Honors Theses

* denotes winner of the Claver Prize for distinguished scholarly research

Biology

Ella Bubek - The RNA Chaperone Protein Hfq Counteracts Diverse Environmental Stressors in the Emerging Pathogen Escherichia albertii

Caroline Curtin - The neuropeptide nlp-50 regulates stress-induced sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans

Walter Danker - Inconsistent weight management and obesity prevention strategies by healthcare providers for those with spina bifida

*Sierra Feeney - Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV overexpression enhances sleep, while sleep loss induces metabolic disorder

Ignacio Llorente Fernandez - Discovering Potential Protein Partners of Enzyme IIANtr (EIIANtr) in Sinorhizobium meliloti that Are Involved in Succinate-Mediated Catabolite Repression (SMCR)

Quinn Howe - Characterizing the function of nlp-61 and nlp-1 neuropeptides during sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abby Kellog - The Effects of Plants on Shoaling Behavior in Guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

*Lianna Long - Investigating the Role of the RNA Chaperone Protein Hfq in Citrobacter rodentium

Katie McCole - The Effects of UVB Lighting on Growth in Juvenile Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin)

Dan Vo - Possible long-term memory impairments in mouse models of chronic sleep restriction and Fragile X syndrome

Chemistry

Simon Sheppard - The thermodynamic study of the redox behaviors of sickle hemoglobin: understanding how oxygen equilibrium modulates structural changes

Data Science

*Kelsey Nager - Exploring ChatGPT for Learning Probability and Statistics

English

*Sarah Puzone - Letters from Leah Berkley

Caitlin Tully - The Societal Evolution of the Vampire’s Mythos: from Anti-Christ to Heroine

Health Science

Jennifer Simrell - Examining Healthcare Differences for Dementia Patients across Erie,Chester, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania

History

Olivia Rescigno - The Sisters of the Visitation: Perseverance, Faith, and Unity

Psychology

Sophia Borello - Emotional Impacts of Nature-Based versus Abstract Dynamic Art on Neurodivergent People

Alexandra DePaoli - Predictors of Dehumanization in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Karly Milazzo - Ultra-Processed Food Intake and Stress Amongst College Students

Sociology

*Michela Ring - Student Safety on Campus

* denotes winner of the Claver Prize for distinguished scholarly research

Biology

Madison Buddenbohn - Biomechanical and Hemodynamic Parameters in Relation To Performance Changes in the Division 1 Endurance Runner

Alexandra Colman - Investigating the expression of hippocampal processing bodies due to the effects of sleep deprivation in primary neuronal cultures

Mary Frattara - Investigating a simple neural circuit regulating stress responses in Caenorhabditis elegans

Katherine Koestler - Noncovalent Interactions in the Dimerization of Mucin 16 Transmembrane Domain

Caroline Kominick - Glutamatergic control of sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans

*Jordan McCarthy - Sleep deprivation impairs mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity and memory in female mice

*Alexa Mihaita - Understanding the roles of RNA-binding proteins and small regulatory RNAs in the virulence of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Classical Studies

Chase Davis - Ovid’s Metamorphoses: A Study in Translation, Transformation, and Visualization

English, Writing, and Journalism

Bernadette Bergman - Imagining Queer and Drug-Using Futures

*Anne Gutherman - Chalk Fairies: A novel in progress

*Allie Miller - Beyond the Binary: Exploring LGBTQIA+ College Journalism

Natalie Nevins - The Mental Game: At What Cost? Female Athletes and the Collegiate Athlete Tax

Health Sciences

Morgan Lucille O’Shea - Holistic Healthcare: A comparison between the United States healthcare system and El Sistema Nacional de Salud in Spain

History

Tanner Lamoreux - Martial Migrants: The Evolution of the Mercenary into Citizen-Soldier and Ruffian

Mathematics

Nicole Angelini -  Training a YOLO Deep Learning Model to Detect and Classify Components in Chest X-Rays

Psychology

Rachel Brown - The Effects of Acne vulgaris on the Perceptions of Individuals by Others

Sociology

Ian Rowe-Nicholls - Giving to the Mirror: A Study of Social Distance, Compassion Collapse, and White Guilt

Theology and Religious Studies

Julia Osęka - The Development of the Image of Mary Magdalene in Early Christian Literary Sources and its Influence on the 20th and 21st Century Roman Catholic Church

Isabella Stefanic - The Right to a Dignified Death: A Medical Curriculum on End of Life Care

* denotes winner of the Claver Prize for distinguished scholarly research

Biology

James Bilboa - Sleep is enhanced in male mice that overexpress calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV 

Mihaela Costin - Expression of RNA granule markers in the hippocampus

Olivia DeSanto - Does the EIIA[ntr] have any protein friends in Sinorhizobium meliloti?

*Samuel Gingerich - Identification and Analysis of Gene Products from Sinorhizobium meliloti which Physically Interact with Enzyme IIANtr

Annie Matthew - Understanding how the redox properties of myoglobin and hemoglobin modulate oxygen binding

*Cecilia Petruconis - Post translational modifications of 4EBP2 affect the expression of RNA granule markers in primary hippocampal neuronal cultures

Chemistry

Kayla Flanders - Methods and Applications in Protein Film Electrochemistry for Hydrogen Sulfide Detection

*Kara Moulton - Synthesis of Pentacyclo[4.3.0.02,4.03,8.05,7]non-4-ene

Classical Studies

Jordan Busza - Tortuous Love: Reflections on Failed Love Relationships in the Classical World

Madison Dalton - Love, Loss, and Lies: Sisters & Sisterhood

Economics

Daniel DiSandro - The U.S. Public Health Response to Mpox: Historical, Medical, Governmental, and Ethical Perspectives

English Literature

*Emma Yakscoe - Environmentalism in Irish Literature

History

Maura Burrell - US Catholic Institutions between Anticommunism and Central American Solidarity

*Connor Mignano - Between the Crossroads of Contradiction: Myth, Memory, and the Lost Cause in Pennsylvania

Maxwell Moyer - From Enslaved to American: Analyzing Changes in Black Identity in South Carolina During Reconstruction

Ryan Mulligan - Why and How did Left-Leaning Progressives Work and / or Influence Right-Leaning and Far-right Progressives? An Examination

Mathematics

Alana Simrell - The Mathematics of Gerrymandering

Elizabeth Tootchen - Investigating Partial Differential Equations and their Applications

Psychology

Erin Lamanna - Sleep and Executive Functioning in Preschoolers with Symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Anne Winkler - Mindfulness and Healthy Selfishness: A Two-Part Study

* denotes winner of the Claver Prize for distinguished scholarly research

Biology

Emily Bernabe - Assessing Stigma and Coping in Long COVID Patients   

Paige Conrad - Dissecting the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of an RFamide neuropeptide during sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans

*William Majewski - Effects of Redlining on Tree Canopy Coverage and Surface Temperatures in Philadelphia

Teagan McCarthy - The Orphaned G-Protein coupled receptor NPR-38 regulates sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans

Mary Marino - Investigation of RNA Chaperone Protein ProQ in the Virulence of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

April Pivonka - The RNA-binding Protein CsrA Affects Virulence and Metabolism in Escherichia albertii

Alex Vlahovic - Effects of the Bar Mutation on Sexual Behavior in Drosophila melonogaster

*Elizabeth Wash - Acetylation of histone H3K18 is decreased in the cerebellum following chronic sleep restriction

Chemistry

*Amanda Lucas - A Shorter Alternative Pentacyclo[4.3.0.02,4.03,8.05,7]non-4-ene, a Pyramidalized Alkene

Analise Sulentic - Investigating the Function of the AIM33 Gene in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae   

Economics

Allison McBryan - Assessing Tourists_Preferences for Sustainable Ecotourism in the Maya Biosphere Reserve

English Creative

*Giana Longo - A Journey Through Writing: Tiara Dreams Revised

History

Sophia Wooden - Belarusian Identity: Language and History

Marketing

Margaret McLaughlin - Study on the Difference between Instagram and TikTok’s Social Media Marketing Success

Mathematics

Victoria Posivak - The Role of Cardinality in the Construction of Separating Examples in Topology

Philosophy

*Briana Baier - The Ethical Use of Algorithms

Psychology

Abigail Gilson - Flavor Recall and the Impact of Supertasting

Sociology / Criminal Justice

Amanda Herzig - Themes of Juvenile Delinquency 

Juliana Magriples - Restorative Justice and Campus Sexual Misconduct: Examining Student Attitudes and Higher Education Institutional Policy           

Christine Nasife - Social Media and Law Enforcement: Changes in Attitude