Seniors in EKU's Honors Program participate in a faculty mentored process that demonstrates the students' ability to locate, evaluate, analyze and synthesize information, in an ethical manner, in order to produce meaningful scholarship. The Honors Senior Thesis, typically a capstone paper or creative project, is the culmination of this process.
Honors Theses from 2022
For Richer, For Poorer: How Finances Impact Romantic Relationships, Maya Mains
The Spectre of “Overpopulation” in Climate Change, Kris Mann
A Modern War: How Large Dairy Corporations Negatively Affect the Relationship Between Dairy Cows, Humans, and the Environment, Mikayla M. Marti
From Reality to Fiction: How Women’s Mental Health was Portrayed in 19th Century Literature, Sara Mason
An Investigation into the Availability and Quality of Mental Health Services for the Deaf/deaf and Hard of Hearing Populations of Kentucky, Alaina G. Milam
Prototyping a Novel Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with Acousto-Optic Modulators, Jon Mills
Reproductive Cancer Cell Targeting of Pt-Mal-LHRH, Emma Nienaber
Wait, is That Legal?: A Defense of the Rights of the Mentally Ill in the United States Prison System, Sophie Owen
Sustainable Gardening: A Revolutionary Act Towards Household Food Security in Appalachia, Emily Patrick
Kentucky Dental Health with Regards to Social Factors, John Pattison
Prone to Success: The Effects of Prone on Handwriting Legibility, Magdalene M. Pearl
Coping Strategies in College-Aged Women across the Attention Spectrum, Keri Phillips
Assay Development for Investigating the Contributions of p75 Neurotrophin Receptor (p75NTR) Signaling to Neurodegeneration Associated with Parkinson’s Disease, Samantha A. Radomski
Envisioning Libraries as Community: Investigating Social Infrastructure and Community Cohesion, Mora N. Rehm
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Preparedness and Recovery process to Avoid Secondary Injury, Celia Rhodus
How Careers in Forensic Science and Criminal Justice Impact Long-Term Mental Health, Abigail E. Roberts
Electrochemical Methods for Detection and Quantification of Metals in Drinking Water, Katherine E. Rogers
Doctor Mario: How Video Games Are Being Used as Medicine, Grayson T. Salyers
iTeacher: How Teachers Can Effectively Use Technology in High School Classrooms, Caroline E. Schack
Girl Power: Criminal Justice Gender Discrimination in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, Abigail M. Scola
The Divided States: An Exploration of the Influence of Media Agenda-Setting on Modern Political Polarization, Anna Grace Smith
Tweeting Trump: An Analysis of the Utilization of Twitter in American Politics, Jakob Smith
Theorizing a Continuum of Serial Killer Fandom and Fascination in our Society, Kellyn N. Smith
Racial Inclusivity in American Music Festival Culture: Who is it excluding?, Jack Souders
An Age of Entropy: COVID-19's Impact on Art, Sarah A. Surace
A Meta-Analytic Study: Effects of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on the Hippocampal Region in Humans, Dakota Taylor
The Hunger Games: A Recollection of Ancient Rome and a Warning for a Desolate Future, Jason Quaid Watwood
Family Centered Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Standard Checklist for Nurses and Parents, Tori C. Williams
How to Raise a Reader in the Modern World, Breanna Willis
Dos Idiomas: Concise Recommendations for Bilingual Speech Therapy, Erin E. F. Wilson
Honors Theses from 2021
America Arts for All: Promoting Musical Opportunity and Equity for Socioeconomically Challenged Students, Sydney L. Amos
In the Mood- Choosing a Style, Marie E. Banderman
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: The Extraordinary Case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Arpana Banjara
Role of Forensic Chemistry and Analytical Intrumentation in the Identification of Designer Drugs, Mariah A. Barko
God in Government: The Influence of Religion in the Eisenhower, Reagan, and George W. Bush Administrations, Megan L. Baumgardner
Birth Experiences in Kentucky: An Ethnography of Healthcare, Trauma, and Healing, Breanna Bowling
Down the Rabbit Hole: How Perceptions of Mental Illness Are Impacted by Disney Animated Movies, Riley Braun
The Classroom Controversy of Young Adult (YA) Literature vs. Classics- What Literature Is Most Valuable to Today’s Youth?, Ashley M. Brian
Trading Addiction: An Analysis of Prescription and Non-Prescription Opioid Abuse, Jordan Brock and Lisa S. Middleton
Male Depression’s Manifestation and Effects on the Individual and Others: Turning the Data Into a Creative Work, Kennedy Carpenter
When the Fire Nation Attacked: A View of the Colonialism and Imperialism Within Avatar: The Last Airbender, Jared M. Christian
The Co-Opting of a Movement: Nationalism’s Effect on the Discussion of Comfort Women in Japan and Korea, Lauren Chugg
The Investigation of Appalachian Public Health, Patricia A. Clem
Smoking Rates Among Nurses: An Ironic Phenomenon, Meagan E. Cosper
Strategies for Socioeconomic Development: A Study of Nonprofit Practices, Alexis L. Dahl Walls
The LGBTQ Health Disparities Gap: Access to Healthcare for LGBTQ Individuals in the United States and the Impact it Has on Their Health, Clarissa E. Dennis
Pulled from the Page: How Science Fiction has Influenced Technology, Hannah S. Edwards
Brains versus Brawn: Militarization and Women in Modern Policing, Emilee Shae Eversole
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Gypsum Calcination under Fire Exposure, Ethan Andrew Fowlie
Prospective Physical Therapy Education Revisions According to Appalachian Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants, Paige N. Freeman
Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Sports, Willis Gaer
Assessing the Impacts of Juvenile Incarceration in Adult Correctional Facilities, Jazmine Gardner
Injustice Has Been Served: Racial Disparities Within United States Prisons, Jordan L. Gatewood
An Analysis of the Utilization Rates for Eastern Kentucky University’s Fleet of Training Aircraft, Erica J. Gilbert
The Making of Cults: The Factors that Contribute to Membership and the Leaders’ Influence, Chloe Greenidge
More than a Movie Day: The Pedagogical Application of Film in Diversity Education, Jack P. Grimme
Mental Health Related Benefits and Barriers of Exercise among College Students, Madison Hamilton
Exceptional Learners and the Inclusive Classroom, Alicia R. Harris
Making the Comeback from Combat: An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy for Combat Veterans, Julia A. Hickey
Opioids in Appalachia: Finding a Curative Path, Andrew B. Johnson
To Lip Read Or Not To Lip Read, Anna Kluesener
It’s All About the Ferns: A Literature Review of Species Concepts Referenced in New Pteridophyte Species Described Since 1989, Nicholas A. Koenig
Peeling Off the Proof: Using Peel-Away Polymer Technology in the Collection of Ignitable Liquids During Arson Investigations, Cassidy Laney
Pollinator Gardens and Their Significance, Emma Lee
Nurses' Perceptions of Person-Centered Care in Long-Term Care, Sophia A. Lefevers
Controversial Intelligence Gathering: Deciphering the Actions of the U.S. Intelligence Community to the Public, Rachel E. Lehkamp
Healing Through Play: Relieving Anxieties Caused by Stressors Faced When a Child is in Need of Medical Care, Lilia G. Lorenz
What College Recruiters Don’t Tell You and What You Need to Know During COVID-19, Alyia K. Maulden
Barriers to Identifying Domestic Violence Victims in the Emergency Department: A Nurse’s Perspective, Jordan M. McDaniel
Who I Am and Who I Used to Be, Madelyn McKnight
Crime: An EKU History, Kaitlyn R. Miracle
The Nature of Grief, Emily Montgomery
Shy or Anxious? Examining the Efficacy of School-Based Interventions for Childhood Social Anxiety, Samantha Neuhaus
The Toll of Our New Reality: Analyzing College Students’ Health in a Pandemic & Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Vaccinations, Ciara M. Ochoa
Factors that Influence the Choice to Major in STEM for Latino and non-Latino Students and Professionals, Ivan Olivas
Maintaining Patient Autonomy: Treatment of Disorders of Sexual Development, Bethany A. Orr
The Effects of Technology on the Nursing Process, Olivia Partin
E.T.A. Hoffman: The Creative Influencer of Romantic Music, Lucas J. Reed
Laughing Through Trauma: Healing or Deflecting?, Katelyn Richardson
The School-to-Prison Pipeline & Its Sustainability: How Violent Video Games perpetuate School Violence in the 21st Century, Michael Roberts
Meat, Masks, and Medicine: COVID-19's Impact on Supply Chains, Autumn Robinson
Making A Sexual Murderer: Developmental Theories and Generalization, Kyra Rogers
Instagramming Injustice: Social Media as a Platform for Victim Concerns about Sexual Assault on University Campuses, Alayna Ross
Community Banks Navigate FinTech Partnerships: Enhancing the Customer Experience while Mitigating Risks Involved, Taylor Ross
Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccines Among College Students, Sydney R. Shepherd
Exploring Mental Health & COVID-19: How a Pandemic Could Become America's Next Mental Health Crisis, Ashley D. Shofner
Effectiveness of Treatment: Understanding Which Variables Influence the Effectiveness of Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alexandra N. Sievert
“Don’t Make Me Go to the Hospital”: Anxiety Reactions Among Patients Receiving Medical Care, Megan Sizemore
Classical String Quartet: A Transformation to Vocal Jazz, Victoria B. Sizemore
A Case for Literacy: New Hope for Northern Nigeria Through Western Teaching Strategies, Jenna G. Smith
Filmdemic: An Exploration of How COVID-19 Has Changed Student Short Film Production Standards & Processes – Process Statement, Josiah Stendel
Diagnosing a Princess: How Portrayals of Mental Illness in Disney Princesses May Influence Children, Hannah Tanner
The Challenge of Mobile Forensics: Keeping up with the Changes in Mobile Devices, Darius Thomas
Voting Behavior of Southern and Non-Southern Evangelicals, Joshua D. Thomasson
Prescriptivism, Privilege, and Power: How Standard Language Education Empowers and Devalues Learners, Kaitlyn A. VanWay
First-Year Student Orientation Programming: Managing the First and Lasting Impression, Lindsay Volpenhein
Who is in Power and How it Affects Your Taxes, Martin A. Watts
