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 2024 2024
Something Underneath: Modernism(s), the Arts, and the Dance of the Critical I , Harry Burgan '24
The Display of Egyptian and Egyptianizing Antiquities in the Vatican Museums: the Papacy and the Public Perception of Classical Antiquity , Andrew Conarty '24
Unraveling the Neural Mysteries of Music's Impact on the Mind , Lily Fuchs '24
Beyond the Matrix: Navigating the Implications of Nick Bostrom's Simulation Hypothesis on Reality and Existence , Michell-Lee Graham '24
The Truth of the American Immigration System: Family Separation , Tegwyn Hollenbach '24
Greening the Green: Examining the Resource Use of Golf Courses with Suggestions on How to Improve their Sustainability , Kaelan Addison Lestock '24
Babel: what we lose when hierarchical thinking and systems of power replicate themselves in linguistics , Abigail McArthur-Self '24
Innocent Until Proven Guilty? Why Is This the Wrong Approach? , Jacqueline Munoz '24
(No) Women On Track: An exploration of women’s experiences in motorsports through poetry , Cole Pedro '24
Curating Community: Inclusive Art Access , Maggie Perry '24
"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made": The Reconciliation of the LGBTQIA+ Community to American Christianity , Madalyn G. Sailors '24
A Chemical and Historical Analysis of Beer: Discovering Brewing Styles and Beer Stages , Alexander Taylor '24
Love vs Duty?: Resisting the Idealized Woman and Subverting The Perennial Choice for Women in Opera , Lindsay Uhrich '24
The Failed Promise of Gun Legislation: The Assault Weapons Ban and Sandy Hook , Matigan Williams '24
From Stone to Silicone: Interdisciplinary Insights into the Co-evolution of Humans, Tools and Technologies , Mahnoor Zahid '24
Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023
Globalizing Sikhism: Modern-day Representation of Sikhs , Rubina Cheema '23
Women Who Kill: Providing and Justifying Alternative Legal Pathways to the Use of Battered Women Syndrome as Self-Defense , Sara Das '23
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 2022
In a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Deconstructing Binaries in Star Wars , Joanna Berry
School Garden Programs, Food Pathways, and Environmental Justice: Modeling Ethical Frameworks to Reclaim the Value of Care Work Through Education , Charlotte Borland
In Our Shoes , Mahogany Brim
Art Walk 2022: An Exploration in Collaboration and Creativity , Elena Collins
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
Attitudes Toward the U. S. Medical Care System and COVID-19 Vaccines: What Do We Know About the College-aged Population? , Jinting Guo
The Impact of Political Satire Programs on Viewers’ Perceptions of US Politicians: A Study of HBO’s Veep , Alexander J. Hlade
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
