of a Small Polarimeter, Kelvy Zucca
Honors Theses from 2021
An Analysis of Citizenship Education in Maine Middle Schools, Tom Adams
Brand Equity in the Maine Craft Beer Industry, Gustav Anderson
Understanding the Role of Prophage Encoded Polymorphic Toxins in Mycobacterial Superinfection Immunity and Drug Resistance, Dakota Archambault
Genetic Analysis of Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) for Aquaculture in Maine, Sydney Avena
The Long-Term Behavioral Effects of Concussions and Post-Concussion Syndrome, Hannah Belleville
Effects of Process Parameters and Meso-structures on Dissipative Properties of Additively Manufactured Structures, Peter Berube
Modelling the Filling of Methane in Heterogenous Pore Networks, Samuel Bonnevie
Assessment of Potential Measures at Admit of Harbor Seal Pup Rehabilitation Success, Shannon Brown
Local Involvement, Memory, and Denial: The Complexities of the Holocaust in Lithuania, Hailey Cedor
Forward Genomics of a Complex Trait: Mammalian Basal Metabolic Rate, Caleigh Charlebois
Identifying the Advocate in Me: An Undergraduate Autoethnography Exploring the Personal Identity of Activist Versus Advocate, Aiden Ciaffaglione
Rift: a Mobile Application for UMaine, Michael Ciance
Ecological Niche Modeling of Lyme Disease Risk in Maine Based on Human Case Data, Elizabeth Dee