It took some students upward of two years to research and write, but the effort was not without recognition. Honors Program leaders hosted a dinner banquet May 12 for seniors who completed an Honors thesis under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
“We’re really proud of what you’ve accomplished, and we’re impressed with the outcomes,” she said of the 28 Fellows gathered in McKinnon Hall.
Barbara Bass ‘61, a member of the Elon University Board of Trustees, told students that their hard work makes university leaders proud.
“You accepted the highest academic challenge we offer at Elon and you’ve gone well beyond what would have been expected when I was a student,” Bass said. “Your commitment beyond the classroom is remarkable, and I applaud you for that. It’s rarely seen today.”
Each student received a certificate and a medallion in recognition of their completed thesis. Copies of each thesis will be bound and preserved as a permanent part of the Belk Library archives.
Alex Hopkins, an Honors Fellow speaking on behalf of the group, addressed the room as well. He praised faculty for their assistance throughout the process. “Their support has really made what we’re celebrating today possible,” he said.
The list of Honors Fellows, their faculty mentor, academic discipline and thesis title appears below:
• Allison Arpin (Physics)
Mentor: Martin Kamela
“Conformal Gravity Fits to Galactic Rotation Curves”
• Judith Boyce (Accounting/Finance)
Mentor: Buck McGregor
“Improving the Coordination of Efforts Among U.S. and International Agencies in Countering the Financing of Terrorism”
• Bonnie Brackett (Leisure and Sport Management)
Mentor: Hal Walker
“The Economic Impact of Select State Parks in Georgia”
• Jennifer Connolly (Political Science and Journalism)
Mentor: George Taylor
“The Politics of Tobacco in North Carolina: A Case Study”
• Sara Cox (Art and English)
Mentor: Kevin Boyle
“Hunger and Shine: A Creative Thesis in Poetry”
• Kaitlyn Day (Political Science and International Studies)
Mentor: Robert Anderson
“Rights-based Development: An Argument for a Socio-Economic approach”
• Jacqueline Del Giorno (Exercise Sports Science)
Mentor: Eric Hall
“Influence of Exercise Intensity on Cognitive Function During and Following Submaximal Exercise”
• Molly Dickinson (English (Creative Writing and Literature))
Mentor: Kevin Boyle
“Digging the Sacred Grounds: Uncovering a Poetic Process”
• Cara Disisto (Corporate Communications)
Mentor: Barbara Miller
“Who is she wearing: A study of brand appearances in top-rated television shows”
• Amy Duncan (English Education)
Mentor: Jean Schwind
“Political Satire in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld”
• Kelci Flowers (Psychology)
Mentor: Maurice Levesque
“Body Image Dissatisfaction Among African American Women: An Analysis of the Role of Racial Identity”
• Alexander Hopkins (Environmental Studies)
Mentor: Heidi Frontani
“Fishing Livelihoods and Marine Protected Areas in the United States Virgin Islands: A Community-Based Approach to Fishery Conservation”
• Julie Kenneally (Political Science and International Studies)
Mentor: Rudy Zarzar
“Women Who Kill and the Media that Makes them Famous: A Study of How Media Covers Female Suicide Terrorism”
• Tayler Kent (Journalism)
Mentor: Brooke Barnett
“Framing Terrorism: British and U.S. Coverage of 9/11 and 7/7”
• Allison Kipphut (Human Services)
Mentor: Beth Warner
“I Can’t Stop Being Who I Am: Sexuality, Faith, and Identity Development of Young, Gay Adults with Christian Backgrounds”
• Patrick Morse (Psychology)
Mentor: Maurice Levesque
“Do You Really Know Me? The Effect of Similarity on the Accuracy of Interpersonal Perception”
• Elizabeth Myers (Psychology)
Mentor: Tom Green
“Retention of Written Information as a Function of Age and Mode Presentation: Traditional Hard-Copy versus Electronic Visual Presentation”
• Allison Pariani (Religious Studies)
Mentor: Lynn Huber
“Painting the World: Reconciling Image and Text in the Spirit of Babel and Pentecost”
• Katherine Parkman (International Business and International Studies)
Mentor: Steve DeLoach
“Supersize Me?: Obesity and Productivity in Developed Nations”
• Matthew Potter (Accounting/Finance)
Mentor: Buck McGregor
“The Hidden Side of Nonprofits: Methods for Donors to Understand Nonprofit Financial Performance”
• Andrew Redman (History)
Mentor: Charles Irons
“Transitions in American Legal Education: The Development of University-Sponsored Law Schools in the Early Nineteenth Century United States”
• Lisa Rohde (Psychology)
Mentor: Alexa Darby
“Having High Expectations: The Emotions of Advanced Placement Teachers”
• Allison Tencza (Business)
Mentor: Larry Garber
“Emotional vs. Rational Theme-Based Incongruence Posed Across Verbal and Visual Modes in Print Ads: Their Respective Effects on the Consumer”
• Austin Toman (Chemistry)
Mentor: Gene Grimley
“Ortho-Substituted Triphenylarsines: Conformational and NMR Analysis”
• Cathryn Wile (Finance/Accounting)
Mentor: Susan Manring
“The Viability of Corn, Sugar and Celluloise Ethanol as Alternative Fuel Sources: A Political, Social, Economic, and Environmental Analysis”
• Margaret Williams (Engineering)
Mentor: Rich D’Amato
“Examining the Surficial Aquifer Surrounding Lake Moonelon”
• Rebecca Williams (Business)
Mentor: Robert Pavlik
“Stock Market Valuations of Exchange-Traded Funds versus Closed-End Funds in the Healthcare Industry”
• Jessica Young (Psychology and Spanish)
Mentor: Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler
“Cultural and Familial Influences on the Personal Narratives of Adolescents”