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 2021
Developing Program Infrastructure for Relationship-Building Between Native Communities and Premedical Students in South Dakota, Andrew J. Nerland
Effectiveness of Pathogen-Specific Passive Antibodies to Mitigate Infectious Diseases in Apis Mellifera, Tanner Nordseth
Majority-Party Status and Gender: Understanding Productivity in the U.S. House of Representatives, Carissa M. Occhipinto
Toxic Effect of Crotalus adamanteus Acidic Phospholipase A2 on MCF-7 Cell Line, Daniel J. Petra
Nietzsche, Foucault, Power: A Study of Paradox and Ontology in Nietzsche, Nicholas R. Ray
IMPACTFUL INTERACTIONS WITH MEDICAL INTERPRETATION, Alyssa L. Reinschmidt
Stage of Estrous Cycle Influences Behavior After Social Stress, Alexander Jonah Rodriguez
Standardized Tests: Effects on Science Education and Diversity in Science, Rachel A. Rucker
Suzuki Coupling Catalyzed by (8-(dimesitylboryl)quinoline)palladium(0) Species: A Theoretical Analysis, Haley S. Rust
The Art of Breaking Up: Ending Romantic Relationships, Emma Salzwedel
Edge of a Dream, Lauren Schild
From Sisterhood to the Senate: The Sorority Experience and Preparing Women for Political Leadership, Kelli L. Susemihl
Future Healthcare Professionals’ Attitudes About the Sexuality of Women with Intellectual Disabilities, Noel N. Tolvanen
Honors Theses from 2020
Consequences of In Utero Exposure to Alcohol with a Focus on Behavioral Outcomes, Brittany N. Bamberg
Utilization of Mobile Technology Applications to Promote Early Literacy in Children with Complex Communication Needs, Hanna Nicole Browder
How Does Arch Height Factor Into Running-Related Injuries?, Taylor M. Brown
"A place for us", Dillon M. Bryant
Enhancing Upconversion nanoparticle performance of NaYF4: Yb,Tm with doping optimization and shell addition and of NaYF4: Yb,Er with Yb,Nd shell addition, Ashleigh M. Chov
Food In Prison: An Eighth Amendment Violation or Permissible Punishment?, Natasha M. Clark
The Victimization of Native American Women in the United States: The Impact and Potential Underlying Factors, Kaci A. Clement
Dead Zones: An Analysis of South Dakota’s Rural EMS System, Jenna A. Corrin
Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering of Gold Nanostars for Encoding Molecular Information, Samantha E. Curry
The Kinetics Of Influenza A (A/CALIFORNIA/4/2009-H1N1) And B (B/PHUKET/3073/2013 (BYAM), B/BRISBANE/60/2008 (BVIC)) Virus Infection In Ferrets, Demi L. Erickson
Albert Camus's Absurd in 20th Century American Fiction, Alec V. Faiman
Evolution of United States Navy Amphibious Landing Doctrine During World War II, Jaedon A. Foreman
Service-Learning and Its Association with Self-Efficacy, Cultural Humility, and Social Justice, Josie M. Galles
Groups of Divisibility, Seth J. Gerberding
Plato's Ban: Why the Poets are Exiled, Seth J. Gerberding
Identifying Determinants of Target Specificity in Two Related Bacterial Peptide Toxins, Andrew D. Holmes
Assisting Children with Velocardiofacial Syndrome Who Have Developmental Disabilities and Delays Associated with Speech, Communication, and Education, McKenzie K. Holty
Current and Future Applications of 3D Printing Using Custom-Made Materials, Bridger T. Irons
Health Care and Plains Native Americans: Striving Towards a Culturally Competent Medical School Curriculum, Benjamin M. Jacobs
Testing Kalanchoe laxiflora U6 Promoters for Optimal sgRNA Expression in Tobacco, Marlee E. Jones
History of the South Dakota Human Services Center 1879-2019: Trials, Trends, and Tragedies to Transformation, Kate L. Katterhagen
The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Gender Wage Inequality of South Korea's Labor Market, Shinyoung Kim
Determining the Kinetic Isotope Effect of Ruthenium Compound Ru(bpy)₂(bpyNO)(PF₆)₂ Using Artificial Photosynthesis, Alexandra I. Kirkvold
Mechanistic Study of Cooperative Ligand-Centered Reactivity in Triaminoborane-Bridged Diphosphine Complexes, Clara Kirkvold
Betting the Farm: An Application of Modern Portfolio Theory to South Dakota Agriculture, Lucas M. Ladenburger
OPTIMIZATION OF METHODS FOR CROSS-SPECIES INFECTION OF CELL CULTURES WITH WOLBACHIA, Sarah J. Lane
Effect of the Establishment of a 2-week Brief Mindfulness Practice on Positive Nutritional Choices and Perceived Stress in College Undergraduates, Emily M. Larson
The History of Sex Education in the United States: With Application to South Dakota, Lauren A. Lavin
Running on Fumes: The Long and Short-Run Effects of British Columbia's Carbon Tax on Gasoline Consumption, Martin A. Long
CIVIC EDUCATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA K-12 SCHOOLS: THE EFFECT ON STUDENTS FROM K-12 TO ADULTHOOD, Katrina Marie Callahan
Bilingualism/Multilingualism to Protect Against Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Forms of Dementia: A Systematic Review, Kirsten L. May
Reacting to the Past: A High Impact Practice as a Tool for Retaining Honors Students, Hannah B. McClelland
Guiding Principle 28: The Unfulfilled Promise to End Protracted Displacement in Azerbaijan, Kaleigh Rose McLaughlin
Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Literature Review and Comprehensive Treatment Analysis, Charlton Mechling
Social Aggression and Stress-Related Phenotype Formation in the Stress Alternatives Model, Tayler L. Modlin
Time for a Change? Brain Activity and Behavioral Performance Reveal Different Dynamics at Short, Intermediate, and Long Delay Intervals During a Delay Discounting Task, Conrad A. Mohr-Eymer
Biological and Social Links Between Eating Behavior and Stress Among College Students, Kailyn M. Mutsch
The Art of Saying Goodbye, Emily L. Origer
A Performance and Pedagogical Approach of "Adagio" from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, K.622, Nicole A. Pierson
THE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON MENTAL HEALTH, Xavier A. Pinex
The Relationship Between LGBTQ+ Representation on the Political and Theatrical Stages, Brett V. Ries
Influences of Anti-Bd Bacteria on Amphibians and their Microbiomes, Emme L. Schmidt
Dementia: Types, What They Are and How They Differ, Jessica N. Schnetzer
Review of Cerebral Palsy: The Various Intervention Techniques, Taylor Jo Schultz
I See What You're Saying: A Deaf Culture And American Sign Language Awareness Event, Alexis M. Sejnoha
Managing Chronic Pain Through Advancements in Transcranial Brain Stimulation Technology Currently Used for Depression, Ashley N. Skinner
The NCAA's Breaking Point for Equal Opportunity: A Title IX Perspective on Name, Image, and Likeness Sponsorship Legislation, Joshua C. Sorbe
Effect of Sport-specific Demands On Swimmer's Shoulder, Jordan A. Thielbar
Honors Theses from 2019
The Role of Social Well-Being in Sustainability, Rachel Abele
Assessing the Viability of Using Human Medical Cadavers as Research Subjects in Post-1950 Radiocarbon Dating, Natalie Basta
Review of Risk Factors Associated with the Development of Iliotibial Band Syndrome in Runners, Kyle Bergeson
The Biological Basis of Nervous Tissue Repetitive Strain Injuries in eSports Competitors, Katryna Booth-Malnack
Surveillance of Ranavirus and Bacterial Microbiome Characterization of False Map Turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica) Along the Lower Missouri River, USA, Madeline McClaine Butterfield
Application of Leininger’s Culture Care Theory in Family Medical History, Avery Del Grosso
Music on the Plains: Felix Vinatieri’s Forgotten Legacy, Nicholas Demuth
Evaluation of Antibodies Induced After Vaccination with H1N1 Vaccine Candidates Created by DNA Shuffling, Baylor DeVries
DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS TO EVALUATE THE USE OF MEDI-551 TO TARGET CD19 TRANSMEMBRANE PROTEINS ON B-CELLS TO IMPROVE SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS, Natalia Dohman
Ex Vivo Study of Skeletal Muscle Secretion of Interleukin-6, Anthony Drazick
The Pathophysiological Implications of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Diagnosis and Treatment, Braeden Edleman
2018 Department of Public Safety Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey Report, Olivia Edoff
Implementation of Tracking System for Sexual Assault Kits in South Dakota, Regan Enos
100 Years Later: An Analysis Into Factors That Affected Mortality During The 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic, Austin Haack
Machismo and Consequential Aphrodisiac Consumption in Oaxaca, Mexico, Brianna M. Harguth
Evaluation of Self-Adjuvanting M2e Vaccine Efficacy in Response to Influenza A Virus Challenge, Dustin Heiden
Oral Health and Awareness at The University of South Dakota, Hannah Hofmaier
Are Women Benching Themselves From The South Dakota Judiciary?, Marcus Ireland
A Traditional Medicine’s Deep Time History and Rethinking Depression, Nathan Jones
The Effects of Acute Stress on Responses to Nociceptive and Non-nociceptive Stimuli, Danielle Mack
Euphoria, Candra Mahrt
Do it Yourself: Women and LGBTQ+ Musicians and Promoters in the DIY Midwest Music Scene, Morgan W. Matzen
Age-Related Changes in two Muscle Enzymes of the Hawk Moth, Connor McMahon
Human Trafficking in Ghana: A Comparative Analysis, Erica Miller
An Integrative and Comparative Analysis of Transcriptome and Targetome Data of Medulloblastoma, Blaine Nelson
The Inconfidêntes – A Play Inspired by the Inconfidência Mineira, Issac Otterman
Honey Bee and Varroa Destructor Population Dynamics, Karissa Palmer
Defining the Properties of the OS-33 Osteosarcoma Cell Line and Effects of mTORC1 Inhibition by Rapamycin, Mykayla Palmer
Nonpharmacologic Interventions for Agitation in Persons with Dementia, Cassandra Pieschke
Invisible Interactions: Communication Guidelines for Caregivers Facing Dementia-Induced Subjective Realities, Christian Pollema
Truth, Karina Ramirez
Music in the Digital Age: An Analysis of Declining Revenue in the U.S. Recorded Music Industry, Ward M. Reesman
Examining the Early Stages of Adaptive Radiation in Anolis Lizards from Martinique, Patrick Alan Reiter
Death, Taxes, and Climate Induced Flooding: How Local Governments Can Use Tax Policy to Implement Climate Adaptation Projects, Jacob Selgestad
Whole Transcriptome Gene Expression and how it Relates to Muscle Performance in Anolis Lizards, Luke Smith
The Effect of Exercise on College Students' Overall Health, Tanner Steineke
Osteobiography of Ancient Egyptian Mummified Remains, 900-790 BC, Cassandra Tester
The Effect of a Universal Basic Income on Life Decisions: Evidence from a Student Lab Experiment, Tyler Wenande