Honors Theses
The Honors Program is rooted in the Catholic Marianist tradition, encouraging social responsibility and ethical sensitivity with its many leadership and service opportunities.
Honors theses are as diverse and ambitious as creating solar-powered, easy-to-use equipment to sterilize medical devices; writing a novel or series of short stories; pursuing neuroscience research to better understand Alzheimer's disease; and publishing a book based on branding elements designed specifically for several organizations.
For theses dated prior to 2014, contact the University Archives and Special Collections at archives@udayton.edu.
Submissions from 2016
The Effectiveness of Active Interaction in Interactive Visual Imagery as Created by the Keyword Method, Morgan Pair
The Effect of Early Life Social Stress on Anxiety-like Behaviors and Ethanol Drinking in Female Long-Evans Rats, Alyssa Roeckner
Trauma, Oppression, and Identity: A Philosophical Approach to Justice in Catholic Communities, Dominic Sanfilippo
Nonlinear Analysis of Balance Data in the Easter Seals Adult Day Services Population, Taylor Marie Schemmel
Synthesis of Research on the Common Core State Standards and Dyscalculia, Melissa Siegel
Design and Fabrication of Passive Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) Thin Film Varactor Based Phase Shifters for Operation within a 5-15 GHz Bandwidth, Devin William Spatz
The Effects of Low Dam Removal and Kayak Run Installation on the Biodiversity of Fish and Macroinvertebrates in the Great Miami River in Downtown Dayton, Ohio, Sarah Anne Stalder
Can the Color Red Improve Men's Perceived Mate Value? Examining the Interactive Effects of Facial Masculinity and Color on Female Evaluation of Potential Mates, Alejandro Trujillo
Star Decompositions of the Complete Split Graph, Adam C. Volk
Global and Regional Chitinozoan Biodiversity Dynamics in the Ordovician: Relationships to Sea-Level, Carbon Cycling and Tectonics, Jordan Watson
Submissions from 2015
Synthesis of Phosphorus-Based Hemiacetals for Potential Flame Retardants, Sara Alakkad
Kinetic Characterization of B-Carotene in n-hexane at Various Oxygen Concentrations, Katelyn Mary Arnold
Reading Interventions in Relation to the Ohio Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Kathryn C. Auletto
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 Mediates Metastatic Melanoma Cell Invasion into a Brain Micro-Environment, Nicholas C. Borkey
The State of El Salvador: Human Rights and Violence in the Post War Era, Christine Caldera
Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty: Victorian Genius in a Millennial World, Allison K. Carey
Coding DNA into Music: An Alternate Way of Analysis, Samuel Fesenmeier
Multi-Segment Foot Joint Kinematics with Varying Midfoot Orthotic Postings, Hilary F. Feskanin
Understanding the Role of the Common Core State Standards in Catholic Education, Annemarie Fisher
School-Books on Tape: The Tensile and Adhesive Strength of Duct Tape in a College Backpack, Robin Elizabeth Ker
Genre Controversy: Human Universality or Plagiarism in the Dystopian Genre?, Taylor V. Kingston
Synthesis of Potential Phosphorus-Nitrogen Containing Flame Retardants, Colin Kloock
The Seal of Solomon: An Exploration of Storytelling, Ryan M. Krisby
Investigation of the Genetic Interactions between Hippo Signaling Pathway and Drosophila C-terminal Src kinase (dCsk), Hailey Jimin Kwon
Female Bodybuilders: Caught in the Crossfire of Patriarchy and Capitalism, Kimberly Michelle Land
Does Study Abroad Impact Students’ Personality?, Ashley Ann Marshall
Archivum Plena: The Quest for a Fulfilling Past, Madeline McDermott
The Effects of Music on Employee Affect, Nolan J. McNulty
Exploration of Protein-Protein Interactions Involving Deinococcus radiodurans PriA, DnaB and SSB, Christopher S. Morrow
Hate Crime Laws: What Are They and Who Do They Protect?, Maya Pedersen
The Second Punic War: The Turning Point of an Empire, Timothy Edward Schaefer
Examining the Role of Self-esteem in the Association between Emotional Vulnerability and Psychological Well-being, Kathryn Schilling
Practical Cosmopolitans: The Diversity of a Changing Indian Ocean, 1500-1750, Jordan Seitz
Root Cover Pebbling on Graphs, Claire A. Sonneborn
An Operational Performance and Safety Comparison of Roundabouts vs. Traditional Intersections, Vincent Spahr
Mostly True: An Exploration of My Family History, Jessica Urban
Cocoa and Chocolate: Deconstructing the Development Paradigm in Cameroon, Chelsea VanHook
Black White and In-Between: Race and Ethnicity in the Criminal Justice System 1885-1915, Elizabeth M. Wilhelm
Submissions from 2014
Developing Social Consciousness through Multicultural Young Adult Literature, Megan R. Abbate
Synthesis and Characterization of a Tetra-Ruthenated Naphthylbiliverdin, Ashley M. Berding
Classifying the Functionality of Primosome Protein A in Deinococcus Radiodurans, Jacob Boone
The Effects of Moral Licensing on High-Cost and Low-Cost Helping Behaviors, Kaitlin E. Boyd
Designing and Evaluating Playground Equipment for Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Leigha R. Brisco
Centering the Right: Mapping the Queer Discourse of the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, Stephen C. Brown
Examining Acculturative Stressors of the International Student: Following Study Abroad Students in South Korea and Morocco, Chin Yi Chen
Discrimination Against Disabled Persons in Malawi and the United States: A Comparative Study, Stephen Crum
Job Design: A Human Approach through Catholic Social Teaching and Job Design Theories, Thomas DeCastra
Literacy Instruction in Early Childhood Education: Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Jamie L. Dell
Tissi, Anna Demmitt
Exploring Data-Driven Electricity Feedback on Energy Conservation Behavior in the University of Dayton Student Neighborhood, Daniel R. Esposito
Sex-Dependent Electrophysiological Responses of Lucilia sericata to Concentration Gradient of Indole, Erin T. Filbrandt
Design and Characterization of Photoresponsive Supramolecular Aggregates, Julie A. Fitz
Identifying the DNA Sequence Requirements for a Synergistic Interaction Between Two Cis-Regulatory Elements, Kaitlyn R. Francis
Synthesis and Characterization of Three Unique Mono-Metallic Lanthanide Complexes, Jasminder S. Grewal
Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to work with English Language Learners, Alexandra Hill
Power in Numbers? The Impact of Female Formed Police Units on Women’s Empowerment, Laura Huber
The Role of the Arista on Lucilia sericata in Sensing Wind and Airflow, Relative Humidity and Volatile Compounds, Alexandra Elaine Jacob
As Stable as the Dollar Stretches: The Impact of US Foreign Aid on Social Stability in Jordan, Jasmine Renee Jordan
The Dayton Food System: Current Access to Food in Dayton and Future Possibilities, Katherine A. Liutkus
The Disney Evolution: Princesses as Positive Role Models, Alexandria Irene Lueke
Population Variation in Fossil Graptolites: a Quantitative Study Based on Single Species Assemblages, Elliott Matthias Mazur
An Undivided Heart: How Mary Unites What Sin Divides According to John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Ann M. Michalica
Auditory Information in the Form of a Scratching Sound Enhances the Effects of the Rubber Hand Illusion, Bridget O'Mera
The Acute Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Cardiovascular Function and Arterial Stiffness, Hayleigh Elizabeth Raiff
Epinephrine Regulates Aquaglyceroporin HC-3 Expression and Subcellular Localization in Cultured Erythrocytes from the Freeze-Tolerant Treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis, Connor J. Ratycz
Free Trade as Neocolonialism: CAFTA, the United States, and Guatemala, Margret Reuter
Investigating Bacterial Replication Restart: Can D.rad PriA Load D.rad DnaB onto DNA Forks with a Leading Strand Gap?, Michael Ryan
Examination of Host Range of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages UT1, SN-T, and PEV2 for Treatment of Bacterial Biofilms in Fuels, Kathleen M. Sellick
Upper Grade Level Literacy: Instructional Strategies for Struggling Readers, Claire M. Shaw
Impact of Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) Leachate on Culex pipiens Life History Attributes, Lauren Shewhart
Synthesis and Purification of a Nucleoside Platinum Complex That Promotes DNA Cross-Linking, Ryan Spear
Novel Neuroprotective Function of Apical-Basal Polarity Gene crumbs in Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration, Andrew Steffensmeier
Determining the Transcription Factor Genes Populating a Fruit Fly Pigmentation Gene Network and Their Regulatory Connections, Samantha Stringer
Party Building Factors to Encourage Third Party Support Among 18-24 Year Olds, Amy Timmerman
A Hero’s Journey: Aegean’s Destiny, Olivia J. Ullery
Red Light Green Light: A Novel Approach to Studying the Interaction between Enhancers and Gene Promoters, Jordan E. Vellky
Photoreactions of a Water Soluble Poly-isoquinolpyrrole with Plasmid DNA, Gregory Versteeg
Story Telling: A Comparative Analysis of Three Works by Michael Colgrass, Joseph Schwantner and Ross Lee Finney, Erick C. Von Sas
Resettled: A Portrait of Bhutanese Refugees in Dayton, Ohio, Molly R. Winslow
Submissions from 2011
Dayton, Ohio: A Study, Nolan Nicaise
Submissions from 2010
A River Palimpsest: The Interdisciplinary Value of Water, Katie Norris
