Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects
The Honors Program at Otterbein University is a rigorous and exciting program of study for students of high academic ability and strong personal motivation. This is a collection of honors papers written by Otterbein University undergraduate students. Some projects may be embargoed at the request of the author and their advisor, restricting access to the project until a specific date. Advanced access to embargoed projects is available to Otterbein community members upon request. Otterbein students, alumni, faculty, and staff may email digitalcommons07@otterbein.edu to request access - please include the title, author, and year of the project being requested along with your name, Otterbein affiliation, and email address.
Most papers completed after 2014 are included in Digital Commons @ Otterbein. Search the Library catalog to locate papers completed prior to 2014.
Note to Otterbein Alumni: If you completed an honors paper as part of your coursework at Otterbein University and would like us to add it to Digital Commons @ Otterbein, please email digitalcommons07@otterbein.edu.Papers/Projects from 2026
THE EFFECT OF DEWORMING HORSES WITH FENBENDAZOLE OR MOXIDECTIN ON SERUM INTERFERON-GAMMA VALUES (Honors Paper) , Mia Pei Ames, Equine Science
Effects of Splice Variants in Perilipin 5 (Honors Paper) , Dylan Andrews and John Tansey, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
(Don't) Laugh: A Collection of Essays Describing the Personal Relationship With Humor (Honors Paper) , Frederick Borer, English
Structure Function Studies on the Hydrophobic Pocket of Perilipin 5 (Honors Paper) , Emma Errington, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Small Strongyle Egg Reappearance Period After Treatment with Moxidectin or Fenbendazole (Honors Paper) , Madeline Gaber, Equine Science
Characterizing DNA Mismatch Repair Pathway (MMR) repertoire and expression in a clade of early-transitional mycoheterotrophic orchids (Honors Paper) , Sydnee H. Goff, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
William: The Musical (Honors Paper) , Tyler C. Green, Music
Just Unmasking Knowledge? A Critical Interpretation of Fluctuating Jellyfish Populations for a Mass Media Audience (Honors Paper) , Wrenne R. Grone, English
Here I Stay: An Exploration of Entrapment Through Personal Essay (Honors Paper) , Annabelle Hartzog, English
Investigating Enduring Popularity in Film Through The Karate Kid (1984) (Honors Paper) , Grayson H. Hawk, English
Exploring the Link Between and Art Therapy Effectiveness and ADHD Tendencies (Honors Paper) , Hailey Hill, Psychology
Writ and Roe: How and Why American Evangelicals Responded to Abortion and Roe v. Wade (1960-Present) (Honors Paper) , Caiden Hooks, History & Political Science
Characterization of a Novel Regulatory Gene in Streptomyces Coelicolor (Honors Paper) , Duaa Khan, Biology & Earth Science
The Impact of Therapy on the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Victim-Blaming in Adulthood (Honors Paper) , Atlas Kirkendall, Psychology
Social Support and Mental Wellbeing Among Veterinary Clinic Employees (Honors Paper) , Madison Koons, Sociology, Criminology and Justice Studies
Analyzing Protein Regulators in the Streptomyces Cyclic di-GMP Interactome (Honors Paper) , Jonathan Ledesma Garduno, Biology & Earth Science
Comparison of Enrichment Interaction Duration Between Male and Female Panthera leo leo (Honors Paper) , Maegen G. Meldrum, Biology & Earth Science
Effects of Road Salt on African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) Metabolism (Honors Paper) , Rachel L. Miller, Biology & Earth Science
Eating vs. Competing: Comparing Pressures of Disordered Eating in Lean and Non-lean Sports (Honors Paper) , Brielle G. Newland and Meredith Meyer, Psychology
Materialism Matters Most: The Limited Influence of Social Context and Appeal Framing on Donations to an Environmental Organization (Honors Paper) , Mitchell K. Patterson, Psychology
Talking Black: The Construction of Blackness in Film (Honors Paper) , D'Andre M. Person, Sociology, Criminology and Justice Studies
THE EFFECT OF DIET ON THE POPULATION SIZE AND NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF ONISCUS ASELLUS (Honors Paper) , Haley R. Plaugher, Biology & Earth Science
The Coffin of Media Literacy: Malice, Morality, and Misinformation in Taboo Topics (Honors Paper) , Lukas Rhynard, English
ANAXYRUS AMERICANUS AND PSEUDACRIS CRUCIFER TADPOLES RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE TURTLE PREDATOR CUES (Honors Paper) , Emma D. Slates, Biology & Earth Science
The Politics of The Erotic: Echoes of Audre Lorde in Dee Rees’s Pariah (Honors Paper) , Karina Streeter, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
An Evaluation of Factors Predicting Sense of Belonging in Higher Education (Honors Paper) , Kayla Swanson, Psychology
Model Woman: Realizing Frances Folsom Cleveland as a Fashion Archetype of Gilded-Age America (Honors Paper) , Olivia R. Sweet, History & Political Science
Superstition and Perceived Athlete Performance (Honors Paper) , Derrick Turner, Health & Sport Sciences
INTERACTING PARTNERS OF A STREPTOMYCES SPORE SHAPE DETERMINATION PROTEIN (Honors Paper) , Emma K. Weller, Biology & Earth Science
An Examination of the Relationship Between Personality Traits, Family Influence, and Substance Use (Honors Paper) , Mya White, Psychology
The Effect of Dewormer on Inflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-17 Levels in Serum from Horses (Honors Paper) , Noelle Wilson, Equine Science
Effect of Deworming Horses with Moxidectin or Fenbendazole on Serum Amyloid A (Honors Paper) , Rachel R. Wingard, Equine Science
Papers/Projects from 2025
Personification: A Short Film (Honors Project) , Charles R. Adams, Music
Analysis of Psychoactive Compounds in the Web-building behavior of Mangora maculata (Honors Paper) , Diane R. Castner, Biology & Earth Science
Artifice, Audience, and Antifascism: The Backstage Film Musical as Avant-Garde (Honors Paper) , Jane Cook, English
Rapid Identification of Ambystoma Mexicanum Genotype Using PCR Techniques (Honors Paper) , Elizabeth C. Dean, Biology & Earth Science
The Effects of Pond Algal Deterrents on the Growth and Development of Gray Treefrogs, Hyla Versicolor (Honors Paper) , Lauren E. Fedder, Biology & Earth Science
Framing Fins: Exploring the Capacity of Emotions in Films to Influence Participation in Shark Conservation by Generation Z (Honors Paper) , Phoebe Gibson, Biology & Earth Science
Designing Metal Cations that Crystallize with Metal Halide Clusters to Form Salts as Precursors to New Materials (Honors Paper) , Landon e. Keenan Mr, Chemistry
How Academic Motivation is Predicted by Personality and Parent-Child Dynamics (Honors Paper) , Leah Locke, Psychology
Sacrilege: Part II - Blood is Gray (Honors Paper) , Dalton A. Mosley, English
Transportation Mechanism of Perilipin 5 into the Nucleus (Honors Paper) , Tatum L. Poulton, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Heaven Stilled: A Novel (Honors Paper) , Grace Smith, English
The Relationship Between Bedtime Procrastination, Stress, and Sleep Hygiene During a Semester (Honors Paper) , Amanda N. Stevens, Psychology
From Rhetoric to Reality: The U.S. Republican Party's Shifting Stance on Immigration (Honors Paper) , Greyson Thagard, History & Political Science
Prosocial Behavior Towards Women Based on Clothing (Honors Paper) , Lily R. Whitehair, Psychology
Variations in the Microstructural Morphology and Reflectance of Cover Scales From a Sexually Dimorphic Wing Region of the Summer Azure Butterfly, Celastrina neglecta (Edwards) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) (Honors Paper) , Adam E. Willis, Biology & Earth Science
Papers/Projects from 2024
Fall Prevention in the Geriatric Population (Honors Paper) , Maria Bier, Health & Sport Sciences
The Injury Risks of Sport Specialization on Division III College Athletes (Honors Paper) , Kaitlin Brun, Health & Sport Sciences
Galois Theory and the Insolvability of a Quintic (Honors Paper) , Emma Grace Chapman, Mathematical Sciences
Feasibility of an Integrated Online Fantasy Sports Platform to Promote Meditation Activity in a Male Undergraduate Population (Honors Paper) , Samuel Degenhard, Psychology
Effects of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on equine salivary cortisol concentrations and stress and relaxation behaviors (Honors Paper) , Emma Hartzler, Equine Science
Molecular Sex Determination in a Segregating Population of Ginkgo biloba Seedlings (Honors Paper) , Jacob Hawkes, Biology & Earth Science
Effects of papain and benzyl isothiocyanate on the motility of Parascaris spp. larvae (Honors Project) , Taoni Hickey, Equine Science
Characterization of White Pigments in the Woo Collection at the Frank Museum of Art (Honors Paper) , Drew Holman, Chemistry
The Effect of Metabolic State on Perilipin 5/5b Expression (Honors Paper) , Ethan D. Johnson, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Survey of Bordetella bronchiseptica Presence in Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) (Honors Paper) , Gabriella Laird, Biology & Earth Science
Pilot Study: Effects of Whole Body Vibrational Therapy on Equine Epaxial Muscle Soreness (Honors Project) , Riley Leibeck, Equine Science
Assesment of Equine Stress and Relaxation and Human Stress in Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Sessions (Honors Paper) , Hannah Mohler, Equine Science
Unintended Consequences? An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Touching Zoo Animals on Children's Conservation Attitudes (Honors Paper) , Sean Palmer, Psychology
Characterization of cyclic-di-GMP metabolizing genes in Streptomyces scabies (Honors Paper) , Ashni Patel, Biology & Earth Science
An Analysis of Fish Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in the Scioto River Watershed Since the 1990s (Honors Paper) , Natalie Reynolds, Biology & Earth Science
Protein-Protein Interaction of Perilipin-5 and Adipose Triglyceride Lipase: A Comparative Study Using Pancreatic Lipase and Colipase (Honors Paper) , Evan Saunier, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The Effects of Road Salt on Larval Gray Treefrog (Hyla Versicolor) Development and Plastic Responses to Predation Threat (Honors Paper) , Adilia Schmidt, Biology & Earth Science
Analysis of Conjugation and Intermolecular Forces in a Series of Substituted Oxadiazoles (Honors Paper) , Olive Schnittker, Chemistry
The Pseudo-Liberation of Women and Feminism in American Cinema of the 1970s (Honors Paper) , Claudia Smallwood, English
Inhibit of Transport of Perilipin 5 (Honors Paper) , Erin Storrer, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
March on Eventide: High Fantasy and the Queerplatonic (Honors Paper) , Harper Wood, English
Papers/Projects from 2023
Adverse Childhood Experiences and School Productivity: What is the Role of Social Networks and Religion (Honors Paper) , Fahima Noor Ali, Psychology
Characterization of Streptomyces coelicolor Transposon Mutants and Deletion of Possible Chromosome Segregation Gene (Honors Paper) , Olivia Brickey, Biology & Earth Science
Implementation of Seasonal Diets through Seasonal Diet Surveys in Sloth Bears (Melursus ursinus): A Case Study at Idaho Falls Zoo (Honors Paper) , Noah Clever, Biology & Earth Science
Just Choices? Judicial Selection, Ideology, and Partisanship in the Ohio Supreme Court (Honors Paper) , Margo D'Agostino, History & Political Science
Evaluation of the hydrophobic clefts of perilipins 3 and 5 (Honors Paper) , Kaitlin Dean, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Religiosity as a Moderator of Infidelity in Dark Triad Women (Honors Paper) , Sophie M. Domanik, Psychology
The Effects of Therapy Dogs on Student Mood and Mindfulness (Honors Paper) , Carter Graham, Psychology
Nutrient Plasticity in the Feeder Insect Blaptica dubia Fed Different Diets During Growth (Honors Paper) , Wayne Grindle, Biology & Earth Science
Breaking Barriers: Navigating Microaggressions and Belonging in Zoos and Aquariums for White and BIPOC Animal Care Professionals (Honors Paper) , Naomi Marie Lewis, Biology & Earth Science
Effects of Heavy Metal Uptake on Growth, Chlorophyll Content, and Calcium Oxalate Crystals in Lemna minor (Duckweed) (Honors Paper) , Olivia F. Miller, Biology & Earth Science
Scaffolding Mental State Inference with Abstract Representations (Honors Paper) , Logan Nelson, Psychology
Exploring Protein Interactions Within the Cyclic di-GMP Pathway of Streptomyces (Honors Paper) , Mason Nolan, Biology & Earth Science
Intracellular Transportation of Perilipin 5 (Honors Paper) , Mara Shields, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
A Continuation of the Differentiation of Transit Agencies and Their Funding in the United States (Honors Paper) , Hannah Stapp, Business, Accounting, & Economics
Writing Against Progress: Frank Herbert's Anti-Utopia (Honors Paper) , Seth Stobart, English
The Owl House: Queerness and Witchcraft in Modern Media (Honors Paper) , Gray E. Takahashi, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Gaming to Learn Genetics (Honors Paper) , Sarah Wolfe, Biology & Earth Science
Papers/Projects from 2022
Views of Division III Athletes on Mental Health in Athletics (Honors Paper) , Megan Bishop, Health & Sport Sciences
Uniting England’s Two Nations: The Victorian Social Problem Novel as a Medium for Sociopolitical Change (Honors Paper) , Kat Gibson, English
Ohio Anuran Gut Microbiomes (Honors Paper) , Serena Hoffman, Biology & Earth Science
Studies Toward Provenance Determination For Indigo Dyes (Honors Paper) , Erin Kibby, Chemistry
Why Society Mistrusts the Science of COVID-19 (Honors Paper) , Calvin King, Sociology, Criminology and Justice Studies
Inhibition of Nuclear Transport of Perilipin 5 (Honors Paper) , Hope Lewis, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Effects of Temperature and Plant and Animal Diets on Metabolic Rate in the Juvenile Red Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) (Honors Paper) , Taylor MacDonald and Sarah Bouchard, Biology & Earth Science
Distribution Of Toxicity Of Plant Species In The Plant Family Sapindaceae (Sub-Family Hippocastanoideae) (Honors Paper) , Vishvam Mehta, Biology & Earth Science
Comparative Kinematic Gait Analysis in Adults with Multiple Disabilities (Honors Paper) , Lauren Rumbalski, Health & Sport Sciences
The Pussy as Prey: Discourses of Predation and Human Sexual Violence (Honors Paper) , Paige Skaff, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Antibacterial Activity, Structure-Activity Relationships, and Scale-Up Reaction of 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles (Honors Paper) , Olivia Marie Smith, Chemistry
MHC Diversity Analysis of Spheniscus demersus for in situ and ex situ Populations (Honors Paper) , Antonieta van den Berg Monsalve, Biology & Earth Science
Papers/Projects from 2021
The Effect of Support Systems on Delinquency (Honors Paper) , Elizabeth S. Bohrer, Sociology, Criminology and Justice Studies
In Tandem (Honors Paper) , Lucy Clark, English
Forgotten Things: A Historian's Tale (Honors Paper) , Mary Jackson, English