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 2021
Investigating the Link Between Aging-Related Vascular Dysfunction and Peripheral Neuropathy Through Pressure Myography, Bailey Woodard
Honors Theses from 2020
Can Spoilers in Online Reviews Impact Viewer Enjoyment?, Marshall Abbott
Other Fish in the Sea: Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) and Evidence for Past Environmental Change in the Archaeological Record, Brianna Ballard
Characterizing the Range Shifts of Two Peromyscus Species in Maine, Molly Bennett
Exploring the Intersection of Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: the Case of Croatia’s Eastern Adriatic Coast, Lilja Bernheim
Paper, Pulp, And Place: Investigating Connections Through Process Art, Olivia Bradstreet
Idiom Comprehension in Adults With and Without Reading Comprehension Difficulties, Molly Brown
A Mathematical Model of the Opioid Epidemic in the State of Maine, Cole Butler
Investigating the Stability of Observed Low Semi-major Axis Exoplanetary Systems With Hypothetical Outer Planets Using The Program Mercury6, Kendall Butler
Room for Opportunity: An Investigation of Catholic Student Life at the University Of Maine, Jacob Buttarazzi
CPAP-Compliance of Aging Individuals with Obstructive Sleep Apnea With or Without Mild Cognitive Impairment, Bailey Carter
The Educational Needs of Children Ages 0-5 Born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in Maine, Julia Casey
Hip-Hop's Diversity and Misperceptions, Andrew Cashman
Characterization of ncf1 Mutants in a Zebrafish Model of Innate Immune Function with Human Influenza A Virus Infection, Lily Charpentier
The Microstructural Heterogeneity of Ice in Jarvis Glacier, Alaska, Renée Clavette
Interviews With Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Cormac Coyle
Pursuing Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Revitalization Through Song, Sophia Crockett-Current
Social Media Use and Empathy in Late Adolescents, Rachel Feenstra
The Role of the BPs Immunity Repressor in the Regulation of Pathogenic Mycobacterium chelonae Gene Expression, Emma Freeman
Applying Cluster Analysis to Student Responses from Energy Surveys for Identification of Commonalities in their Understanding, Arianna Giguere
“Putting Out Fires”: An Original Situational Comedy Pilot Episode Examining Modern Motherhood, Keely Gonyea
Projecting Imperial Power: The Synods of Aachen (816-819), Cliff Greco
Participation in the Belt and Road Initiative: Who Joins and Why?, Patrick Groening
A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Community Solar for Low to Moderate Income Residents of Mount Desert Island, Maine, Abigayle Hargreaves
Distribution of First Row Transition Elements in Eclogites, Natalie Harmon
Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Co-Rumination, and Friendship: A Longitudinal, Observational Study, Raegan Harrington
Clostridioides difficile Infection Rates and Diabetes Mellitus in the Acute Care Hospital Setting: A Pilot Retrospective Study, Abigail Howe
An Analysis of the History and Current Treatment Trends of the Parasitic Mite Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in Maine Beekeeping, Patrick Hurley
The Effects of Food Insecurity on Indigenous Women in Maine, Sara Imam
Exploring the Marginalized Voice: Queering Form in Contemporary Short Fiction, Madalyn M. Jackson
Music Can Foster Communication Skills in Middle School Students, Haloye Camille Payabyab Johnson
What’s Going to Happen to My Pancakes? The Impacts of Climate Change Upon Blueberries and Sugar Maple, Ashley Kayser
Effects of Repeated Intensive Harvesting Practices, Prescribed Burning, and Browsing on Northern Hardwood Forest Plant Communities, Michaela Kuhn
Seed Dispersal Effectiveness in the Penobscot Experimental Forest, Gabrielle Link
Selectivity of the Catalytic Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde Using a Polymer Cross-Linked Catalyst, Madeline Logan
Communication on Cultural and Environmental Implications of the Emerald Ash Borer Invasion in Maine, Salvatore Magnano III
Design and Construction of a Computer Controlled Astronomical Spectropolarimeter, Jacob Marchio
The Impact of Emotion Regulation on ADHD and Depressive Symptoms in Emerging Adults, Hannah Meidahl
Designing A Platform to Detect Peripheral Neuropathy with Microneedle Electrodes and Neurophysiology, Erin Merchant
Breaking Down "Harassment" to Characterize Trends in Human Interaction Cases in Maine's Pinnipeds, Emma Newcomb
Assessing Health Related Quality of Life, Language Impairment, and Psychosocial Factors in Post-Stroke Aphasia, Sophia M.E. Palangas
The Functional Role of Glia in Peripheral Metabolic Tissue, Emma Paradie
The Use of Smartphone Apps as a Supplement to Transgender Voice and Communication Therapy, Maura Philippone
Estimating Bedrock Fracture Density of the Juneau Icefield, AK, to Inform Glacial Erosion Models, Colby Rand
Female Political Campaigns: Just the Right Amount of Femininity, Harley Rogers
Comparison of Drying Methods of Cellulose Nanofibrils Low Density Foams and Their Effects On Structural Properties, Lauren Ryan
Basal Area Factor in Variable Radius Sampling Effects on Stand Level Measurements, Carlton Scott
“Things are Going to Get a Lot Worse Before They Get Worse”: Humor in the Face of Disaster, Politics, and Pain, Sierra Semmel
In vivo Imaging of the Respiratory Burst Response to Influenza A Virus Infection, James Thomas Seuch
A Biogeographical Assessment of Arctic Marine Fungi, Bentley E. Simpson
Madonna, Monster and Other Stories: Surrealist Short Fiction, Katherine Skvorak
How Alumnae of a Feminist Organization During Middle-High School Perceive Their Involvement as Related to Their Academic Self-Concept, Miranda R. Snyder
Emotional Engagement of Consumers: A Case Study Between Peloton and ClassPass and their Differences in Branding Initiatives on the Facebook Platform, Meredith Stephens
Chytridiomycota in Tree Bark, Paige Strasko
Terms of Erasure: The Jewish Experience in a Rural New England Town, Jessica Sweeney
An Examination of Pervasive Language Around Sexual Harassment Through the Lens of Anita Hill, Christine Blasey Ford, and #MeToo, Elizabeth Theriault
Confirmed Presence of Parahepatospora carcini in Carcinus maenas Population of Maine, Brittany Torchia
An Evolutionary Approach to Crowdsourcing Mathematics Education, Spencer Ward
Symbiotic Suppression: How Digital Authoritarianism Helps Facilitate Physical Repression in Indian Controlled Kashmir, Patrick Aaron White
Using Cellulose Nanofibrils and Calcium Carbonate in Single-Use Utensils, Sierra Yost
Assessing Lipid Content in Migrating Alewife, Anthony Zenga
Honors Theses from 2019
The Underwriter Effect: How Underwriters Influence the Amount of Money Left on the Table for Initial Public Offerings, Matthew Ahearn
Personality in Small Mammals: From Home Range to Microhabitat Selection, Kara Aiken
VHF Near Field Antenna Design for Wireless Sensing Applications in Harsh Environments, Nicholas Aiken
Techno-Economic Analysis of a Seaweed Extraction Process, Zachary Applebee
Examining the Microbiome of Porphyra Umbilicalis in the North Atlantic, Margaret Aydlett
A Layman's Guide to Malignancies: Cancer and Cancer Research in Everyday Terms, Bailee Bartash
Evaluating Sustainable Decision Making on Water Resources: Comparing Cooperation Around the Aral Sea and Penobscot River, Brawley Benson
An Upper Extremity Exoskeleton Utilizing a Modified Double Parallelogram Linkage Mechanism with Proximally Located Actuators, Connor Bouffard
The Potential Roles of Melanopsin Signaling in Mediating the Effects of Environmental Light on Voluntary Ethanol Intake in Mice, Rachel Brooks
Terrorism in Context: The Stories We Tell Ourselves, James Brown V
Can Training Restaurant Servers on Managing Customer Harassment Influence Turnover Intentions?, Mariza Budri
Inanna: A Modern Interpretation, Erin Butts
Assessing the Effectiveness of Attractants to Increase Detection Probabilities in Northeastern Mammals, Michael Buyaskas
Predictive Diagnostic Analysis of Mammographic Breast Tissue Microenvironment, Dexter G. Canning
The Personal is Poetic: A Case for Poetry Therapy, Kimberly Crowley
Impact of Television on the Language Development of Young Children, Courtney E. Daly
A Qualitative Study of the Perceived Risks of the Impacts of Moose-Winter Tick Interactions on Human Health, Maine Economy, and Maine Culture, Asha DiMatteo-LePape
Landscape Factors Affecting Foraging Flight Altitudes of Great Blue Heron in Maine; Relevance to Wind Energy Development, Lauren Dolinski
Microscopia: A Virtual Museum of Organisms Created with SEM Photogrammetry, Ian Donnelly
Fitting the SIR Epidemiological Model to Influenza Data, Madeline Dorr
MMP13 Inhibition Does Not Rescue GMPPB-Deficient Skeletal Muscle in Zebrafish, Sean Driscoll
Pediatric Hospice Care: A Literature Review of Hospice Care Its Role in Pediatrics and Resources in Maine, Rachel Emerich
Variations in Media Framing of U.S.-Cuba Policy, Anna Foster
An Intersectional Feminist Approach to Lyme Disease Epidemiology, Meghan Frisard
Uncoupling Protein 1 in Bornean Treeshrews, Emily Gagne
Immigration in the Context of Religion with Case Studies of France and Hungary, Melissa Garand
Inpatient Mental Health Services in Rural Hospitals of the United States and Canada: A Case Study of Maine and New Brunswick, Dominic Gayton
Building a Better Understanding of Equine Anatomy Through Integrated Learning, Emily Gorney
Barriers to Hospital Food Waste: A Pilot Exploratory Study, Jennifer Goulding
Functional Analysis of Amino Acid Changes in the Metal Binding Pocket of the Lyt-R Domain of the CpsA Protein, Sydney Green
The Effects of European Fire Ants on Blacklegged Ticks in Acadia National Park, Lucy Guarnieri
The Effect of Elevation on Factors Influencing Adult Body Size of Asynarchus Nigirculus, Mykayla Hagaman