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 2019
Investigating Ions’ Effects on the Fluorescent Protein Dendra2, Benjamin Waterman
The Relations Between Anxiety Symptoms and Friendships in Adolescence, Phoebe Welcome
Asian American Politics: A Case Study of Hmong Americans in St. Paul, MN, Thilee Yost
Honors Theses from 2018
Use of Renewable Cellulose Nanofibrils and Water-Barrier Layers in the Production of Snack Packaging, Thoalfakar Saheb Alsaady
Recovering Legacy Geological Data into a Geospatial Database Product: An Example from Baja California Norte, México, Alexander C. Audet
Barriers to Employment and Overcoming Economic Integration Challenges for Foreign-Born Workers in Maine, Cleo Barker
Language Modality for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Preschoolers: Maine Parents' Decision-Making, Sarah Basquez
The Underrepresentation of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Legal Occupations, Maria Beaulieu
The Impact of Active and Passive Ownership on Total Shareholder Return and Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance of Companies, Abigail J. Bennett
A Comparative Analysis of Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky’s First and Sixth Symphonies, Isabel A. Bohrer
Antineutrino-Induced Charge Current Quasi-Elastic Neutral Hyperon Cross-Section on Argon In Argoneut, Samuel M. Borer
Pay for Performance: Do Higher Expense Ratios of Levered and Inverse ETFs Lead to Lower Tracking Error?, Grant Carrier
Designing a Stress Free Vet Visit: A Systematic Review, Naedia Clarke
Panoptic Schooling’s Confused Lessons: A Philosophical Investigation of Discipline in the School, Donncha Sean Peadar Coyle
A Look into Millstone Nuclear Power Plant: Attitudes on Sustainability and Prevalence of Epizootic Shell Disease, Emily Craig
Prosthetic Gods, Taylor C. Cronin
The Connection Between Cyberbullying and Teenage Suicide: An Honors Thesis, Sierra Crosby
The Keys to Disney’s Magic and Success, Jordan M. K. Daley
The Effects of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid on Abundance and Nymphal Infection Prevalence of Black-Legged Ticks in Maine, Spencer Christian DeBrock
Trauma and Attachment in Sierra Leone, Alli DellaMattera
Context Effects on Ambiguous Idiom Comprehension in Older and Younger Adults, Amy de Silva
Constructing Identity Through the Lens of Fashion: An Honors Thesis, Cara P. Doiron
Finalizing the Genome Annotation of Model Cluster E Mycobacteriophage Ukulele via RNA-Seq Analysis, Jackson R. Foley
From Grey City to Metropolitan Icon: Basque Cultural Revival and Urban Redevelopment in Bilbao, Spain, Kaylie Gazura
Twenty-Five Years of Change in Spruce Grouse Occupancy at Their Southern Range Margin in Maine, USA, Christopher J. Gilbert
A Characterization of Poultry Flocks and Poultry Producers in Maine, Alice Gluchanicz
Environmental Impacts on Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting on Edisto Island, South Carolina, Faythe J. Goins
Effectual Versus Predictive Logics in Entrepreneurial Decision-Making: Differences Between Experts and Novices in the State of Maine, Rebecca Lynn Hatt
Facilitating Meaningful Interpersonal Connections Through a Virtual Space, Gene Herrschaft
Risk and Resilience: Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Factors Influencing Adolescent Peer Rejection and Depression, Tyler Hicks
A Content Analysis of Addition and Subtraction from the Math Teacher's Manuals for Orono, Maine and Santiago, Chile, Jordan Houdeshell
Identification of TNFAIP8L1 Binding Partners Through Co-Immunoprecipitation and Mass Spectrometry, Audrey Hoyle
The Production, Characterization, and Upgrading of Biochars into Activated Carbon, Kasey Johnston
Forecasting Labor Force Participation at the Regional Level in the United States: The Case of Maine, Maryam Kashkooli
Determining the Role of Saly in Streptococcus Pyogenes Immune Evasion Using Fluorescence Microscopy, Taaniel Kiidli
Assessing the Impacts of Commercial Clearcut on Freshwater Invertebrate Communities, Nicholas J. Kovalik
To Speak in the Cave, Stephen Thomas Krichels
The Difficulties Faced by the U.S. Army’s Fund Balance with Treasury Account Reconciliation System, Danielle Lelio
The Affective Disturbance of Ethanol Withdrawal on C57BL/6J and C57BL/6NJ Mice, Eric L. LeVasseur
The Hum of Distant Novas, Emily Jane Lewis
Motivation & Meaning in Maine’s Thrift Culture, Johanna Lunn
The Electoral College: A System “for the People?”, Maria Maffucci
Red Abalone Hemocyanin as an Alternative Hapten-Carrier for Vaccine Production, Isaiah N. Mansour
The Efficiency of Melatonin in Inhibiting Haemonchus Contortus Development, Stephanie M. McAvoy
Probing the Nature of Student Reasoning Using Modified Chaining Tasks, Ryan Moyer
An Analysis of V-Notching in the Maine Lobster Fishery, Kathleen A. Murphy
Design and Construction of Trail of the Senses, A Universally Accessible Outdoor Trail System at Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, Jessica M. Oriente
From Unrest to Occupation, Cameron J. Ouellette
Intra-Annual Fjord Circulation: Seasonal Variation in Fjord Physics and Biology and the Impacts of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, Brigitte E. Parady
The Hyde Amendment: An Obstacle to Seeking Abortion Care in Maine?, Olivia Pennington
Exploring the Economic Resilience in the United States Through State GDP Output, Mariya Pominova
Wireless Power and Data Transfer Using Inductively Resonant Coils, Seth C. Raymond
Examining Avian Diversity in Acadia National Park Through Time, Marie I. Ring
Effect of Primary Care Follow Up on Hospital Readmissions, Meredith Roderka
Estimating Ecosystem Services From Harvested and Unharvested Ascophyllum Nodosum on the Maine Coast, Ashley E. Sarra
Behind Closed Doors: Unpacking College Students’ Complex Relationships With Pornography Consumption, Samantha K. Saucier
The Effect of Material Variability on the Deflection of Bamboo Fly Rods, Bennett R. Scully
Shell Game: Improving the Shell Quality and Value of Maine’s Most Valuable Fishery, Abigale Shaughnessy
Are Schools Educating About Poverty? University Students’ Perceptions of K-12 Poverty Education, Rachel E. Sirois
Defining the Role of IP3R-Medicated ER Calcium Flux in JC Polyomavirus Infection, Ashley N. Soucy
Construction of an Accessible Ocean-Acidification Simulator to Investigate Physiological Responses of the Green Crab, Carcinus Maenas, to Acidified Conditions, Caroline M. Spangenberg
Feelings in Politics: How American Foreign Policy Can Benefit from Interpersonal Communication, Paden K. Stanton
Location, Location, Location: It Applies to Sports Marketing Too, Olivia Swimm
Temporal and Spatial Variability of Oxygen Levels in Upwelled Waters Along the Southern California Coast, Todd Xavier Thoman
Identifying Individual Motivations of Nonprofit Volunteers in the Human Services Field with a Study of the National Red Cross Organization, Taylor Tyrrell
Declining Journalistic Freedom in Turkey, Aliya Uteuova
Does Drought Affect Reproduction in the Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus Caudacutus)?, Valerie K. Watson
The Analysis of Labor Market Efficiency: A Comparative Analysis of Maine and the United States, Sarah M. Welch
A Histological Assessment of the Effects of Elevated Temperature and Nitrogen on the Symbiodinium of Palythoa Toxica (Walsh and Bowers 1971), Molly Westbrook
Exploring Joint Custody: Interviews with College Students About Their Childhood Experiences, Marissa D. Zink
Honors Theses from 2017
The Design and Fabrication of an Atomic Layer Deposition Reactor for Coating Powders, Natalie Altvater
Implantation of Nanocellulose in the Zebrafish Model, Hanna J. Anderson
The Importance of Social Science in Biomedical Education, Kathryn Asalone
Autism: A Song of Understanding, Hannah Babcock
Success of Artificial Insemination in Two Breeds of Maine Sheep is Not Hindered by Breed Differences, Dominic Barra
Ash Decline: An Opportunity for Young Forest Wildlife, Bianca Beland
Television, Interpersonal Communication, and College Students’ Attitudes Toward Mental Health, Abby Bellefleur
The Effects of Video Games and Religious Reminders on Prosociality, Heather K. Cross
Providing Experimental Support for Mtert as an Adult Neural Stem Cell Marker Using a Triple Transgenic Mouse Line, Caroline Dean Curtis
Investigating the Sustainability Potential of Artisanal Cheesemakers in Maine, Brady Davis
Invisible Women: Sex Trafficking in the Context of Post-Soviet Moldova, Sarah Elizabeth Dean
Gastroparesis: A Literature Review of Disease Manifestations and Existing Treatment Methods, Sara M. DeMello
Coastal Erosion in Southern Maine: An Evaluation of Coastal Armoring Structures and Their Effectiveness, Savanah DeVoe
Development of a Process Approach for Retaining Seaweed Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) Nutrients, Emily Duran-Frontera
Effect of Asynchronous Auditory Distractors on Visual Acuity Outcomes, Caleb G. Elsemore
The Economic and Psychological Metrics of Political Decision-Making, Allyson Eslin
Sexual Trafficking: Developing a Teaching Strategy for Emergency Department Registered Nurses, Sarah Ford
Hydrology and Aquatic Invertebrate Communities of Riverine Rock Pools: Effects of Seasonality and the Penobscot River, Chase Gagne
It Brings Me Back: A Look at Personally Collected Musical Memories and Their Kinetic Typographical Representation, Kathryn Galley
The Types and Effectiveness of Voter Mobilization Efforts in the U.S. Presidential Elections of 1828 and 2008, Natalie Goding
Cultural Appropriation in Contemporary Neopaganism and Witchcraft, Kathryn Gottlieb
The Role of Threat, Emotion, and Individual Difference Characteristics in Attitudes and Perceptions of Minority Groups, Aeleah Granger
Antioxidants in Atlantic Salmon on a Diurnal Basis, Alexa Grissinger
Stabilization of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Homogenous Integration Into Cellulose Nano Fibrils, Banton H. Heithoff
Microglial Activation Immediately After Ethanol Withdrawal and 1 Week After Ethanol Withdrawal in Female C3H Mice, Sarah Holbrook
The Role of Cooperation and Prosocial Behavior in Food Buying Clubs: An Exploratory Study, Afton Hupper
Host Range of Mycobacteriophage and Exploring Lysogenic Relationships Between Mycobacteriophage and Their Hosts, Emily Illingworth