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 2025
Let's Grow: Investigating the Relationship Between Houseplants and Mental Health in College Students, Makia G. Adler
Development of a Synthetic Biomarker System for Early Detection of Myocardial Infarction, Kennedy Alexis Bietz
Gender, Parenthood, and Crime: What People Expect When You’re Expecting, Madelyn Blaser
Digital Access, Digital Skills, and Academic Success: Rethinking Digital Capital in Higher Education, Nicholas Boon
Ability, Advocacy, and Access: Pre-Law Students and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Ella Rose Branham
Stress-Related Phenotypic Differentiation Identified by Motivational Behaviors in Male Mice, Renee A. Brummels
The Menstrual Cycle and Exercise Performance: A Literature Review, Reagan E. Burchill
Understanding Undergraduate Aspirations for Law Enforcement Careers and Motivation in the Classroom, Gabriella N. Burt
A Case Study of Ungrading on Student Learning in Higher Education, Brooke M. Creviston
Monitoring the Qosh Tepa Canal Project: A Geospatial Timeline of Taliban Water Diversion, Enerel L. Crosslin
Play and Martial Arts: Play Philosophy's Perspective on Fighting, Joseph RN Donahoe
The Endocannabinoid System's Influence and Modulation of Nociception, Doreen M. Flannery
"You Gonna Be Like Mama": A Case Study of Intergenerational Sex Trafficking, Lindsey M. Grabowska
Relationship between Prodigiosin Production and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Metabolite Concentration, Nautica EK Hagg
Reducing Stigma Towards Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD): A Parasocial Contact Approach, Prah Haider
Expediting Tool-Use Learning: Effects of Non-Invasive Neurostimulation of the Left Anterior Supramarginal Gyrus, Kamila Haliru
Our Obsession With Serial Killers: A Jeffrey Dahmer Media Analysis, Aysia Jo Hall
Creating A Home Away From Home: Enhancing Student Well-Being and Persistence through Student Programming in University Housing, Marissa J. Johnson
The Sound of Disruption: The Effects of Music Streaming Services and Technological Change on The Music Industry, Adam J. Kays
ARTHROSCOPY AND THE FUTURE OF SURGERY: PERSONAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFITS, Preston T. Koski
THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL, BIOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL FACTORS ON TELOMERE LENGTH IN CHESTNUT-CROWNED BABBLERS, Carson L. Langston
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The Impact of the Gut-Brain Axis on Mental Health, Emily S. Miiller
Addressing Diabetic Retinopathy Prevalence in Low-Income Communities: Barriers to Quality Healthcare and Strategies for Equitable Treatment Access, Morkeia A. Mutchelknaus
Pterygopalatine Ganglion Blocks in Medicine: Bridging Neuromodulation and Pain Relief, Tori B. Ostrand
AMERICAN FOOTBALL INTERNAL HELMET PADDING MATERIAL AND DESIGN TESTING, Spencer J. Pigman
Digital Eye Strain in College Students: The Impact of Academic Majors and Study Habits on Visual Health, Jennica L. Pitts
South Dakota Department of Health: Office of Community Engagement Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2025-2028, Julia E. Platt
Computational Investigation of the Chemical Bond between An(III) Ions and Soft-Donor Ligands, Naomi E. Rehberg
Sex Differences in Adult Frailty at the Late-Terminal Classic (C. 750-1000 CE) Maya Site of Lower Dover, Rose Rioux
THE IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Pragati K. Rouniyar
Food Insecurity and Childhood Obesity: College Students' Past and Present Eating Habits, Morgan A. Schmidt
PHYSICAL THERAPISTS’ CONFIDENCE WITH PATIENTS EXPRESSING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR BEHAVIORS, Amber J. Schwanebeck
Demography of Bluff View Cemetery Vermillion, SD, Ellie E. Schwartz
How Childhood Maltreatment Shapes Brain Regions: Considerations for Speech-Language Pathology, Alexa G. Sees
Restoring Confidence in Our Elections: An Analysis of Post-Election Audits in South Dakota, Evan Sippel
REVIVING BAYBAYIN: THE PRE-HISPANIC WRITING SYSTEM OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND RAISING AWARENESS IN THE UNITED STATES, Richana K. Stone
Using Visual Discharge Instructions: How Comics Can Improve Healthcare and Outcomes for Limited English Proficient Patients, Alexandra R. Streeter
Public Health and Crime Rates in Sioux Falls, SD, Samuel D. Stukel
The Impact of the Attributional Theory of Motivation on Education, Taytum J. Sweetland
A Comparison of Natural and Synthesized Speech in a Case of Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech, Kaitlyn S. Tegethoff
A Literature Review: Understanding Gestalt Language Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jordynn L. Urwiler
HOW NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS HAS AFFECTED NCAA LEGISLATION, Lauren VerSteeg
A Discussion on Eminent Domain Laws Regarding the Midwest Carbon Sequestration Pipeline, Michael Wagenaar
COVID-19 AND RELATED ADVERSE NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS, Hannah A. Wasson
Functional Electrical Stimulation for Foot Drop: A Narrative Review, Garrett R. Watson
A Modified SIR Model Used to Investigate the Relationship Between Congenital and Adult Syphilis, Kaleesta R. Waysman
All Stressed Out: An Investigation on the Effects of Environmental Stressors on the Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens), Ella C. Wittmuss
The Art of Dreaming: A Surrealist Approach to Dream Analysis, Shelby Wright
ASSOCIATIONS OF MUSCULAR AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS VARIABLES WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN OLDER ADULT ATHLETE POPULATIONS, Lauren T. Zick
NPS-1, Johanna G. Ziegler
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 Impact of Religiosity on Students’ Experience at the University of South Dakota, Emmalee J. Bosma
Monitoring Selenium Bioaccumulation In False Map Turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica), Grant M. Budden
"They Just Needed to be Given the Opportunity": Judicial Perspectives of Drug/DUI Courts in South Dakota, RyLeigh A. Christopherson
AMERICA’S PRISON SYSTEMS: BEGINNING THE SWITCH FROM PUNITIVE TO REHABILITATIVE, Sydney R. Clair
THE DEARTH OF KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTH INSURANCE LITERACY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, Katherine A. Conzet
Comparison of Perceived Stress in First-Year Pre-Med Students and First-Year Medical Students at USD, Maggie Derner
Beer, Bourbon, and Bertrand: an Experimental Economics Analysis, Noah Cameron Dixon
PERCEPTIONS OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS THERAPY ON CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, Kaitlyn Drilling
Prosecutors’ and Police Chiefs’ Perception of Crime in South Dakota, Maggie Erickson
MENTAL HEALTH AMONG COLLEGIATE ATHLETES, Stella Elise Fairbanks
BEYOND AMATEURISM: EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL LABOR EXPENSES OF NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE EMPLOYMENT, Alayna K. Falak
THE CONSEQUENCES OF HOMOPHOBIA: ANALYSIS OF DISCRIMINATORY MEDICAL AND LEGISLATIVE POLICIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON HEALTH DISPARITIES, Kaiden J. Fandel
User Perception of Gender Studies in Video Games, Quinn T. Gienapp
Understanding the Importance of Dreissenid Mussel Mitigation in South Dakota, Allison P. Gross
ANALYZING HEAT GENERATED FROM ELECTRO-OSMOTIC FLOW UTILIZING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS, Jordan Elizabeth Grothe
Comparing Oxidative Balance of Summer and Winter Acclimatized Birds, Olivia R. Gulseth
Generational Awareness of Folk Figures in the American Midwest, Addison L. Jensen
STRATEGIES OVER KNOWLEDGE: TRAINING GAPS PRESENT IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER FOR PEDIATRIC AND STUDENT NURSES, Jasmine E. Johnson
OLD NAGPRA-NEW RULES: THE NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION & REPATRIATION ACT IN CONTEXT, Nicholas S. Kennedy
Major Injuries Sustained in Towable Watersports, Elijah J. Klein
MEDIA CENSORSHIP’S DEVELOPMENT IN THE INFORMATION AGE: AUTHORITARIAN CASE STUDIES IN EUROPE DURING THE 20th AND 21st CENTURIES, Carter R. Linke
THE MEXICAN IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE IN NORTHWEST IOWA: A QUALITATIVE PILOT STUDY, Gabriela J. Luevano
Development of Equipment Testing Hardware for the SuperCDMS Experiment, Oleksandra Lukina
Evaluating Neanderthal Depopulation with Direct Neanderthal and Châtelperronian Radiocarbon Data, Thomas K. Lyman
Development of a Synthetic Biomarker System for Early Detection of Ischemic Stroke, Mason L. Matthies
Measuring the Effects of Selenium Exposure on Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Growth in vivo in Larval American Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana)., Taylor Morrison
Exploring Demagoguery and Political Rhetoric’s Impact Through Social Media, Avery Palsma
A SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TWO COMPUTERS USING NOVEL FREQUENCY SHIFT KEYING TECHNIQUES, Jared Reyes
Impact of Parental Spirituality on Child Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD After a Surgical Procedure, Ashlee M. Schendel
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
STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE: THREE PERSPECTIVES ON BEST PRACTICES FOR HIRING PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, Elyse Whittemore
Kicking Up Dust on Utah's Off-Road Vehicle Trails: PI-SWERL Assessment of Anthropogenic Dust Emissions, Wyatt A. Wiebelhaus
Metabolic Scaling of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates, Jacob Woelber
Bridging the Gap: Strategies for Enhancing WIC Participation Rates in South Dakota, Melissa K. Wyum
Recidivism in South Dakota, Allison L. Young
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