The Honor Scholar Program is open to DePauw students of any major who show unusual promise and commitment to the development of the life of the mind. Each year a small number of carefully selected first-year students are invited to participate in the program and the special opportunities it presents. During their final year at DePauw, Honor Scholars pursue independent work under the direction of a faculty thesis advisor and a committee of two or more additional faculty members, culminating in an Honors thesis.
Theses/Dissertations from 2022
Art Walk 2022: An Exploration in Collaboration and Creativity, Elena Collins '22
The Erasure of Indigenous Populations Within National Geographic's Portrayal of National Parks: A Digital Zine, Abigail Cook '22
Coffee, Music, and Taste: Why We Like What We Like, and Why That Matters, Thomas Curdt '22
Attitudes Toward the U. S. Medical Care System and COVID-19 Vaccines: What Do We Know About the College-aged Population?, Jinting Guo '22
The Impact of Political Satire Programs on Viewers’ Perceptions of US Politicians: A Study of HBO’s Veep, Alexander J. Hlade '22
Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Vaccination: Literature Review and Attitudes of Individuals Who Delayed Vaccination, Sydney Hornberger '22
The Simulated Life: A Psychological and Philosophical Examination of Contemporary Social Media Use of Adolescents, Lauren T. LaMore '22
The Decline of Mental Health: Pandemic Effects in School-Aged Children Katherine Lenger DePauw University Honor Scholar Program Class of 2022 Rebecca Schindler,, Katherine Lenger '22
Pain is Personal: Understanding Pain Relativity and the Importance of the Biopsychosocial Model, Riley Kathleen Magoon '22
An Oral History on Material Culture in Greencastle, Indiana: Investigating the Importance of Movable Objects to Individual, Familial, and Community Relationships, Brenna Milligan '22
Identity, Knowledge, and Environmentalism: How the Media can Affect the Politics of Climate Change in the United States, Colette Polezonis '22
Lessons from an Exemplar Elementary Robotics Program: Implications for Learning and Life, Paige Price '22
Harry Potter: The Power of Fans, Rachel Roscoe '22
A Child’s Mental Health Journey: Using an Activity Book as a Guide for Mental Health Literacy and Emotional, Social and Behavioral Development, Sage Sherfick '22
The Semiotics of Tension in American Punk Rock, Christian Smith '22
Furthering Philosophy for the Future: An Exploration of the Benefits of High School Philosophy Education and the Barriers It Faces, Alexander Spencer '22
The Red Line: An Examination of the Power Dynamics and Concepts Impacting the Bus Rapid Transit Plan for Marion County, IN, Kelby Stallings '22
How Love Ought to Be: The Power of Sapphic Representation in Animated Children’s Cartoons, Olivia Storz '22
A Dangerous Pursuit of Safety: The Value of Freedom of Expression and the Folly of Trading It Away, Nina Katarina Štular '22
Public Art In The United States By Black Artists (1980s - Present), Anthony L. Treadaway '22
Exploring Methods to Persuade Users to watch Social Problem Films through the Case Study of Race-related Films, Clay Troyer '22
Property Blockchains have Failed to Realize Their Promise, Alexander Walton '22
Theses/Dissertations from 2021
The Relationship Between Grassroots Activism and Government Agencies Confronting Water Contamination in Marginalized Communities., Hira Ahmad 21
Gimme One Reason To Stay Here: Analyzing Retention and Persistence Trends for First- Generation Students in the GLCA Through a Financial Lens, Emma Bailey 21
The Disaster that Lies Behind the Chalkboard: An Autoethnography about Education & the Power, Privilege and Diversity Requirement, Shafrarisi Bonner 21
Mostly Harmful? Phragmites australis and Typha angustifolia in a study of the meaning of invasiveness in an abandoned limestone quarry and beyond, Diana Borse '21
Between Two Worlds: The Literary Legacy of Southward Manifest Destiny and the Mexican American War, Connor D. Burns 21
An Unexpected Growth Journey: A Review and Self-Study of Health Habits & Why It Matters Today, Jacob Correa 21
The Lingering Shadows: An Examination of Collective Memory from Vietnam to the War on Terrorism, Kenneth Henry Decker 21
Exposing Racism in Fashion: How Black Women Navigate Societal Beauty Standards, Re'Nae Dillard 21
COVID-19 Connections: An Existential View of a Pandemic, Jacqueline Ebel 21
Custody Battles: Reimagining Persephone's Plight, Maggie Ephraim 21
Picking the Brain: Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease, Hannah Hutchison 21
Medical Veracity and the Erosion of the American Physician-Patient Trust Relationship, Jonah Jerabek 21
USWNT and Twitter: Resistance and Activism in the Equal Pay Campaign, Mia Manney 21
A Closer Look into American Humanitarian Intervention: How Understanding Humanity Tells Who and When We Help, Katie Noble 21
dilemma: A Magazine About Sexual Assault ft. Me, Emma Rees 21
The Power of Inclusion: Deconstructing “Normality” in Primary Education, Madison Smith 21
Theses/Dissertations from 2020
Contemporary Challenges Facing Small, Family Farms in America: The Grant Family and Their Maraschino Cherry Farm, Haley Allaben 20
Friend or Foe: Chaucer’s Depiction of Women in Troilus and Criseyde, Vanessa Balis 20
The Second Wave in Secondary Schools: Textbooks and Standards on the Feminist Movement, Melissa Browning 20
Caught in the Middle: Existentialism in a Contemporary Fantasy, Hannah DePauw 20
Multi-Ethnic Chronicles: Interrogating My Imposter Syndrome, Maria Flores 20
The Domestic and Global Implications of Considering Non-US Origin a Risk Factor for Tuberculosis in the United States, Emma Gile 20
The Narrative of Courtship: Literary and Biological Constructions and their Impact on Women, Drew Harris 20
Reflections from a Pre-Service Teacher: Finding Equity, Accessibility, and Compassion in Our Schools, Emma Houston 20
The Era of Commercialized Genetics: Examining the Intersection of DNA, Identity, and Personal Origin, Joanna Hutchins 20
A Revisionist History of Disagreeableness, Jasmeet Kaur 20
An Evaluation of Family Planning Initiatives in Developing Nations, Lauren Kaylor 20
Project-Based Learning in an Ever-Changing World: Experiential Revelations from the Field, Sarah Kelly 20