Theses are the culmination of honor students independent research under the guidance of faculty members and are representative of Union College's commitment to giving students the tools necessary for life-long learning.
Theses/Dissertations from 2018
Identifying Backward-Looking Neurons in the Aeshnid Dragonfly, Caroline Roberto
The Effect of Thinspiration versus Fitspiration on Body Image, Meagan Russell
Jasmine Burning: Emulating the "King" of Horror, Jenna Salisbury
Free Speech and Political Correctness: Controversies Explored on College Campuses, Maxwell Sandberg
Can an invasive species burn soil carbon? Black locust invasion and soil carbon in the Albany Pine Bush, Jacqueline Sharry
The Duality of Freedom: The Colony of Rhode Island’s Slave Trade Complex, Thomas Shields
The Eternal Rehearsal: Judith Butler's Gender Performativity in Wilkie Collins, Sarah Waters, and Tana French, Jillian Slezek
Modulating Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor Action Using Small Molecules, Angelina Stewart
Solar Energy for the Soul: Solving America’s Fuel Poverty Problem with Solar Panels for the Poor, Samantha St. Marie
Jane, Judith, and Gender Performance: A Butlerian Approach to Feminine Identity in Mansfield Park, Hallie Stone
An Empirical Analysis of Climatic, Geographic, and Cultural Determinants of International Tourism, Ethan Straus
La Genara: La libertad falsa de la mujer elite en México, Emily Sullivan
Nasty Women: Television Portrayals of Societal Anxieties toward Female Leaders, Emily Sullivan
Escritoras creando un nuevo espacio: El género epistolar en La Genara, Jenna Swartz
Design of Diffusiometer for Aerogel Monoliths, Kamin Sylvia
The "Give and Take" of Medical Morality, Caitlyn Tabor
Mental Disorders as Brain Disorders: The Impact on Stigma of Neuroscience-Based Mental Health Education, Katherine Tighe
Light-Induced Expression of a Blue Coral Protein in an Industrial Fungus, Lindsay Tomczak
Introduction to Computational Topology Using Simplicial Persistent Homology, Jason Turner, Brenda Johnson, and Ellen Gasparovic
Elementary Computational Fluid Dynamics Using Finite-Difference Methods, Jason Turner and Scott LaBrake
A Culture of Violence in Juárez, Mexico: An Investigation into the Impunity behind the Juárez Femicides, Madelyn VanDorpe
Petrology and thermodynamic modeling of amphibolite facies rocks of the Blåhø Nappe of the Middle Allochthon, Scandinavian Caledonides in Norway, Maria Van Nostrand
Environmental Clearinghouse of Schenectady, Kate Van Patten
Nature Abounds: Term Paper, Ricky Verre
Does Player Performance Outside of Major League Baseball Translate to the MLB?, Ian Vogt
Das deutsche Lied: Eine Songwriting-Tradition für das Volk, Ethan Watson
Desire in the Bildungsroman: Construction and Pursuit of an Ideal Self Through the Ideal Other, Ethan Watson
Follicle stimulating hormone receptor signaling is regulated by lipid raft residency, Megan Marie Wells
A Study of the Pantheon Through Time, Caitlin Williams
Synthesis and Evaluation of Bu6Tre, a Cell Permeable Analogue of Trehalose, for the Protection of Mammalian Cells, Thomas Williamson
Evaluating nitrogen heterogeneity in the Albany Pine Bush, Samantha Williams
The Effect of Medical Marijuana Legislation on Young People’s Smoking Behaviors, William S. Wykoff Jr.
Deference to Deference: Examining the Relationship between the Courts and the Political Branches Through Judicial Deference and the Chevron Doctrine, Christopher Yao
Theses/Dissertations from 2017
What is Holding American Education Back? The Politics of Developing a Public School Curriculum on 9/11 and its Aftermath, Jacqueline Aboulafia
Improving Eco-Friendly Biomaterials by Genetic Reprogramming of an Industrial Fungus, Olivia Aitken
Les motivations pour la privatisation du système de santé au Québec / The Motives for Healthcare Privatization in Québec, Briadna Almazo
Role des Femmes dans la France de Vichy Pendant l'Occupation Allemande, Elizabeth Almonte
The Children Who Became Men Overnight: Memories of Love and Violence in Afghanistan, Jamaluddin Aram
She's Crying Rape: Police Bias and Rape Advocacy in an Indian City, Sharmeen Azher
Characterization of Fibroblast Cells Derived from a Patient with Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, Bailey Balouch
Children Enrichment Programs and Teaching Methods in Two Different Socioeconomic Classes, Chloe Bartlett
Make it on Her Own? The Portrayal of Single Women on Television from the 1970s to the 2010s, Antonia Batha
The Road to Recovery: Predicting Improvement in Physical Therapy Programs, Noemie Bechu
Net Neutrality: Policy and Stock Market Implications, Ian Bennett
The Environmental Clearinghouse of Schenectady: Mission and Organization, Mead Binhammer
A Monumental History: Stories of the Berkshires, Kimberly Bolduc
Biphasic Routes to Functionalized CdSe Nanoparticles for Use in Solar Nanocomposites, Kimberly Bolduc
Evolving Perspectives of Women in Intelligence: Can Women Have It All?, Alyssa Bonesteel
Synthesis and Evaluation of Cell Permeable Analogs of Trehalose for the Protection of Mammalian Cells, Jack Bragg
Attachment Theory in Chinese Culture, Julia Brooks
What can my body do for me? Seeking to improve body-satisfaction with a guided functionality mirror exposure, Julia Brooks
Senior Thesis Paper, Paige Brown
The Impact of Exercise in Stress Responses, Ana Carranco
Eyes in the back of their heads: Investigating backward looking visual neurons in the Aeshnid dragonfly, Natalia Ciesielska
Ion-Beam Analysis of Artificial Turf, Morgan Clark
Theory of Mind in Children and Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: Comparison with Normative Individuals, Courtney Cross
Pesadillsen el mar: Retorno a Hansala y la inmigración marroquí en España, Kent Curran
Race to the Bottom: The United State's Early Childhood Education Issue, Elizabeth Dalton
Design of Three and Four Link Suspensions for Off Road Use, Benjamin Davis
The History of French Louisiana through Fiction, Vincent James DeFelice
The Design of a Patient-Centric Healthcare Facility Rating Website: Consumer Choice as a Tool for Reform, Christopher August DiCapua
The Nature of Revenge, Stephanie DiGiorgio
Provenance of and Age of Granitoid and Sandstone Clasts in Conglomerates of the Paleocene to Upper Cretaceous Yakutat Group, Russell Fjord, Alaska, Alexander Dolcimascolo
Dual-Purpose Air Conditioner, Bo DuBois
Smooth muscle differentiation during spiral valve formation in the little skate Leucoraja erinacea, Samuel Eddy
An Estimation of the Productive Efficiency of Water Utilities in the United States, Sarah Ellerthorpe
Primes in Quadratic Extensions, Melissa Epstein
The Rise of Private Military Companies and the Decline of State Power, Scott J. Ernenwein
Sexuality Exposed: Homosexual Stereotypes and the Victorian Gothic Horror Novel, Olivia M. Estes
La humanización del Otro inmigrante en tres libros álbum de España y Estados Unidos, Kathryn K. Evans
American Patent Law: Liberal and Republican Theories of Governance, Benjamin A. Fay
Do Preferential Trade Agreements Affect US Exports? Empirical Evidence from US Export Panel Data, Benjamin A. Fay
Electronic Dive Mask: A Heads Up Display for Deep Diving, David Fishman
Caveolin Binding Motif Mutation Yields a Variance in Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor Signaling, Justin Fleischer
Design of a New Ice Thermal Energy Storage System, Andrew Fontaine
Laramie Project Lighting Design, Jay Foster-Grover
Predictors of Exotic Plant Species in United States National Parks, Rachel S. Fried
Urban Redevelopment: New Bedford Massachusetts, Michael C. Froman
Defining Cdx2 and Hoxd12 expression during formation of the spiral valve intestine in Leucoraja erinacea, Samantha Frye
The Consequences of and Factors Affecting Perceptions and Use of Technology, Patrick Gardner
Quantification of HFSHR Signaling to Determine LIPID Raft Residency, Gregory Geisel
Weight and Wages: The Effect of Changing BMI Over Time, Gregory Geisel
Internship Satisfaction and Educational Performance, Lauren M. Gibson
A Glimpse at Teaching Leadership in America: Case Studies Illuminate the Problems, Margaret Girton
The Linkage Between HPA Axis Dysregulation and Metabolic Syndrome, Brianna Godlewski
Phosphagen Energetics in Developing Grasshoppers, Sierra Goodfellow
Love Thy Attachment Figures as Thyself: Self-esteem Predicts Deviations in Adult Attachment Security, Molly Rosenthal Graether
Breaking the Glass Slipper: Analyzing Female Figures' Roles in Disney Animated Cinema from 1950-2013, Brianna Prudencia Gutiérrez
La exclusion del Otro: Los efectos negativos del nacionalismo en Flores de otro mundo (1999) y Forasters (2008), Brianna Prudencia Gutiérrez
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Matthew Hacker
Interactive Physical and Cognitive Exercise System (iPACES™): The Neuropsychological Effects for Youth on the Autism Spectrum, Michaela Haller
Sight is a Faculty; Seeing, an Art: George Perkins Marsh, the Classical Environment, and 19th-Century Conservation Policy, Sara Miller Halsey
Monstrous Mothers: The Politics of Forced Mothering, Gillian Henry