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 2023
Dissecting the Musical Body: Analyzing the Influence of Body Norms on Musical Discourse, Lauren del Rosario '23
Petro Pasts and Solar Futures: An Exploration of Critical, Creative, and Activist Solarpunk Discourse, Emma Gilliam '23
Methodical Madness: How ADHD Affects Daily Life, Samuel Gonzalez '23
“Inheritor” and “Originator”: Jane Austen’s Feminist Voice as Bridge Between Mary Wollstonecraft and Virginia Woolf, Stephanie Hyta '23
Visual Literacy and Reading Motivation Understanding the Impact of Illustrations and Images on an Individual’s Engagement with Text, Anna McCuaig '23
The Negative Influence of External Stressors on Patient Outcomes: Why Physicians Should Consider More than Outwardly Presenting Symptom(s), Gianna Meckler '23
Ethics and Us: A Review of the Moral Psychology Field, Jillian Meyer '23
The Emotions Behind the Screen, Eli Gray Nations '23
The Bard’s Precursors to Psychology: Exposing Dark Sides of Human Nature, Rebecca Parsons '23
Synthetic or Not: Implications of Hormonal Birth Control on Women’s Hormones and the Cortisol Stress Response, Maddie Perry '23
How to Burn the American Flag: Subversions of the Flag Code Amid the Black Arts Movement, Abigail (Claire) Porfilio '23
Music and Literature: Reciprocal Tools for Analysis, Creation, Performance, and Education, Lily Rutledge '23
Power, Pleasure, and Privilege: defining DePauw’s hookup culture and its mental health implications, Reanna Stiehler '23
Resilience in Girlhood: An Analysis of the Social Determinants of Anxiety Disorders for Adolescent Girls, Maggie Sullivan '23
An Examination of Parental Transmission on Young Voters’ Political Party Affiliation, Parenting Style Mediations, Kelly J. Truax '23
Riot, Revolution, and Remembrance: Modern Memory of the Haymarket Affair, Maggie Westover '23
The Process and Me: Creating a Film About Archaeology, Jack Woods '23
Theses/Dissertations from 2022
In a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Deconstructing Binaries in Star Wars, Joanna Berry '22
School Garden Programs, Food Pathways, and Environmental Justice: Modeling Ethical Frameworks to Reclaim the Value of Care Work Through Education, Charlotte Borland '22
In Our Shoes, Mahogany Brim '22
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