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 2015
Assessing Achievement in Honors: The Importance of a Need for Cognition in Higher Education, Christopher Paradis
Art as a Tool to Communicate Science, Jillian Pelto
Effects of Buckthorn (Rhamnus Cathartica and Rhamnus Frangula) on Native Flora Functional Traits, Alexandra Perry
Bates Mill #5: A Case Study in Innovation, Past and Future, George Peterson
Study of the Effect of Dogs on College Students' Mood and Anxiety, Mariah J. Picard
Worksite Wellness for UMaine Dining Employees: Healthful Eating for the Holidays, Marissa E. Rublee
Developing and Testing a New Technique for Assessing Human Color Acuities, Jordan D. Servetas
Relationships of a Northern Maine Population of Amelanchier (Rosaceae), Matthew R. Sheltra
Coming To, Kate E. Spies
An Analysis of the Maine Solid Waste Management Hierarchy and Recommendation For Future Implementation, Jaime Steven
The University of Maine Food and Fitness Environment: Is It Health Promoting?, Carolyn Anne Stocker
Using the Real Food Calculator to Assess the University of Maine's Dining Purchases within a Food System Context, Ashely Thibeault
Forward Not Back: Young People's Search for Community and Farming in Maine, Danielle Walczak
Towards A New Measure For Human Visual Acuity, Andrew B. Wilson
Honors Theses from 2014
Parkinson's Disease: An Experimental Approach to Model the Visuo-Spatial Learning and Memory Deficits and an Analysis of Evidence Implicating α-Synuclein in Lewy Body Formation, Caitlyn Dawn Ahlberg
Correlates of Disability in the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Grace Avakian
Effects of Calcium-Sensing Protein Dysregulation on Cardiac Function in Drosophila melanogaster, Jinlun Bai
Modeling the Costs of Cellulosic Biofuel, Maxwell Berube
Nationalism in the French Revolution of 1789, Kiley Bickford
The Muslim Veil in America: A Symbol of Oppression or Empowerment?, Hannah Blakeman
An Analysis of the Basque Independence Movement and the Political Position of the Basque Country Within the Spanish State, Ariel Bothen
Somaesthetics and Aesthetic Transactions: Art and Phenomenology Today, Monique Boutin
Bridging Gaps and Building Solidarity, Shannon Brenner
Pius XII on Trial, Katherine M. Campbell
Teaching Literature in America: Demonstrating Relevance in the Early Cold War 1945-1963, Jennifer Chalmers
Silence is the Loudest Sound, Emma Christian
Video Games as Free Speech, Benjamin Cirrinone
Class Conflict and the Confederate Conscription Acts in North Carolina, 1862-1864, Tyler Cline
The Rapid Effects of Steroids on Reproductive Processes in Goldfish, Carassius Auratus, Kimberly Dao
The Ability of Berry Extracts to Inhibit Alpha-Glucosidase In Vitro, Shannon Dubois
The Role of Culture in Social Displacement: AfroReggae in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Brianna Duhaime
Effects of Ketamine on Alcohol-Withdrawal Induced Behavioral Depression, Christie Edwards
Attitudes and Preventative Health Practices in Relation to Obesity, Brieana Evans
Avoiding Aggregation During Drying and Rehydration of Nanocellulose, Evelyn Fairman
Political Participation and Politics of the Possible: A Comparative Case Study of Political Activism in France and Maine, Jennifer Ferguson
The Effect of Ketamine on Motor Coordination and Thermal Nociception in Ethanol-Withdrawn Mice, Jameson Ford
An Oral History of the Islamic Center of Maine, Orono, Kyle Franklin
Prevalence and Speciation of Lungworms in Maine Moose, Jordan Gagne
Sustainability's Inconvenient Discourse, Christine Gilbert
A New Method for Measuring Color Acuity in Humans: A Pilot Study, Lindsey Gori
Media Portrayal and Public Opinion on the Supreme Court, Patrick Hall
Long Term Effects of Chemotherapy on Cognition, Preventative Potential of Antidepressants, Ryan Hall
The Finite Element Analysis and Optimization of a Circumcision Device for HIV Prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa, Abraham W. Hamilton
Detection of Iron (III) Using Agarose Beads Derivatized with Desterrioxamine B, Kaiya Hansen
Increasing Phonemic Awareness in the Pre-School Aged Child: A Parent-Centered, Play Based Approach, Emma Hanzl
Rural Nurses' Perspectives on Their Capacity to Care for Pediatric Patients in Northern and Eastern Maine, Kimberly M. Harvell
The Role of Morphology Transitions in Tissue-to-Blood Spread of Infestation, Joshua M. Jones
Darwin's Disciples, Eben Jordan
What Shapes Our Attitudes Toward Outgroups?: Measuring Implicit and Explicit Homosexual Prejudice, Morgan Kinney
Socio-Cultural and Economic Barriers to Small Vessel/Indigenous Participation in the American Samoan Longline Fishery, Theodore Koboski
Improving Running Performance Using Non-Running Tasks, Darien Lewis
University of Maine Students' Family Income and Its Relation to Alcoholism, Vincent LoConte
Characterizing Neutrophil Behavior in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) in Response to Arsenic and Glucose, Jacob Longfellow
Altered Integrin Alpha 6 Expression As A Rescue For Muscle Fiber Detachment In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Rose E. McGlauflin
Improved Detection of Streptococcus Equi Subspecies Equi in Drinking Water, Lily A. McLaughlin
The Role of TNFAIP8L1 in the Antiviral Innate Immune System, Campbell Miller
Fan-Funded Film: How Audience Participation Is Shaping The Future of Motion Pictures, Renee E. Moody
Humanizing the Humanities: A Historical, Cultural, and Philosophical Examination of the Disintegration of Humanities Higher Education, Nicholas Moore
Muckrakers vs. Public Relations: Analytical Case Studies, Maria NeCastro
A Study of Personality Types Found Within the Speech-Language Pathology Profession and the Communication Sciences and Disorders Major, Whitney Norton
Dice Hearts And Other Islands, Bailey O'Brien
The Effects of Flooding on the Microbial Communities of Sparrow Eggs in a Temperate Maine Salt Marsh, Mattie Paradise
Effect of Forest Vegetation on Nest-Site Selection by Spruce Grouse Across Two Spatial Scales, Nathaniel Scott Parkhill
An Investigation on the Effects of Virtual Social Support on Working Memory and Stress, Erin Perry
An Investigation into the Perceptions of International and Out-of-state Students on the University of Maine Campus, Matthew Pinkham
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: What's Next?, Zachary D. Porter
Depression, Emotional Eating and Food Choice, Jhen-da Prince
The Effects of Verbal Overshadowing and Social Anxiety on Facial Recognition: A Replication and Extension, Arielle Rancourt
Spans Across Time: Compliance of Historic Maine Coastal Bridges With Modern Geometric Design Standards, Elizabeth Reynolds
Method Development for the Analysis of Anthocyanins in Aronio Berries via HPLC, Kyle Rousseau
Surface Acoustic Wave-Based Manipulation of Intracellular Structures in Adherent Cultured Cells, Jeffrey Servetas
Imperial Impulses: The Influence of War and Death on the Writings of Rudyard Kipling, Dylan J. Sirois
A Study of the Nutritional Effect of Grains in the Diet of a Dog, Kristyn M. Souliere
Situational Interest In Professional Development, Jean Stevens
Interviews With Transgender Students: Academic And Environmental Factors, Thomas Stevenson
Forming Impressions Of Others: Does Sexuality Matter?, Abigail V. Szotkowski
The Effects of Literature on Childhood Anxiety and Attachment Issues, Samantha Taylor
Territorial Aggression Increases Along an Urban Gradient in Resident But Not Migratory Song Sparrows, Darlene Turcotte
Biodegradation and Feasibility of Three Pleurotus Species on Cigarette Filters, Raymond Updyke
Polarizing Issues in the American Political Parties: Women In Party Platforms, Hannah Vail
Coping With Dissonance: Psychological Mechanisms That Enable Ambivalent Attitudes Toward Animals, Sophie Veilleux
It's Not All Just Child's Play: A Psychological Study on the Potential Benefits of Theater Programming With Children, Sydney R. Walker
Honors Theses from 2013
Design Focused Computer Module for Chemical Engineering Outreach, Marc Beauchemin
The U.S.-Russian Bilateral Counterterrorism Efforts, Maja Bedak
The Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Monito del Monte (Dromiciops Gliroides) and its Relatives, Ariel Berthel
Observing the Location and Orientation of Nematocysts Through Aeolidiella Stephaniae, Siobhan L. Bolinger
Robin Hood or Villain: The Social Constructions of Pablo Escobar, Jenna Bowley
Bridging The Gap: Intergenerational Perceptions Towards Professional Usage of Social Networking Websites, Robert W. Brown
Evolutionary and Molecular Analysis of Conserved Vertebrate Immunity to Fungi, Erin Carter
Fast Pyrolysis of Muconic Acid and Formic Acid Salts, Laura Duran
Diet and Prey Availability of Sturgeons in the Penobscot River, Maine, Matthew Dzaugis
The Acceptance and Understanding of Preschoolers with Special Needs by Typically Developing Peers, Kelsey Ann Fahey
A Lateral Field Excited Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Wave Sensor, Michael R. FitzGerald
Investigation of Early Development and Importance of Sediment Choice in the Hatchery Production of Razor Clams, Ensis Directus, Molly P. Flanagan
User Experience Design for Presence-Aware Spaces and Technologies, Samuel Foster
A Power Line Inspection Device, Brendan Gates