An Honors Senior Project is required for graduation through the WWU Honors College. The Senior Project serves as a “capstone” experience, synthesizing what students have done in their entire education, including but not limited to their work in the major and in Honors.
The term, Senior Project, is vague, and for a reason. The term “Senior Thesis” is easily available, but it is one the WWU Honors College deliberately has avoided. While the project must be “product oriented,” i.e., there must be something tangible at the end of the process, it may be a long paper, that is a thesis, but it may also take several other forms, e.g., a recital, a painting, an album, a bound book, all of which have been quite successful senior projects.
2018
Failure to launch: A short history of health care reform in the United States, Claire Talbert
The Energy Imbalance Market: Environmental Benefits of Regional Market Integration in the West, Kristen E. Tarr
Family Experiences Related to Early Hearing Intervention Guidelines in Washington State, Rachel Tennant
Factors Associated with Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in Japanese Pharmaceutical Companies, Honoka Tsutsui
Heroics 101: A Game of High Fantasy, Adventure, Intrigue and Schoolwork, Alexander Veneruso
When Church and State Collide: Examining Belief and Determining Sincerity in Cases of Religious Exemption, Meghan Woods
This is Not a Brain, Allison Wusterbarth
Musical Training Changes the Brain and Enhances Speech Perception, Anna Marie Yanny
Cultivating an Inclusive Culture in STEM: Understanding the Role of Scientists in Shaping Diverse and Inclusive Communities, Tian Qing Yen
Becoming Indigenous: A Story of the Moklen People, Olivia Zimmerman
2017
Comparing Education and Policy Outcomes in Brazil, India, and South Africa, Sarah Allen
Interlude: Pursuit of the Present, Emily Bartlett
“Did It Change Your Life?”: An Evaluation of Student Growth on Western Washington University International Service-Learning Programs, Tess Bentley and Elizabeth Mogford
Lipid Binding Studies of Blood Coagulation Factor VIII C1 and C2 Domains, Rachel L. Blazevic
Effects of Contact Interactions in Molecular Bose-Einstein Condensates, Devin Crowley, Ryan M. Wilson, Seth Rittenhouse, and Brandon M. Peden
Constrained Sequence Alignment, Kyle Daling
Characterization of an Unmanned Aerial System for Detection of Wetland Methane Emission Hotspots, Andrew D. Falabella, John A. Lund, and David O. Wallin
Exploring the Differences between Human and Machine Translation, Connor Freitas and Yudong Liu
Postcolonial Citizenship and Identity in the Netherlands and France, Claire Harris
Life and Death, Joan Houser
Coal Trains and Home Values: the Effect of the Gateway Pacific Terminal Project on Housing Prices in Bellingham, Washington, Rose G. Howe
Plebeian Adventures: Documenting Travel via Blogging and Memory Collage, Sara Kate Johnson
The Effect of Electoral Competitiveness on Voter Turnout, Joel Jordan
Unfinished Beliefs: Three Stories and an Essay, Adam Kane
Theatre Makers and Social Issues: How Art Imitates Life, Marlena McHenry
Science and Society: A Creative Reflection Centering Perspectives of Emerging Scientists, Kelly Melville
U.S. - Canadian Border Traffic Prediction, Colin Middleton
Post-concussion Services in Speech-language Pathology: Awareness, attitudes, and training in concussion for currently practicing SLPs, Colin Misich and Michael Fraas
The Impact of MNC Involvement on the Lives of Workers in Developing Economies of Latin America, Gabriel Moss
The Albigensian Crusade: The Intersection of Religious and Political Authority in Languedoc (1209-1218), Alexis Nunn
Reduced Light Availability Diminishes Mycorrhizal Growth Response of Invasive Forb, Regina O'Kelley
Childbirth Through Time, Quinn Rathkamp
Victimizing Cap-and-Trade: How Policy Narratives Influence Policy Realities, Alyssa Rehwald
Magnum Opus: A Satirical Rock Opera, Alynn Sobolik
Keep Calm and Learn O-Chem, Hope Spargo
Increasing Sustainability in Global Supply Chains, Daniel Stuesse
Gyno Girl: Power, Practice, Podcasting, Rosa Tobin
Crime Blindness: The Impact of Inattentional Blindness on Eyewitness Description Accuracy, Claire Tyler
Midwifery in the United States, Gwen Welch
2016
Study of the Effect of Hip Flexibility on Maximal Oxygen Consumption and Stride Lenghth During an Incremental Treadmill Test in College-Aged Individuals, Kailey Barnette
Cultural Sensitivity Education Offered by Western Washington University for Global Southern Study Abroad Programs, Danielle Crow
The Economic Impacts of Cross-Border Retailing, Daniel Edgel
Fish Abundance and Habitat Recommendations of the Lake Whatcom Tributaries, Ariel Edwards
Why English? A Defense of the Humanities in the Midst of STEM Promotion, Madison Elmenhurst
Honors Senior Project: Painted Portraits, Justice Fox-Hille
Altruism and You: Demographic Predictors and Practical Application, Margaret E. Herbert
Sehome Hill Arboretum Trail Decommissioning Follow Up, Calvin Heslop
Spanish News Framing of the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Ariana Hoyer
Curriculum Development, Courtney Knox
Effects of Microfinance Penetration Rates on Education Participation, Samuel W. Martinez
Nickel Phosphide on Boron-Doped Alumina: New Catalysts for Heteroatom Removal Reactions, Catherine E. Miles
Reworking the Structure of Sexual Education Sessions at Western Washington University, Isabella Ramos Miller
Malignant Gliomas: A Case Study, Bonnie R. Sullivan
HNRS 400: Implementing a Capstone Research Course for the Western Washington University Honors Program, Courtney Telloian
Limbic Entrainment for Normalizing Gait in Individuals with a Recent History of Ankle Injury, Shawna Troupe
Summer Climate and Western Spruce Budworm Outbreaks in the Pacific Northwest, Melinda Vickers
2015
Fiberglass Composite Repairs Presentation, Brad Fenbert and Ian Saksa
Attunement in the Estuary, Ian Ferris
The effect of ribosomal protein inhibition on lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster, Ella Lamont
A Theory of Luck or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Make My Own Career, Cole Paramore
The World Before Calculus: Historical Approaches to the Tangent Line Problem, Lindsay Skinner
Cochlear Implants: A Multi-perspective Look at a Powerful Controversy, Ruth Tag
Music and Medicine, Thomas Zink
2014
Jodie Dallas Has Left the Closet: Television’s First Regularly Occurring Gay Male Character and What He Had to Say About His Time, Brittnie Bigelow
The Gender Wage Gap and Child Poverty: A Statistical Analysis, Kristine Farwell
A Political History of the Kingdom of Jerusalem 1099 to 1187 C.E., Tobias Osterhaug
Toe Running: The Good, The Fad, and The Ugly, Molly Quinn-Shea
A Comparison of Two Statistical Tests for Interaction in Genetic Data, Clair Smith
Stuttering Therapy Via Telepractice in Kenya: An Overview, Michaela D. Stevenson
Mechanical Testing of Artificial Muscles, Maggie Walsh
The World As Seen Through Award-Winning Photos: How Photojournalism Contests Contribute to Geographical Stereotypes, Brooke Warren
2013
Student Attitude Toward Mathematics At the Middle and High School Level, Anna Berglund
Economic Simulus: Online Economies, Virtual Currencies, and Their Relevancy to the Real World, Eli Greenfield
Teaching Students "At-Risk", Elie Hartman
Off-Campus Student Life Survey, Heather Rees
Toxicity of Herbicide Mixtures: Atrazine and Roundup® Toxicity to Daphnia Magna, Jennifer A. Stiles
A Novel Depletion Technique for Studying the Role of Protein L12 in the Activation of Ribosome-Dependent GTPases, Michelle E. Wuerth
2012
Rapid Molecular Species Identification of a Morphologically Cryptic Apple Pest., Emily Green
Event Marketing in Bellingham, Lauren Hager
Learning to Protect and Restore: Interning at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sarah Idczak
/ɡizəskɪfi/ (Give Me a Clue) - Linguistic Features of Scottish Accents and Dialects, Sarah Knudsen
Environmental Education Plan for the Valdivian Coastal Reserve, Hillary Landers
Magmatic Origins of Plutonic Rocks of the Cooke City Area, Montana, Skyler Mavor
Lummi Youth Riparian Education Program, Kirsten Moore
The Four Color Theorem, Patrick Turner
Rhetorical Strategies for Audience-Specific Science Communication: Professional Writing Portfolio, Michelle Wallace
2009
Culturing Our Community: A Memoir of Life Experiences in Costa Rica, Jennifer Beckmeyer
Sense and Sensibility: Recognition of Female Power Through the Divided Self, Chelsea Elise Brandon
Shifting Baselines in the Fishing Industry of the Lummi Nation: A Study of Declining Expectations, Alyssa A. Cudmore
European Union Integration Theories: Historical Significance and Future Development, Bradley Pederson
Environmental Citizenship and Carbon Intensity; Evaluating the Carbon Masters Educational Program, Andrea Jean Thomas
2008
Funding Higher Education: Preventing the Marginalization of Students in an Under-Funded and Extremely Competitive World, Paul Edgeman
Puritanism in America: Image versus Reality, Kaitlin C. Gratton
Smart Stimulation: Zoo Conservation for 21st Century Zoos, Lauren Retallack
2007
Academics and Outdoor Skills: Integrating Outdoor Skills and Academic Content in Classroom and Small Group Settings, Melissa Boyer
The Effects of Added Nutrients on the Growth and Consumption of Ulvoid Algae by Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, Alexandra M. Nicely
The Effect of Sculpin Presence on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Abundances in Chuckanut Creek, Washington, Sam Stoner
The Effects of Watching Television on Students who do not Primarily Speak English at Home, Jordan Storey