An Honors thesis is the capstone project for all students who plan to graduate from the Honors Program at USD. The thesis can take many forms – from a scientific experiment or literary analysis to an original novel, play, or music composition – and allows students to explore a topic they are passionate about. Honors students have a thesis advisor, a faculty member that works closely with them throughout their thesis process, and a thesis committee made up of a small number of faculty members and other stakeholders who do work related to the thesis topic. This support network helps guide students through their thesis process to a successful defense and completion of the project.
Honors Theses from 2024
Otherization and Healthcare: A Philosophical Analysis of Gender-Based Discrimination in Medicine, Rachel M. Beare
The Role of Dating Apps in the Formation of Long-Term Relationships in College, Jalani Bodidasa
THE DEARTH OF KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTH INSURANCE LITERACY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, Katherine A. Conzet
PERCEPTIONS OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS THERAPY ON CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, Kaitlyn Drilling
MENTAL HEALTH AMONG COLLEGIATE ATHLETES, Stella Elise Fairbanks
BEYOND AMATEURISM: EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL LABOR EXPENSES OF NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE EMPLOYMENT, Alayna K. Falak
ANALYZING HEAT GENERATED FROM ELECTRO-OSMOTIC FLOW UTILIZING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS, Jordan Elizabeth Grothe
STRATEGIES OVER KNOWLEDGE: TRAINING GAPS PRESENT IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER FOR PEDIATRIC AND STUDENT NURSES, Jasmine E. Johnson
Development of Equipment Testing Hardware for the SuperCDMS Experiment, Oleksandra Lukina
NAVIGATING MURKY WATERS: STATE-LEVEL STRATEGIES FOR WETLAND PRESERVATION AND TILE DRAINAGE REGULATION AFTER SACKETT V. EPA, Caleb M. Swanson
A Review of the Progression of Concussion Protocols used over time in High School and College Athletics, Renee M. Thompson
Honors Theses from 2023
Exploring the Relationship Between Civil Legal Assistance and the Outcomes of Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Victims: A Literature Review, Kailena E. Anderson
UNDERSTANDING DISORDERED EATING ATTITUDES AND PATTERNS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO CAMPUS DINING SERVICES, Benjamin A. Bartling
Investigating Telomere Lengths in Chestnut-Crowned Babblers, Gabriella Rose Beberg
An Economic Analysis of the United Kingdom Given the Possible Effects of Overthrowing the Northern Ireland Protocol, Joshua P. Brink
The Migrant Communities Of South Sioux City, Graciela DeAnda
What Does the Current Research Say About Effective Strategies for Teaching Reading Fluency?, Talia E. DeWitte
Examining the Benefits of Adding Mindfulness-Based Programs in the Curriculum of Undergraduate and Graduate Social Work Programs: A Review of Literature, Sarah M. Dickerson
Physician Assistant Professional Issues: Optimal Team Practice in South Dakota, Michael J. Eggum
Disease Prevalence and Selenium Bioaccumulation in Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens), Emily B. Eisenbraun
Remote Monitoring of a Dark Matter Detector Power Supply, Sedonah L. Franzen
No More Empty Stadiums: A Meta Analysis of Mega Sporting Events and Their Economic Impact, Tayte O. Gleason
Oral Health in Relation to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Anika L. Gram
Bipartisan Legislation in Supermajority State Legislatures, Ashley R. Gustafson
Genetic Influences on the Response to Neuromodulation in Craving Behaviors, Carly J. Haring
Measuring Selenoprotein Content in False Map Turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica) Along the Missouri River, Ruby A. Hawks
HOW PHYLOGENY AND ARBOREALITY AFFECT PELVIC GIRDLE ANATOMY OF CHAMELEONS, Dakota J. John
Discrepancies in the Estimation of Vaping Rates Among College Students, Cameron J. Klug
The Relationship Between Cerebrovascular Impairment and Behavioral Abnormalities in Rats Exposed to Alcohol In Utero, Tiffany M. Knecht
HOLLOW Mn3O4 NANOPARTICLES FOR CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF ALKENES IN AIR, Nathan R. Loutsch
The Economic, Mental Health, and Social Stressors During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Native Americans in South Dakota, Savannah E. Lukkes
Wastewater: History and Impact on Society, James H. Macy
Investigating the Effects of Sex and Carvedilol on Ischemia Preconditioning Protective Effect, Casey JC Miller
Horizontal Transmission of Salmonella typhimurium Among German Cockroaches and Possible Mechanisms, Madison Anne Mond
ESG Disclosure Scores and CEO Compensation, Zane M. Rankin
Forming a Global Citizen: Personal Development Through Study Abroad, Anna L. Reiter
Ecological and Evolutionary Drivers of Chameleon Forelimb Variation, Ellie M. Schley
DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 MUTATIONS IN VERMILLION, SD, WASTEWATER UTILIZING PROBE-BASED RT-QPCR, Matthew J. Schmitz
Assessing Gender Differences in USD Students in the Consumption of Pornography, Abbey Selleck
Using µCT scans to create 3D skull puzzles as open-access pedagogical tools for anatomy and comparative osteology classes., Alexis Slack
Midwest Opportunity Zones: A Regional and Comparative Analysis of Tract Selection, Breana R. Spinler
Marijuana Use During Pregnancy: Outcomes for the Pregnant Person, the Fetus, and Provider Recommendations, Anna E. Sump
COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE AND ITS PERCEIVED EFFECTS ON CANCER PATIENTS, Madison A. Sundvold
WOMEN IN ORGANIZATIONS: LEADERSHIP AND OVERCOMING BIASES, Madison T. Witt
Honors Theses from 2022
Study of Adaptive Radiation Effects on Sprint Performance in Anolis Ecomorphs, Alexander J. Bergeson
TICK SURVEILLANCE AND PATHOGEN DETECTION IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, Holly E. Black
AN ANALYSIS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA, Alexandra J. Buss
Memorable Messages in BRCA-positive Disclosures, Alyssa R. Cam
Analysis of Protein-Protein Interaction Networks in Aging Flight Muscle of the Male Hawk Moth, Manduca sexta, Kylie N. Christiansen
Factors Affecting Emergency Department Mental Health Visits, Logan Daul
Bare: the Modern Female Nude Uncovered, Tasha A. Determan
Investigating the Effect of Meaningful Relationships on Team Chemistry, Isabel N. Fairbanks
Bilingual Behaviors: Learning Context in Second Language Acquisition, Sydney M. Fulton
Juvenile Solitary Confinement and the Eighth Amendment, Taylor R. Graves
Qualitative Analysis of South Dakota Community Health Needs Assessments, Rachel Greiner
Convolutional Neural Network for COVID-19 Detection in Chest X-Rays, Joshua Elliot Henderson
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA FACULTY AND STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION, Morgan A. Hughes Mrs.
ANTITRUST PHILOSOPHY AND ITS IMPACT ON RURAL INDUSTRY, Logan Gary Johnson
CONSIDERATIONS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT DATA COLLECTION IN SOUTH DAKOTA: A CROSS-NATIONAL COMPARISON WITH IRELAND, Mattie J. Jones
Barriers for Small Businesses to Adopt Sustainable Practices in the Sioux Falls Area, Meredith King
EFFECTS OF PRE-LITERACY ON HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH LEARNERS (ELS) IN THE RURAL UPPER MIDWEST, Maciah L. Lorang
To Live With, Serina Lund
Cognitive Task Enhancement Through Alpha Neurofeedback, Hannah L. Meyer and Douglas Peterson
EVALUATION OF ANTIBODY RESPONSE AGAINST G4 AND G1 EURASIAN AVIAN-LIKE H1N1 STRAINS WITH HA VACCINATION IN SWINE., Callie Jo Olson
Assessing Student Utilization, Accessibility, and Awareness of Mental Health Practices at the University of South Dakota, Melissa N. Pham
The Relationship between Pro-stress and Anti-stress Receptors in the Stress-Learning Brain Regions of Female Mice, Nathan Popp
Women's Representation and Its Impact on Global Female Physical Security, Sydnee D. Pottebaum
The Impact of Sleep on Athletic Performance: A Review of the Literature, Rylan J. Pratt
Preventative Healthcare Programs, Caileb T. Reilly
TROPHISH: BUILDING A GLOBAL DATABASE OF FRESHWATER TROPHIC INTERACTIONS, Jacob M. Ridgway
Nitro-Aromatic Polymers for Conversion-Style Battery Cathodic Materials, Brady P. Samuelson
Communication Disorders and Mental Health: A Scoping Review, Haven B. Schultze
A Document Analysis of Political Rhetoric in 2021-22 South Dakota Higher Education, Carson M. Sehr
Testing for Transferred Immunity of a Universal Influenza Vaccine in Pigs, Rachel Marie Sestak
Testing for Transferred Immunity of a Universal Influenza Vaccine in Pigs, Rachel Marie Sestak
BUY-ONLINE-PICKUP-IN-STORE (BOPIS) BUSINESS STRATEGY: A MULTIVARITE STUDY OF BOPIS INFLUENCING FACTORS ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, Addison G. Smith
Reno-protective and Immune Effects of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 in Obesity-related Kidney Disease, Jessie T. Sullivan
Perception of the COVID-19 Vaccine Compared to Previous Historic Vaccine Programs Amongst the Influence of Modern Society, Kianna Thelen
Representation of Women & BBIA Composers in the Teaching Music through Performance in Band Series, Alicia M. Turnquist
Paleopathological Analyses of Maya Skeletal Samples to Reconstruct Childhood Health and Frailty, Kira J. Wilde
The Well-being Outcomes of Sexual Assault Survivors After Sexual Assault Kit Examinations, Brianna N. Zimmer
Honors Theses from 2021
The Emergence of Neurology During the American Civil War: The Delafield Commission's Impact on Military Medicine, Michaela Ahrenholtz
DECREASED ACTIVITY OF PHOSPHOFRUCTOKINASE-1 IN FLIGHT MUSCLE CELLS OF HAWK MOTH MANDUCA SEXTA WITH AGE, Owen G. Alvine
Breaking the Cognitive Spell: Cognitive Fusion Mediates the Relation of Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity and Rumination in Undergraduate College Students, Jacey L. Anderberg
Let's Talk About (Cred)it, Taylor J. Anderson
Catabolism of BCAAs and Application, Skylar Arellano-Myers
In Loving Memory: Beginning the Conversation on Grief and Loss, Sydney Anne Bitz
Empathy Training to Combat Provider Burnout in Geriatric Healthcare, Heather N. Block
Accounting Implications Derived from Consumer Big Data, Benjamin E. Boehrns
PVN ACTIVITY IN CARDIAC SYMPATHETIC AFFERENT REFLEX (CSAR) CONTROL AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION, Shane H. Boomer
A Criminological Analysis of Notorious Serial Killers in the United States, Hannah E. Booth
Rhythm of the Night: Brain Activity and Performance on a Sustained Attention Task is Modulated by Circadian Typology and Time of Day, Carly R. Cooper
Overgrown: A Collection of Supernatural Narratives, Emily Dawn Cote
MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS OF HUMAN CELL PROTEINS WITH SARS-COV-2 VERSUS INFLUENZA VIRUSES, Linze Cowman
An Analysis of Dyslexia Legisation and Implementation Guidelines in Midwestern States, Josephine A. Denning
Indigenous Peoples' Trust in Police: Multi-Jurisdictional Issues and the Effect on Reporting, Anna R. Doering
Students Perceptions of Alcohol Use on University Campuses, Phil J. Dohn
Disparities in Access to Assisted Reproductive Technology Among Hispanic Women in the United States, Madison Gallagher
Selenium Burdens in Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta), Holly A. Gerberding