Peace Through Education

Our Honors Graduates

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History of the Fulbright College Honors Program

During the Fall semester of 1954, Arts and Sciences Dean D.G. Nichols appointed a faculty committee to consider how our College might offer additional educational opportunities for "superior scholars." Events moved quickly, and the first students entered the newly formed honors program in the Fall of 1955. By May 1956, two students were graduated from what would become the Fulbright College Honors Program, and since that time, our program has taken its place as one of the oldest and most distinguished honors programs in the country.

Building on its early reputation for academic rigor, the Fulbright College Honors Program has continued to develop an innovative curriculum that provides our students with the extra attention and preparation required to succeed in the rapidly changing world that awaits them upon graduation. From the NEH-funded Honors Humanities Project, which offers students a broad grounding in humanities and the arts, to the tightly focused, small-group learning experiences of the honors colloquia, students who complete their degrees with honors are regularly admitted to the most prestigious professional and graduate schools both in our country and abroad.

Our growth and commitment to excellence was accelerated exponentially in April of 2002 when the University of Arkansas received over $100 million from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to establish a university-wide Honors College. Not only did the gift attract talented students from around the country, but it also provided study-abroad funding that, when combined with our own program's Sturgis Study Abroad Scholarships, allowed us to send more students abroad than we had ever dreamed—a dream entirely in keeping with one of the lifelong passions of our namesake, Senator Fulbright.

So, whether our students' goals include world-travel and language acquisition or a place in a campus laboratory whose research is having world-wide implications (or both!), the Fulbright College Honors Program will develop and sharpen their passions into the professional package that will allow them to take the next step in their careers.

Dr. Kirstin Erickson

Associate Professor of Anthropology

Director of Fulbright College Honors Program

Our Honors Graduates

This year we are celebrating the Class of 2021 from afar! Graduates will be listed by the department in which they completed their thesis.

Jessi Amason        

College Scholar of Anthropology: Summa Cum Laude         

Thesis Title: Gender, Human Rights, and Resistance in the Occupied West Bank

Thesis Advisor: Ted Swedenburg

 

Lindsay Saylor       

Departmental Scholar of Anthropology: Summa Cum Laude          

Thesis Title: Incisor microwear of lemmings and voles as a possible proxy for ecological subzone in the Arctic 

Thesis Advisor: Peter Ungar

 

James Cameron Tilley

Departmental Scholar of Anthropology

Thesis Title: Morphological Impacts of Cranial Base Development 

Thesis Advisor: Claire Terhune

Summer 2021 Graduate

Jasmine Guillen    

Departmental Scholar of Art: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: An Artistic Exploration of the Digital through Physicality         

Thesis Advisor: Kara Andree

 

Kathryn Harris       

Departmental Scholar of Art: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Rural Health Care in Arkansas: An Exploration of Accessibility and Systematic Intervention

Thesis Advisor: Tom Hapgood

 

Lara Lefforge         

Departmental Scholar of Art: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Designing Digital Intimacies: Fostering Authentic Connections by Reimagining Mobile Dating Platforms

Thesis Advisor: Ali Place

 

Jonathan Mocek   

Departmental Scholar of Art: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Engaging High School Students with Creative Thinking Through Play         

Thesis Advisor: Carl Matthews

 

Sara Schellenberg

Departmental Scholar of Art: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Way it Makes Us: Paintings on Childhood, Memory, and Community

Thesis Advisor: Neil Callandez

Ben Alexander      

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude        

Thesis Title: Site Specific Conjugation of Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF1)-F2C Mutant Conjugation to CuInS2/ZnS Quantum Dots

Thesis Advisor: Colin Heyes

 

Kentley Baker        

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude         

Thesis Title: Characterization of the Hexa-mutant of Human Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor (hFGF-1)       

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Julia Barnayk         

College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Toward understanding cnidarian-specific neuropeptide function: the generation of RPamide knockout mutant lines   

Thesis Advisor: Nagayasu Nakanishi

 

Ryan Blanchard     

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude           

Thesis Title: The Behavioral Immune System and Prejudice Against Immigrants Among Healthcare Professionals

Thesis Advisor: Anastasia Makhanova

 

Jared Canonigo    

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: How Acetylation Regulates Enzyme Function During Environmental Shifts 

Thesis Advisor: Jeff Lewis

 

James Chesshir     

College Scholar of Biology          

Thesis Title: Axon Guidance: Modern Advancements in Understanding and Cross-Species Ramifications

Thesis Advisor: Timothy Evans

Summer 2021 Graduate

 

Sydney Darling     

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude         

Thesis Title: Coronavirus Virus Surveillance in Arkansas Duck Populations

Thesis Advisor: Kristian Forbes

 

Julia Daugherty    

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Isolation and Characterization of an Unidentified Strain of Marine Cyanobacteria Extracted from the Gulf of Thailand

Thesis Advisor: Ruben Michael Ceballos

 

Raechel Davis        

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Impact of Media Use on Cognitive Control: An ERP Investigation     

Thesis Advisor: Connie Lamm

 

Dresden Dilts         

College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: A Study of Temperature Dependent Macrophage Activity in HTC Cells      

Thesis Advisor: Jeannine Durdik

 

Stephan Fagot       

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Isolation and Characterization of Marine Cyanobacteria

Thesis Advisor: Ruben Michael Ceballos

 

Timothy Frerking 

College Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Visualizing the Formation of Epithelial Compartment Boundaries in Live Drosophila embryos       

Thesis Advisor: Adam Paré

 

Ariston Gray           

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Influence of Percent Protein Intake on Body Composition, Sleep, and Physical Activity in Adults 18 Years of Age and Older

Thesis Advisor: Jamie Baum

 

Kyle Hanson           

College Scholar of Biology          

Thesis Title: Sulfolobales Membrane Persistence Throughout the Death Phase of Growth        

Thesis Advisor: Ruben Michael Ceballos

Summer 2021 Graduate

 

Ryan Harpenau     

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Temperature and LPS Dependent Variation of Cytokine Expression in Chicken Macrophages

Thesis Advisor: Jeannine Durdik

 

Chantelle Harris    

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude           

Thesis Title: Dental Asymmetry in Human Maxillary Molars  

Thesis Advisor: Kathleen Paul

 

Lindsey Herberger           

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Association Between Diet and Academic Performance in Students at the University of Arkansas       

Thesis Advisor: Jamie Baum

 

Logan Hillemann  

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Effect of Mutant C-Terminals in Alb3 Complex and their Affinity to cpSRP43  

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Kevin Hollar

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Genomic population structure of Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) in the White River Drainage System

Thesis Advisor: Marlis Douglas

 

Hannah Hughes    

College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Optimizing the Cyanogen Bromide-Mediated Cleavage of Proteins

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Jared James          

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Subunit Interaction in the SWR1 Complex and its Relation to Chromosome Segregation 

Thesis Advisor: Inés Pinto

 

Zachary Kelly         

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude     

Thesis Title: rGO-TiO2 RFID Biochemical Sensor Application in Detection of Escherichia coli MG1655        

Thesis Advisor: Ryan Tian

 

Jahnavi Kodali      

College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Offspring Immune-Behavior Trade-offs in Response to Maternal Disease History

Thesis Advisor: Sarah DuRant

 

Chloe Kuebler       

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Defining a Conserved Molecular Mechanism for Tissue Compartmentalization in Insects           

Thesis Advisor: Adam Paré

 

Kaylie Mahar          

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Experimental Manipulation of Inflammation and Perceptions of Conflict in Romantic Relationships           

Thesis Advisor: Anastasia Makhanova

 

Danica McGrevey 

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Temperature-Dependent Macrophage Activity in Rainbow Trout     

Thesis Advisor: Jeannine Durdik

 

Katherine McTigrit           

College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Investigating the role of the conserved RNA-binding protein Musashi in a sea anemone; identification of Musashi in sea anemone and generation of an RNA probe for gene expression analysis

Thesis Advisor: Nagayasu Nakanishi

 

Ashley Morris        

College Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Effect of Maternal Diet and Maternal Infection on Offspring Immunity             

Thesis Advisor: Sarah DuRant

 

Aaron Norris          

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Effects of Habitat Management on Rodent Community Assemblages in Northwest Arkansas Prairies

Thesis Advisor: Kristian Forbes

 

Sylvia Nupp

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Methanogen Metabolism on Zero-Valent Iron and/or Basalt: Implications for Life on Mars  

Thesis Advisor: Timothy Kral

 

Andrew Palmer     

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Examining the Invasion of a Bush Honeysuckle Using Climate Analysis       

Thesis Advisor: Jeremy Beaulieu

 

Presli Pendergrass           

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Relationships between watershed land use, stream habitat and winter stonefly diversity

Thesis Advisor: Michelle Evans-White

 

Kaitlyn Puyear       

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Literary Review: Techniques for Assessing Non-Carious Cervical Lesions and Dental Caries

Thesis Advisor: Peter Ungar

 

Christopher Rassmann   

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Growth of a Plausible Martian Lifeform in the Presence of Olivine    

Thesis Advisor: Timothy Kral

 

Kevin Reilly

Departmental Scholar of Biology

Thesis Title: Regulation of the Reaction between Cytochrome C and Cytochrome Oxidase in Mitrochondrial Energy Production

Thesis Advisor: Francis Millett

Summer 2021 Graduates

 

Madeline Richards           

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Functional Control of the Drosophila Lipin Protein by Phosphorylation       

Thesis Advisor: Michael Lehmann

 

Grace Roberts       

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Evaluating Population-Level Differences in Dental Morphology and Wear Patterns Between Genetically Distinct Human Samples 

Thesis Advisor: Peter Ungar

 

Savannah Seupaul

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Antibacterial Properties of Horsehair Fungus (Marasmius spp.) in Tropical Bird Nests           

Thesis Advisor: Sarah DuRant

 

Weijia Shi    

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Identification of Proteins that Contribute to Yeast Thermotolerance by Lysine Acetylation

Thesis Advisor: Jeff Lewis

 

Allison Shildt         

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Evidence from Cnidaria supports an ancient evolutionary origin of FoxP genes in Animals         

Thesis Advisor: Nagayasu Nakanishi

 

Annalyn Smith       

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Comparing Cognition in Women Between the Ages of (18-40) and (40-70)           

Thesis Advisor: Michelle Gray

 

Jessica Thrush       

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Role of Angiopoietin-like Protein 4 in the Radiation Response of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Thesis Advisor: Tameka Bailey

 

Brittany Tian          

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Characterization of tartan expression in post-elongation Drosophila embryos

Thesis Advisor: Adam Paré

 

Ellie Vicha   

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Metal-Free Catalysis for Sustainable Chemistry 

Thesis Advisor: Matt McIntosh

 

Savannah Washburn       

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Genome Structure of Yeast During Domestication       

Thesis Advisor: Jeff Lewis

 

Emma Wiest           

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Effects of Prior Infection on Maternal Egg Antibody Deposition and Implications for Offspring Immunity

Thesis Advisor: Sarah DuRant

 

Kayla Wood

College Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Stroke prevention through blood clot removal devices: designing model blood clots

Thesis Advisor: Hanna Jensen

 

Margaret Woodruff         

College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: In silico molecular analysis of structural and catalytic domains of the Clostridioides difficile SpoIIE regulatory protein

Thesis Advisor: Mack Ivey

 

Victoria Ybarra      

Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Correlation of Mental Fatigue in Relation to Cognitive Control Strategies and N2 Activation

Thesis Advisor: Connie Lamm

Erin Boyd    

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude     

Thesis Title: Growth, Incubation, and Image Processing of Fluorescence of Anabaena flos-aquae and Microsystis aeruginosa          

Thesis Advisor: Ingrid Fritsch

 

Abaigeal Brady

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude     

Thesis Title: Effects of heparin and SOS on the aggregation of Wild Type Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 induced by SDS

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Zackery Brown      

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Cum Laude        

Thesis Title: HfUiO-66 Thin Films Enable Rapid CO2 Fixation Via Epoxide Ring Opening          

Thesis Advisor: Hudson Beyzavi

 

Davis Campbell    

College Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude    

Thesis Title: Mechanism of Action of Urushiol and Other Catechols with Proteins

Thesis Advisor: Wesley Stites

 

Amy Eggers

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Analysis of Sugar Reduction Efficiency in Chicken Feed to Increase Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) using Mobile Enzyme Sequestration Platforms   

Thesis Advisor: Michael Ceballos

 

Carson Ercanbrack           

College Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Genome-Wide Screening for Anti-Oxidative Stress Genes in Escherichia coli        

Thesis Advisor: Chenguang Fan

 

Jacob Grygus         

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Visible-Light-Induced Alkynylation of Strained Cycloaminals Using Hypervalent Iodone Reagents    

Thesis Advisor: Nan Zheng

 

Mollie Henry          

College Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: A Generalized Understanding for the Galvanic Replacement Reaction on Cuprous Oxide

Thesis Advisor: Robert Coridan

 

John Marrufo

College Scholar of Chemistry: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Design of a Culture Media for Optimal Cell Growth

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Clay Martin

College Scholar of Chemistry: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Understanding the Non-Classical Secretion Mechanism of Interleukin 1 Alpha

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Samuel Massey

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Applications and Syntheses of Vitachrome; A Literature Review

Thesis Advisor: Matt McIntosh

 

Sarah Mitchell       

College Scholar of Chemistry: Magna Cum Laude     

Thesis Title: Optimizing the Conductivity and Sensitivity of Radio Frequency Identification Tags for Biological Sensing  

Thesis Advisor: Ryan Tian

 

Benjamin Moore   

College Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Characterization of the Structure and Stability of the Human Interleukin 1-alpha Dimer           

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Clara Puente          

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Divalent Metal-Crosslinked Alginate Fibers: Towards Fibrous Drug Delivery Scaffolds           

Thesis Advisor: Ryan Tian

 

Samuel Raney        

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Structural Studies of Rubredoxin from Pyrococcus furiosus

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Emily Richey          

College Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Effect of Proline on the Formation of Human Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 (hFGF-1) Amyloid-like Fibrils        

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Grant Robinson    

College Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Isolation and Quantification of Antimicrobial Peptide, LL-37, from Macrophages Activated by Bacterial Biofilms    

Thesis Advisor: Julie Stenken

 

Ashton Rogers      

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude     

Thesis Title: A comparative study of volatile versus phenolic compounds of black elderberry and their effects on phi 6 enveloped virus surrogate

Thesis Advisor: Luke Howard

 

Aisha Soliman        

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Glucose Sensor Using Electro-Generated Oxygen       

Thesis Advisor: David Paul

 

Ryan Sorensen      

College Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Engineering a Mutation in the Heparin Binding Pocket of the Human Fibroblast Growth Factor

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Sara Swank          

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Delineating the Structural Forces Responsible for the High Stability and Enhanced Activity of superFGF (R136E/K126N/Q54P)

Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar

 

Juan David Vargas           

Departmental Scholar of Chemistry: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Local Leukocyte Infiltration in Response to Intradermal Injection of Liquid Silicone in Avian Model

Thesis Advisor: Gisela Erf

Bayleigh Bond      

College Scholar of Communication: Summa Cum Laude     

Thesis Title: When Trump Became God:  An Analysis of the Rise of QAnon and Presidential Eschatology 

Thesis Advisor: Ryan Neville-Shepard

 

Danielle Darvin     

Departmental Scholar of Communication: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Motivation and Manipulations of Social Media

Thesis Advisor: Robert Brady

 

Paxton Dodd         

College Scholar of Communication: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Shifting bottom lines: A qualitative analysis of communication surrounding corporate social responsibility            

Thesis Advisor: Yaguang Zhu

 

April Vincent          

Departmental Scholar of Communication: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Media Literacy Education: Curriculum & Assessment

Thesis Advisor: Ron Warren

Caleb Hill

Departmental Scholar of Economics: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Case Study: Evaluating Market Performance of Benefit Corporations

Thesis Advisor: Andy Brownback

 

Jack Meullenet     

College Scholar of Economics: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Analysis of the Relationship Between Cryptocurrency Markets and the Computer Component Industry          

Thesis Advisor: Dongya Koh

 

Hunter Simmons   

Departmental Scholar of Economics: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Disparities in Education Resources Within the State of Arkansas       

Thesis Advisor: Andy Brownback

Blakely Davis         

Departmental Scholar of English: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: An Analysis of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in Film and Political Cartoons  

Thesis Advisor: Robin Roberts

 

Sally Gairhan          

College Scholar of English: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Marigold        

Thesis Advisor: Davis McCombs

 

Claire Hutchinson

College Scholar of English: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Named After Flowers (That Are Named After People)  

Thesis Advisor: Davis McCombs

 

Addison Mahaffey

Departmental Scholar of English: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Dear Girl, Dear God

Thesis Advisor: Geffrey Davis

 

Marissa Porter       

Departmental Scholar of English: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Female Representation in Shakespeare  

Thesis Advisor: Joseph Candido

 

Danika Sanders     

College Scholar of English: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Steel and Glass: Part I          

Thesis Advisor: John DuVal

 

Ashleigh Severson           

Departmental Scholar of English: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Poetic Form in a Free Form Life: Poetry that Follows the Rules When Life Breaks Them           

Thesis Advisor: Geffrey Davis

 

Morgan Walker     

College Scholar of English: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Monster I Made, and Other Poems   

Thesis Advisor: Geffrey Davis

Gunnar Gregory    

College Scholar of Geology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Major and Trace Element Geochemical Record of the Paleocene-Eocene Boundary, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico    

Thesis Advisor: Glenn Sharman

 

Josephine Hall      

College Scholar of Geology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Per Capita Allocation and Estimated Lifetime of Non-Metallic Industrial Minerals 

Thesis Advisor: Stephen K. Boss

 

Abigail Rhodes     

Departmental Scholar of Geology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Thermal Behavior of a Karst Underflow-Overflow System: Relationships among Recharge, Flow Path Properties, and Temperature Dynamics          

Thesis Advisor: Matt Covington

 

Christopher Schaubroeck          

College Scholar of Geology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Rapid River Meandering in the Lowermost Arkansas River, Arkansas, USA 

Thesis Advisor: John Shaw

Lauren Campbell  

College Scholar of History: Summa Cum Laude          

Thesis Title: Instituto Indigenista Interamericano:  Pioneering International Indigenous Rights through Indigenismo and Pan-American Cooperation during the Early Cold War           

Thesis Advisor: Shawn Austin

 

Melissa Corvera

Departmental Scholar of History: Magna Cum Laude
Thesis Title: The Racial Transformation of Exploitable Labor in the United States: The Bracero Program's Contribution 1942-1964        

Thesis Advisor: Steven Rosales

 

Jacob Huneycutt  

Departmental Scholar of History: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: An Awakening Against the Second Great Awakening: The "Primitive Baptist" Protest in Antebellum North Carolina     

Thesis Advisor: Jim Gigantino

 

Jamie Kim   

College Scholar of History: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: God and Guatemala's Covenant: Counterinsurgent Evangelical Christianity in Ríos Montt's Guatemala

Thesis Advisor: Shawn Austin

 

Nicholas Langham

Departmental Scholar of History: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Legal Status, Exploitation, and Racism: The Challenges Facing Southern Latina/o Poultry Processing Workers in the United States

Thesis Advisor: Steven Rosales

 

Samuel Peterson  

Departmental Scholar of History: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Interservice Rivalry: Examining the Relationships Between the Intelligence Organizations of the Navy, the Army and the OSS in China 1939-1945      

Thesis Advisor: Kelly Hammond

 

Catherine Pickell  

College Scholar of History: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Frenchificaton on the Mississippi: A Comparison of Illinois and Natchez Reactions to French Colonization, 1673-1729

Thesis Advisor: Linda Jones

 

Henry Schuelke    

Departmental Scholar of History 

Level: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Revolutionary Imperial Paradigm: Life and Death of the Communist Party of Germany, 1918-1956

Thesis Advisor: Alessandro Brogi

 

Allison Tucker       

College Scholar of History

Thesis Title: Who Died and Made You President?  John Tyler and Chester A. Arthur's Presidential Legitimacy    

Thesis Advisor: Patrick Williams

Summer 2021 Graduate

 

Madison Whipple

College Scholar of History: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: We, too, Have Deeds of Heroism to Tell our Children: The Role of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in the Perpetuation of the Confederate Lost Cause in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Thesis Advisor: Louise Hancox

Sophia Bonadeo   

Departmental Scholar of International and Global Studies: Cum Laude    

Thesis Title: A Formed Feminism: A Look into the Feminist Nature of the British Union of Fascists through their Publications from 1934 to 1936  

Thesis Advisor: Kelly Hammond

 

Catherine Caldwell          

College Scholar of International and Global Studies: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Peace in the Internet Age and the Importance of Cyber Security      

Thesis Advisor: J. Laurence Hare

 

Sarah Joy Caster   

Departmental Scholar of International and Global Studies: Cum Laude    

Thesis Title: Positive Peace: Out of this World?

Thesis Advisor: J. Laurence Hare

 

Jacob Condran

Departmental Scholar of International and Global Studies: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Sacred Rhetoric and the Legitimacy of Unrecognized States: The Quest for Sovereignty and Statehood through Political Persuasion       

Thesis Advisor: J. Laurence Hare

 

Alyssa Hope Davenport 

College Scholar of International and Global Studies: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: New Agents of Nationalism: AfD and German National Identity        

Thesis Advisor: J. Laurence Hare

 

Grace Fuller

College Scholar of International and Global Studies: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Role of Women in Religious Apocalypse Texts and How These Interpretations Relate to Modern Apocalyptic Discourse          

Thesis Advisor: Lora Walsh

 

Emily Gean 

College Scholar of International and Global Studies: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Faith- Based Organizations and Latin American Refugees: The Case of the Southern Baptist Convention

Thesis Advisor: J. Laurence Hare

 

Abigail Kotar

Departmental Scholar of International and Global Studies

Thesis Title: Investigating the factors which led to the relatively unprecedented mainstream success of South Korean entertainment in the West in the 2010s and how this phenomenon has affected the nation’s relations with western countries, particularly the United States

Thesis Advisor: Kelly Hammond

Summer 2021 Graduate

 

Julia Nall     

College Scholar of International and Global Studies: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: "A Problematic Solution to a Complex Problem": A Political History of Alaska's Struggle with Native Access to Subsistence under ANILCA

Thesis Advisor: Jared Phillips

 

Megan Rodgers    

Departmental Scholar of International and Global Studies: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Educating Peace: An analysis of enforced narratives taught to the post-genocide generation in Rwanda

Thesis Advisor: Ram Natarajan

 

Lucas Medeiros Ros

College Scholar of International and Global Studies: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Contemporary Engagements: Russia and Nicaragua

Thesis Advisor: J. Laurence Hare

Rachel Braun          

College Scholar of Journalism: Summa Cum Laude   

Thesis Title: A Measure on How Various Aspects of an Instagram Advertisement Affect Donation Intention; Demographics, Anecdotal versus Logical Reasoning, a Visual Element, Guilt, and Previous Donation Experience

Thesis Advisor: Jee Young Chung

 

Alexis Campbell   

College Scholar of Journalism: Summa Cum Laude  

Thesis Title: Alcohol Advertisements on Social Media: A study of how alcohol advertisements on social media platforms appeal to young people

Thesis Advisor: Jee Young Chung

 

Elijah Conley          

Departmental Scholar of Journalism: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: “Separate But Equal”: A Content Analysis of the Framing of the Integration of Little Rock Central High School in the Press   

Thesis Advisor: Lucy Brown

 

Natalie Demaree  

Departmental Scholar of Journalism: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Media Framing and Newspaper Coverage of Coronavirus: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the United States, Mexico, and France

Thesis Advisor: Brandon Bouchillion

 

Katherine Nichols

Departmental Scholar of Journalism: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Evolution of the Espionage Act: Journalism in a Digital World   

Thesis Advisor: Rob Wells

 

Hannah Whitworth          

Departmental Scholar of Journalism: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Pan-Asian Identity in American Media         

Thesis Advisor: Kara Jolliff Gould

Nicolas Bridges

College Scholar of Mathematics: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Non-Cyclic Finite Covers of P(􀀀2n; 4n 􀀀 1; 4n + 1) Pretzel Knots

Thesis Advisor: Matthew Day

 

Caleigh Christensen        

Departmental Scholar of Mathematics: Magna Cum Laude  

Thesis Title: Scope and Sequence Variations in Middle School Mathematics Across the State of Arkansas       

Thesis Advisor: Shannon Dingman

 

Lillian Ehrhart        

Departmental Scholar of Mathematics: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Harmonic Bergman Kernel and Projection  

Thesis Advisor: Andrew Raich

 

Kelvin Feng

Departmental Scholar of Mathematics: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Bayesian Grouped Variable Selection: A Case Study   

Thesis Advisor: Qingyang Zhang

 

Leonel Trujillo Fuentes   

Departmental Scholar of Mathematics: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: A Mathematical Model of Pre-Diagnostic Prostate Cancer Growth   

Thesis Advisor: Justin Zhan

Grant Hollis

Departmental Scholar of Music: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: An Exploration of the Alto Saxophone's Extended Techniques and their Use Within Repertoire    

Thesis Advisor: Jeffrey Murdock

 

John Lee      

Departmental Scholar of Music: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Cross-modal Perception: How Medium of Listening Affects Genre Preferences    

Thesis Advisor: William Levine

Grace Faulkenberry

Departmental Scholar of Philosophy

Thesis Title: Compassion in Immigration Law

Thesis Advisor: Thomas Senor

Summer 2021 Graduate

 

Victoria Mantel     

College Scholar of Philosophy: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Thought Experiments 101: A Materialist History and Analysis of Philosophical Thought Experiments

Thesis Advisor: Eric Funkhouser

Davis Campbell    

College Scholar of Physics: Summa Cum Laude         

Thesis Title: Finite Temperature Magnetic Properties of Rare - Earth - Iron Garnets        

Thesis Advisor: Laurent Bellaiche

 

Alec Fitting 

Departmental Scholar of Physics: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Thermodynamic Simulations of Binary Mixtures on the Surface of Mars

Thesis Advisor: Vincent Chevrier

 

Jeremy Tull

Departmental Scholar of Physics: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Optoelectronic Valley-Spin Qubits with Ambipolar Quantum Dots   

Thesis Advisor: Hugh Churchill

Ethan Bridgforth

Departmental Scholar of Political Science: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Accessibility and Clarity of Campaign Finance Disclosure Databases in U.S. Cities           

Thesis Advisor: Andrew Dowdle

 

Anna Cook

Departmental Scholar of Political Science: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Super PAC Funding in the 2016 and 2020 Presidential Elections      

Thesis Advisor: Karen Sebold

 

Sophia Davis

Departmental Scholar of Political Science        

Thesis Title: American Intervention in Syria and Iraq

Thesis Advisor: Najib Ghadbian

Summer 2021 Graduate

 

Emma Kate Dillon

College Scholar of Political Science: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Importance of Intentionally Executed Framing Techniques for Effective Public Health Communication with Intentions of Increasing the Uptake of the COVID-19 Vaccine

Thesis Advisor: Geoboo Song

 

Amelia Holcomb   

Departmental Scholar of Political Science: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Analyzing Circumstances under which State Carbon Target Policies are Adopted

Thesis Advisor: William Schreckhise

 

Elizabeth Kimbrell

College Scholar of Political Science: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Effect of Term Limits on the Representation of Women in State Legislatures: A Decade Study, 2010-2020

Thesis Advisor: Angie Maxwell

 

William Motazedi 

College Scholar of Political Science: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Approaching the Diaspora: The Limits of Iranian American Citizenship       

Thesis Advisor: Shirin Saeidi

 

Joseph Pardue      

College Scholar of Political Science: Magna Cum Laude      

Thesis Title: Bicycle Related Public Policy Initiatives And the Benefits for the University of Arkansas

Thesis Advisor: Jonathan Johnson

 

Lexi Robertson      

College Scholar of Political Science: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Democratization of the Tibetan Government Post-Exile   

Thesis Advisor: Jared Phillips

 

Hannah Scruggs   

College Scholar of Political Science       

Thesis Title: Women's Representation in State Legislative Committees     

Thesis Advisor: Brinck Kerr

Summer 2021 Graduate

Elli Archbold          

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Effect of Political Ideology on Helping Behavior    

Thesis Advisor: Scott Eidelman

 

Lucas Bellaiche

College Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude  

Thesis Title: The Roles of Contrast and Enculturation in the Generation of Musical Narratives

Thesis Advisor: Elizabeth Margulis

 

Alister Brown         

College Scholar of Psychology: Magna Cum Laude   

Thesis Title: Boredom and Status Quo Bias: Can Boredom Influence Status Quo Preference? 

Thesis Advisor: Scott Eidelman

 

Hannah Carothers

College Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude  

Thesis Title: Stroop Interference in Monolinguals Tested on a Foreign Language           

Thesis Advisor: William Levine

 

Timothy Churchill 

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Eyewitness Identification by Older Adults: The Own-Age Bias

Thesis Advisor: James Lampinen

 

Whitney Davis       

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Effects of Smartphones on Creative Idea Generation and Problem Solving

Thesis Advisor: Darya Zabelina

 

Olivia Demo           

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Manipulating Closeness to Overcome Status Quo Bias           

Thesis Advisor: Scott Eidelman

 

Xiaying Deng         

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Does Presenting Images before Reading Negation make its Processing Easier?

Thesis Advisor: William Levine

 

Caroline Geels      

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: You've Got Me Feeling Emotions:  Expression of Emotion-Related Impulsivity through Language     

Thesis Advisor: Jennifer Veilleux

 

Turner Gillmore    

Departmental Scholar of Psychology     

Thesis Title: Self-Reported Executive Functioning in Former High School Athletes in Relation to Concussion

Thesis Advisor: David Christian

Summer 2021 Graduate

 

Meeghan Gross     

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Self-Identification of Biracial Individuals and the Cross-Race Effect   

Thesis Advisor: James Lampinen

 

Amy Hendricks     

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Latinx and non-Latinx Families: A Comparison of Barriers, Treatment Attitudes, and Behavioral Outcomes

Thesis Advisor: Lauren Quetsch

 

Noah Hill     

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Utilization of a Secure Base to Circumvent Status Quo Bias        

Thesis Advisor: Scott Eidelman

 

Ashley Keith          

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Social Anxiety and Memory for Negative Social Stimuli

Thesis Advisor: Darya Zabelina

 

Megan Kozak         

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Victim-Focused Versus Bully-Focused Teacher anti-bullying Strategies and Classroom Levels of Peer Victimization          

Thesis Advisor: Timothy Cavell

 

W. Allen Lambert

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Examining Pathogen Disgust and Associated Social Biases in Medical Professionals

Thesis Advisor: Anastasia Makhanova

 

Elise Lindsey          

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Too Tired to Tolerate:  A Multimodal Assessment of the Link Between Sleep Quality, Distress Tolerance, and Academic Performance         

Thesis Advisor: Ellen Leen-Feldner

 

Connor Logan        

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Are there gender differences in the association between anxiety symptoms and cognitive control?

Thesis Advisor: Connie Lamm

 

Alec Thomas Martin         

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Negative Urgency Predicts Maladaptive Coping Strategies   

Thesis Advisor: Lindsay Ham

 

Hali McMillan        

College Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Does School Belonging Mediate the Relation Between Military Specific School Supports and Internalizing Symptoms in Military-Connected Children?     

Thesis Advisor: Tim Cavell

 

Zoe Pearson           

College Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Prosody and Negation        

Thesis Advisor: William Levine

 

Reese Petersen     

College Scholar of Psychology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Examining the Effect of Lineup Administrator Behavior on Eyewitness Identification           

Thesis Advisor: James Lampinen

 

Victoria Radke      

College Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Effect of Paragraph Length on Language Processing in Journalistic Writing   

Thesis Advisor: William Levine

 

Jihan Rashed         

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: On the Recovery of Missing Persons: The Influences of Searcher Expectations, Attention, and Memory Decay on Sighting Rates        

Thesis Advisor: James Lampinen

 

Gage Regier           

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Effects of Distinctive Features on Eyewitness Descriptions 

Thesis Advisor: James Lampinen

 

Hannah Sawyer     

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Mediating Role of Self-Blame in the Relationship between Alcohol Intoxication, Bystander Intervention and PTSD Symptoms Following a Sexual Assault

Thesis Advisor: Lindsay Ham

 

Camryn Shepard   

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Impact of Acculturation Status Differences between Latinx Immigrants, their Parents, and their Children on Mental Health Outcomes

Thesis Advisor: Ana Bridges

 

Grace Staples        

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Associations between Parental Stress and Quality Time Spent with Youth on the Autism Spectrum

Thesis Advisor: Lauren Quetsch

 

Kiley Torres

College Scholar of Psychology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Lean on Me: The Effect of Social Support on Momentary Distress Tolerance

Thesis Advisor: Jennifer Veilleux

 

Jenny Wong           

Departmental Scholar of Psychology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Effects of Interactivity on Memory Relating to Presence in Virtual Environments

Thesis Advisor: David Fredrick

Morgan Browning

Departmental Scholar of Social Work: Summa Cum Laude  

Thesis Title: A Multi-Method Approach to Increasing the Recognition and Knowledge of White Privilege Among College Students: A Mixed Methods Research Study      

Thesis Advisor: Kim Stauss

 

Amanda Crews      

Departmental Scholar of Social Work: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Perceptions of Race and Educational Opportunities in Little Rock: A Secondary Data Analysis

Thesis Advisor: Johanna Thomas

 

Kara Painter

College Scholar of Social Work: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Analysis of Child Welfare Caseworker Attitudes Toward Policies Related to Family Reunification

Thesis Advisor: Alishia Ferguson

Marilyn Paige Meshach

Departmental Scholar of Criminology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Similarities and Differences in Criminogenic Factors Across Various Forms of Bias Homicide      

Thesis Advisor: Jeff Gruenewald

 

Charlene Niles      

Departmental Scholar of Criminal Justice: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Geographical Tendencies in Serial Killers in the United States   

Thesis Advisor: Christopher Shields

 

Spencer Shaw        

Departmental Scholar of Criminology: Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Utilizing Deep Learning Algorithms to Discern Patterns of Far-Right Internet Communication via Natural Language Processing      

Thesis Advisor: Christopher Shields

 

Briana Monique Veiga    

Departmental Scholar of Sociology: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Punishing Ideologically Motivated Killers: A Comparison of Islamic Extremists, Far-Rightists, and Bias Homicide Defendants          

Thesis Advisor: Jeff Grunewald

 

Daniel Webster     

College Scholar of Sociology: Magna Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Not So Black and White: Gender Differences between Biracial Men and Women in their Sense of Belonging on a College Campus

Thesis Advisor: Brittany Hearne

Mary Larkin Furlow          

College Scholar of Theatre: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: Life is a Cabaret Old Chum: The Art of Cabaret

Thesis Advisor: Jason Burrow

Claire Campbell   

College Scholar of Classical Studies: Magna Cum Laude     

Thesis Title: Fine Roman Dining at Affordable Pompeian Prices: A New Evaluation of the Non-Domestic Gardens of Pompeii

Thesis Advisor: Rhodora Vennarucci

 

Allyson Layman     

College Scholar of Arabic: Summa Cum Laude

Thesis Title: The Canonized Perpetuation of Stereotypes: An Examination of Orientalism in A Thousand and One Nights            

Thesis Advisor: Adnan Haydar