Honors Theses

2023 Honors Theses

Erin Baker
Mental Health in Nursing: Analyzing Proactive Care
Advisor: Dr. Carl Ross

Samuel Berdine
Understanding Advisor Anxiety and General Financial Anxiety Among College Students
Advisor: Dr. Brian O’Roark

Victoria Beuchat
The Library: An Examination of Andrew Carnegie’s Library Philanthropy through a Historical
Fiction Novella
Advisor: Dr. John Lawson

Tessa Bramble
The Impact of Social Movements on Advertising Effectiveness
Advisor: Dr. Jill Kurp

Lauren Chappell
Targeting Gen Z: Investigating Activist Advertising and Psychological Reactance
Advisor: Dr. Yun Chu

Ryley Danielson
Migrating and Adapting a Facial Emotion Recognition Model and Survey Software to a Cloud
Environment
Advisor: Dr. Sushil Acharya

Cora Danner
Local Optimization of the Laser Welding Process: PA6 and PA66
Advisor: Dr. Benjamin Campbell

Jinal Dave
Biophilia in Dorms
Advisor: Dr. William Dress

Michael Gasdick
Metabolomic Comparison of Native Pennsylvanian Oak and Maple Trees with the Establishment
of Accessible Laser-Driven Volatile Organic Compound Extraction
Advisor: Dr. William Dress

Lauren Hunsecker
FERPA Knowledge: Do College Students Understand?
Advisor: Dr. Sushma Mishra

Jamie Keller
Estate Planning Literacy and Familial Communication Among College Students Noah Hazlett
Engineer’s Video Guide to Urban Exploration
Advisor: Dr. Benjamin Campbell

Hannah Lash
Identifying Stress Factors of Nursing School
Advisor: Dr. Carl Ross

Megan McClymonds
A Comparative Study and Explanation of the Recycling Behaviors of the Students of Robert
Morris University
Advisor: Dr. Adam Combs

Joseph McFadden
An Evaluation of Northwestern Pennsylvanian Universities and Opioid Overdose Programs
Advisor: Dr. Frank Hartle

Farah Mohamed
Invisible Physical Disabilities and University Accommodations
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Tepe

Megan Muller
RMU Accounting Mentorship Program: The Ability to Develop Employable Skills
Advisor: Dr. Jacob Peng

David Sangrey
Password Change Requirements and the Effective Strength of Passwords
Advisor: Dr. Ping Wang

Sydney Spuzzillo
The Relative Age Effect and the National Hockey League: Is it Real or is it a Sports Myth?
Advisor: Dr. John Clark

Stephanie Streb
The Soft Skill Perception GA(A)P: Accounting Internships for Soft Skill Development
Advisor: Dr. Gregory Krivacek

Christopher Tinney
Measuring the Capabilities of the D-Wave Quantum Annealer in a Social Media Discount
Option Advertisement Campaign
Advisor: Dr. Sang Ho Shim

Rebekah Weyand
Analysis of Transformational Leadership in Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Advisor: Dr. Petros Malakyan

2022 Honors Theses

Ryan Benzing
Skyscraper: Building a Board Game
Advisor: Prof. Andrew Ames   

Taryn Campbell
An Evaluation of Wheelchair Accessibility on Robert Morris University’s Campus
Advisor: Dr. Susan Parker   

William Cochenour
Alternative Minimum Tax: The On-Again Off-Again Tax
Advisor: Prof. Carol MacPhail   

Patrick Conolly
Survey of Educational Robotics for Industrial Development Applications
Advisor: Dr. Diane Igoche   

Kristen Davis
Communities in Collaboration: The Past, Present, and Future Collaboration Among Allegheny County Community Development Corporations
Advisor: Dr. Ann Jabro   

Jeffrey DeGrosky
Canine Wheelchair with Propulsion System
Advisor: Dr. Won Joo   

Elena Diulus
Addressing Workplace Bullying: Do Nurses Eat Their Young?
Advisor: Dr. Carl Ross   

Sophie Farrell
Dog Adoption: A Data Visualization
Advisor: Dr. Jon Radermacher   

Joshua Horn
Informing the Healthcare System: The Creation of the Comprehensive Social Health Mirco Screening Tool
Advisor: Dr. Stephen Foreman   

Hannah Kelly
Calcium Crisis: Social Media as a Medium to Educate College Students
Advisor: Dr. Lisa Locasto   

Nathan Kinsey
StarCraft 2: Matchup Analysis
Advisor: Dr. David Hudak   

Erin Kuehn
The Perceived Outcomes of COVID-19 on Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disorders
Advisor: Dr. Susan Parker   

Xiara Long
Product Launch Considerations for a Commercial System to Weld Plastics Using Lasers
Advisor: Dr. Benjamin Campbell

Ryan Lowden-Stoole  
Impact of an Incentive-based Physical Activity Program on All-Cause Mortality: A Simulation within Medicare
Advisor: Dr. Christophe Groendyke   

Jordan Lowthert
Identifying the Current Challenges in Mobile Forensics
Advisor: Dr. Karen Paullet   

Deanah McGinnis
The Basis of Tool Use in Corvids: Nature vs. Nurture
Advisor: Dr. Catherine Hanna   

Elizabeth Murphy
I’ll (Always) Be There for You (Unless You Get Fat)
Advisor: Dr. Jill Kurp   

Curtis Pagley
Pennsylvania’s Decline of Volunteer Firefighters
Advisor: Dr. Soren Fanning   

Viktoria Probeck
Data Visualization Literacy in College Students: A Replication Study
Advisor: Dr. Mary Hansen   

Emily Reed
Developing SudokuStrategy: An R Package to Solve Sudoku Puzzles Using Human-side-solving Strategies
Advisor: Dr. Adam Combs   

Jayme Sanner
The Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding (BISG) Method: A Test Case with Voter Data
Advisor: Dr. Adam Combs   

Cassandra Sherman
Building a Better Beauty Industry: ADA Compliant Salon Business Plan
Advisor: Dr. Eliada Griffin El   

Abigail Staman
Risk Factors for Pre-eclampsia Among College-aged Women: The Case for Educating Women
Advisor: Dr. Betsy Guimond   

Natalie Villaflor
American Native English-Speaking Teachers Understanding Their Students’ Cultures: Implications for Teaching Abroad
Advisor:Dr. Ying Zhang

2021 Honors Theses

Maria Alfano
Analyzing Brain Matter Microstructure and Susceptibility to Traumatic Brain Injuries
Advisor: Dr. Rika Carlsen

Caleb Armstrong
Application of Various Machine Learning Models to Predict Harmful Algae Bloom
Occurrence around Presque Isle in Lake Erie
Advisor: Dr. Diane Igoche

Karoline Betteridge
Horror Films in a Post 9/11 World: The Rise of the Torture Horror Subgenre
Advisor: Prof. Carolina Loyola-Garcia

Haley Boyden
Mining Twitter Data Using Hybrid Classification
Advisor: Dr. Christophe Groendyke

Dylan Burke
A Correlational Analysis of Racial Impact Statement Legislation
Advisor: Dr. Frank Hartle

Brittany Burmester
Data Visualization Tools in a Business Context: Comparing Tableau and Power BI
Advisor: Dr. G. Alan Davis

Loretta Carosone
Beyond the Basic Experience: An Assessment of RMU’s Study Abroad Programs on the
Development of Employable Skills
Advisor: Dr. Mary Hansen

Caroline Downham
The Unexpected Legacy of the Cold War Nike Project
Advisor: Dr. Paul Badger

Amanda Ebner
The Ophelian: Revising an Original Novel for Publication
Advisor: Dr. John Lawson

Kelley Flynn
Mental Health Stigmas and Barriers to Seeking Treatment
Advisor: Dr. Janene Szpak

Moira Gibson
An Analysis of the Portrayal of Mental Health in the Prime-time Drama Mr. Robot
Advisor: Dr. Helena Vanhala

Madelyn Green
Postpartum Hemorrhage Preparedness Tool: Are U.S. Hospitals Following Protocols?
Advisor: Dr. Betsy Guimond

Katrina Haberberger
The Impact of a Virtual Nature Experience on Caretaker Stress
Advisor: Dr. Jamie Pinchot

Jonathan Hall
The Effect of Cochlear Implants on Hiring Decisions
Advisor: Dr. Stephen Paul

Sarah Heffler
Corporate Social Responsibility in the National Hockey League during the COVID-19
Pandemic
Advisor: Dr. Artemisia Apostolopoulou

Jordyn Koontz
Determining the Geographic Health Disparities in Western Pennsylvania during the
Novel Coronavirus Pandemic
Advisor: Dr. Gavin Buxton

Skyler Kutzner
Comparison of Bayesian General Circulation and Linear Inverse Model Methodology for
Average Monthly Temperature Predictions
Advisor: Dr. Christophe Groendyke

Katherine Martin
The Importance of Pre, During, and Post Trip Communication with the Host Community
for Volunteer Service Trips
Advisor: Dr Richard Mills

Breanna McCann
Now Or Have Ever Been: The Politics of Films of the Hollywood Blacklist Era
Advisor: Dr. Helena Vanhala

Molly McGuire
How Diet Quality and Quantity Affects Drosophila Melanogaster’s Lifespan and
Reproduction
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Hillwig

Katherine Messner
Finding the Gap: A Qualitative Study to Identify the Gap between Classroom Practice
and Research-Proposed Practice in Reading and Writing for ESL Classrooms
Advisor: Dr. Ying Zhang

Sydney Nelson
Anthropomorphism in Pet-Owners and Non-Pet Owners: How Experience with Animals
Shapes Anthropomorphic Tendencies
Advisor: Dr. Stephen Paul

Brittany O’Connell
An Analysis of Geographical Variation in Medicare Readmission Rates Over Time with
an Emphasis on Quality of Care
Advisor: Dr. Stephen E. Foreman

Mirna Sarjanovic
Harry Potter's Horcrux Quest: The Role of a Transformational Leader
Advisor: Dr. Yasmin Purohit

Ian Stubbs
Inequality in the Equal State: Gender Discrepancies in China’s Politburo
Advisor: Dr. Soren Fanning

Gulnoza Tursunova
Fast Fashion and Consumer Behavior among College Students
Advisor: Dr. Zhou Yang

Colton Wenrick
A Comparison of LIBOR and Alternatives Across Major Currencies
Advisor: Dr. Stanko Racic

Rebekah Wilford
Salvageable or Sentenced: Can a New Payroll Tax Structure Save Social Security?
Advisor: Dr. David Hudak

Erika Wilt
Analyzing Pro- and Anti-Vaccine Comments and Information on Facebook
Advisor: Dr. Matthew Maurer

Victoria Yeany
A Positive Approach to Engagement: The Interaction Between Personality, Positive
Psychology, and Employee Engagement Levels
Advisor: Dr. David Wheeler

2020 Honors Theses

Emily Barchey
The United States and Australia: An Analysis of the Pension Plan Systems and Superannuation
Advisor: Dr. David Hudak

Hannah Bartus
Weapons of Theater: Applying Cialdini’s Principles of Influence to Interactive Theater
Advisor: Dr. Diane Igoche

Kayla Carbert
The Perceived Trustworthiness of the Micro-Influencer, both with and without Disclosures
Advisor: Dr. Sun-A Park

Alina Chemini
The Usability Study: BodyExplorer© Augmented Reality Learning System
Advisor: Prof. Suzan Kardong-Edgren

Brittany Claybaugh
Mon Valley Event Venue Market Strategy: A Public Relations Approach
Advisor: Dr. Richard Mills

Megan DiNatale
Dumbledore Exposed: The Unseen Manipulator in Harry Potter
Advisor: Dr. Sylvia Pamboukian

Dalton Faith
An Archer’s Perception: Purchase Behaviors and Tendencies of Modern Archers
Advisor: Dr. Yun Chu

Lindsay Fetterman
Home Field Advantage: An Analysis of the Impact of Travel and Off Days on Major League Baseball
Advisor: Dr. Adam Combs

Jacob Hall
Creating a Block-Cipher-Based Encryption Algorithm
Advisor: Dr. Monica Van Dieren

Allison Harnsberger
Devouring La Dolce Vita: Combining Research, Food & Study Abroad Blogging
Advisor: Dr. Connie Ruzich

Jiabi He
The Relationship between Social Class and Chinese Undergraduate Students’ Ego-Identity Status
Advisor: Dr. Stephen Paul

Kelly Jones
Concurrent Picking and Cycle Counting
Advisor: Dr. Mark Haney

Jacob King
An Analysis into the Predictor Variables Influencing an Individual’s Retirement Decision
Advisor: Dr. Adam Combs

Jacob Mast
Are You Going Blind? Accuracy of Tonometers: An Updated Meta-Analysis
Advisor: Dr. Rika Carlsen

Samantha Medasie
The Sunk Cost Effect and Its Impact on Voting Behavior in American Presidential Elections
Advisor: Dr. Zhou Yang

Amy Metz
Revenue Generating Practices of a Nonprofit Youth Sport Organization
Advisor: Dr. Artemisia Apostolopoulou

Evan Nokes
An Analysis of Ethics Education in Undergraduate Accounting Coursework
Advisor: Dr. David Hess

Allison Petrick
The Potential of Soil Microbes to Produce New Antibiotics
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Hillwig

Jordan Redinger
The Savage Myth in Colonial Era, Wild West, and Today
Advisor: Dr. Daniel Barr

Rachel Roos
Laser Welding for the Manufacturing of Plastic Biomedical Devices
Advisor: Dr. Benjamin Campbell

Jessica Sales
Say No to Food Waste: Evaluation of a Food Waste Education Campaign in a University Dining Hall
Advisor: Dr. Kenneth LaSota

Dakota Staley
The Changing World of Title IX: One Campus’s Response
Advisor: Prof. David Jamison

Jessica Wesolowsky
An Analysis of Back-to-Back Game Performance in the National Hockey League
Advisor: Dr. John Clark

2019 Honors Theses

Bethany Barbis
Aborto Legal Ya: Photographing the Pro-Choice Movement in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Advisor: Prof. Christine Holtz

Margaret Bordo
Developing a Dystopia
Advisor: Dr. Sylvia Pamboukian

Alison Cannon
Rebellion in Modern Art: An Exhibition Exploring the Paradigm Shift of Modernism
Advisor: Dr. Heather Pinson

Lacee Collins
Phenotypic Switching of Smooth Muscle Cells in Atherosclerosis
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Hillwig

George Dietrich
EVE Online: Applying Linear and Integer Programming to Reduce Material Waste in the Production Process
Advisor: Dr. Sang Ho Shim

Allison Freeman
The Vegan Diet and the Effect on the Human Body and Mind: A Self Study
Advisor: Dr. Lisa Locasto

Jessica Friss
The Environmental Quality of Pittsburgh Neighborhoods and the Relationship to its Racial and Socioeconomic Status
Advisor: Dr. Lauren Rauscher

Kyjahna Gerard
Improving Breastfeeding Compliance for STEM Employees
Advisor: Dr. Betsy Guimond

Rebecca Held
The Effect of Coloring Mandalas on State Anxiety Levels in College Students: A Comparative Study
Advisor: Dr. David Wheeler

Skyler Hinchberger
Novices versus Experts: Getting the Right Answers
Advisor: Dr. Katrina Pyo

Emily Kiss
Children's Financial Literacy: Why Piggy Banks Are More Important Than You Think
Advisor: Prof.  Hyla Willis

Kayla Komondor
Unknown Compound Investigation into Possible Sperm Motility Degradation
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Hillwig

Dakota Lamb
Evaluating Suitability of Commercial Sites for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Advisor: Dr. Sang Ho Shim

Jade Lu-Zoller
For the Love of F*ck: Flagging and Filtering Objectionable Content on Social Media
Advisor:  Dr. Diane Igoche

Olivia McCafferty
"Can't Touch This": Artificial Fingertip Design Optimization for Capacitive Touch Screen Interaction
Advisor: Dr. Benjamin Campbell

Alexander Merryman
An Analysis of Smart Beta Investment Strategies in the Emerging Markets
Advisor: Dr. Jianyu Ma

Dylan Miller
The Impact of Regulatory Burden from Dodd-Frank on Community Banks
Advisor: Prof. Zane Dennick-Ream

Emily Nobers
Generational Gaps in the Workplace, and How Does RMU Compare?
Advisor: Dr. Dean Manna

Kendall Noel
The Increasing Rate and Unreported Cases of Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries in Collegiate Men’s Soccer Athletes with an Emphasis on Sensors for Testing Impacts
Advisor: Dr.  Rika Carlsen

Taylor Reimold
Measuring the Effects of Animal Therapy on Student Anxiety
Advisor: Dr. David Wheeler

Paul B. Schink
Understanding the Hook: A Computational Analysis of the Dynamics of Bowling Ball Motion
Advisor: Dr Gavin Buxton

Alex Schreckengost
Measuring and Improving Health Insurance Literacy among College Students
Advisor: Dr. David Hudak

Alyssa Sheehan
An Analysis of Medicaid Eligibility for Pregnant Women
Advisor: Dr. David Hudak

David Szymanski
An Analysis of Predictive Factors in the College Admission Process
Advisor: Dr. Mary Hansen

Cassandra Ward
Robert Morris University's Actuarial Science Summer Program
Advisor: Dr. David Hudak

Spencer Wellington
Measuring Sponsorship Effectiveness in the 21st Century: Measurement Techniques and Best Practices in the Sport Industry
Advisor: Dr. Artemisia Apostolopoulou

Allison Wentzel
Next Fall This Fall
Advisor: Prof. Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre

2018 Honors Theses

Alexandra Kilyanek
Logo Changes and Their Effects: A Case Study of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Advisor: Dr. John Clark

Allison Dushack
Correlation Between Age and Long-Term Effects of Bullying
Advisor: Dr. Neha Pandit

Andrew Miller
Power of the Peer: The Effect of Social Influence in Marketing
Advisor: Dr. John Clark

Aubrey Leasure
An Examination of Safety Regulations in Response to Terrorism and Their Effect on Cabin Crews
Advisor: Dr. Cathleen Jones

Bridgette Scott
Visualization Impact on Student Understanding of Domain and Range in Three-Dimensions
Advisor: Dr. Monica VanDieren

Carrie Torre
Advantages of Energy Star Homes: The Economic and Health Benefits of the Certification
Advisor: Dr. Tony Kerzmann

Cassidy Turner
Attracting and Retaining Women into Information Technology Majors at Robert Morris University
Advisor: Dr. Lauren Rauscher

Damian Di Florio
Telomeric Damage Sensitivity of RAD30 Knock-Outs Caused by Gemcitabine in S. cerevisiae
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Hillwig

Daniel Doyle
Using Neural Networks to Improve the Hedging of Variable Annuity Guarantees
Advisor: Dr. Christophe Groendyke

Davis Simon
An Analysis of Fox versus Marth in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Advisor: Dr. David Hudak

Emma Wilson
A Demonstration of Potential Contamination of Personal Stethoscopes and Name Badges of Baccalaureate Nursing Students
Advisor: Dr. Janice Sarasnick

Erin Ritzer
Computer Modeling and Finite Element Analysis of a Reverse Shoulder Implant System
Advisor: Dr. Won Joo

Holden Thee
Password Reset Periods and Their Effect on Password Strength
Advisor: Dr. Wenli Wang

Justin Josey
A Methodology for Automated Facial Expression Recognition using Facial Landmarks
Advisor: Dr. Sushil Acharya

Katharina Bak
The Permeability and Effectiveness of Disposable Medical Gloves When Dealing with [Tc-99m]pertechnetate
Advisor: Prof. Donna Mason

Kylee Schaffer
Cellular Alignment Induced by Electrospun Fibrous Scaffolds
Advisor: Mylene de Ruijter

Mara Ruzicka-Butz
A Case Study of the Effects of an Art-Based Adaptation on On/Off Task Behavior
Advisor: Dr. Susan Parker

Maria French
The Design and Development of a Laser Plastic Welding Testing Procedure Using the RMU Learning Factory
Advisor: Dr. Benjamin R. Campbell

Mary Funderlich
Tiny Houses as a Solution for People, Profit and Planet
Advisor: Dr. Marcel Minutolo

Matthew Scolieri
Profiting from Intellectual Property: A Mobile Application
Advisor: Dr. Arif Sirinterlikci

Megan DeArmit
Contrasting Local and National Media Coverage of the 2017 Women's March: Responding to Donald Trump's Inauguration
Advisor: Dr. Anthony Moretti

Morgan Slezak
Digital Healthcare Information in the Age of Information Insecurity
Advisor: Dr. Karen Paullet

Rachel Dye
Implementing Technology into Accounting Classrooms
Advisor: Dr. Gregory Krivacek

Stanley Marciniak III
Breaking Secular Stagnation: A Path Forward from Slow Growth in Developed Economies in the Age of Globalization
Advisor: Dr. Brian O'Roark

Stephanie Fray
Effectiveness of a Pressure Ulcer Educational Intervention on Knowledge Reinforcement in Nursing Students
Advisor: Dr. Donna McDermott

Vincent Passerini
Harnessing the Potential of a Generation Z Workforce
Advisor: Dr. Karen Paullet

Ziyu Zhang
The Individual Return on Privatizing Social Security in the United States
Advisor: Dr. David Hudak

2017 Honors Theses

Hannah Arnold 
Integrating Arduino and Lego Mindstorms to Create a Player Piano 
Advisor: Benjamin Campbell

Brooke Birckbichler 
Sports–Related Concussions: The Symptoms, the Psychology, and the Treatments 
Advisor: Samantha Monda

Katherine Breeze
The Effect of Foam Rolling on Hamstring Flexibility in Division I Women's Lacrosse Players
Advisor: Melissa Hillwig

Savanah Buhite 
English Language Learners and the Common Core: Overcoming Obscure Language in Literature 
Advisor: Ying Zhang

Jessica Chin 
Riding the Wave: An Analysis of Korean Drama Streaming 
Advisor: Ira Abdullah

Allison Couch 
The Wear on Tablet Tooling and How it Effects the Quality of a Product in a Manufacturing Environment 
Advisor: Rika Carlsen

Kyrstin Dittenhafer-Swartz 
Elective Hysterectomies: A Social Analysis 
Advisor: Nathan Taylor

Kenneth Fugagli 
Creating an Optimal way of Setting a Daily Fantasy Sports Lineup in an Attempt to Determine Whether it is a Game of Skill or Luck 
Advisor:  Christophe Groendyke

Megan Gold 
General Knowledge of Nutrition: A Demographic Study of NCAA Athletes 
Advisor: Jill Maher

David Grubic 
eSports: A New Era of Spectator Games 
Advisor: Alan Smith

Lindsay Hess 
Wide-Awake Hand Surgery: A Cost Analysis of Replacing Sedation with Local Anesthesia 
Advisor: Stephen Foreman

Deja Hopkins 
Creating Lekins LLC 
Advisor: Frank Flanegin

Joshua Kwasny 
Understanding Stochastic Calculus 
Advisor: Liang Hong

Ashley Messner 
Worldbuilding in Westeros: The Use of Functional Grammar in the Creation of Fantasy Worlds
Advisor: Mary Katherine Kiliany

Taylor Miller 
Attorneys' Take on Litigation Consulting 
Advisor: Michele Cole

Dale Miller 
minimus - Socially Beneficial Tiny Homes 
Advisor: Marcel Minutolo

Kelsey Paxton 
The Examination of Keyboards for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes 
Advisor: Melissa Hillwig

Jacob Pearson 
Sponsorship Activation in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games 
Advisor: Artemisia Apostolopoulou

Emily Raab 
Health Care Predictive Modeling: Creating and Analyzing Models for Health Insurance Claims 
Advisor: Christophe Groendyke

Melissa Radovich 
Bridging the Life Insurance Gap: An Analysis of Online Life Insurance Calculators for the American Middle Market 
Advisor: Christophe Groendyke

Melissa Reinbold 
The Impact of B Corporation Certification on Consumer Trust, Purchase Intention and Willingness to Pay a Price Premium: An Evaluation of Certification Logos and Retail Displays 
Advisor: Jill Maher

Theodore Schuman 
Analysis of the Pennsylvania Pension Crisis and Hybridization Plans 
Advisor: David Hudak

Katie Shirley 
The Introduction of Actuarial Science to Secondary Students  
Advisor: David Hudak

Kendra Slis 
Engineering a Future: Developing Outreach Curriculum to Encourage High School Girls to Pursue a Career in Engineering 
Advisor: Rika Carlsen

Nicole Stone 
Antikythera Mechanism: Lego Replica 
Advisor: Andris Niedra

Molly Watterson 
Brand Strength: A Study of the Disney Vacation Club and Brand Extensions 
Advisor: James Shock

Lara Will 
The Increasing Disparity of Life Expectancies of People with Different Levels of Education 
Advisor: Chistophe Groendyke

Raeanna Wohlfarth 
The Effects of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Obesity, Health, and the Economy 
Advisor: Stephen Foreman

Jocelyn Young 
The Value of Parental Failure in Fairy Tales and the Dangers of Disney’s Parental Substitutes 
Advisor: Sylvia Pamboukian

2016 Honors Theses

Katrina Buchanan 
Writing Revolution: Telling the Deborah Sampson Story  
Advisor: Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre

Catherine Bush 
Analysis of New Rehabilitation Interventions for Elderly Stroke Victims with Upper Limb Hemiparesis 
Advisor: Holly Hampe

Lucas Carter
Level Up: A Feature Film
Advisor: Melissa Martin

Matthew Corkery 
Retirement Income in the Twenty-First Century: An Analysis of Public Pension Systems Around the World 
Advisor: David Hudak

Monica DeLuca 
The Financial Impact of Genetic Testing within Life Insurance 
Advisor: Christophe Groendyke

Tara Dillan 
Student Spending and Impulsivity
Advisor: Zhou Yang

Leah Fleischel 
Get It Right, Get It First, and Make It Social: How Social Media has Changed the Work Flow in Modern Newsrooms 
Advisor: Anthony Moretti

Diane Gorog 
Psychology of Injury Knowledge among Injury Rehabilitation Specialists 
Advisor:  Samantha Monda

Kayleigh Herrera 
Analysis of Nursing Students Regarding Elder Abuse 
Advisor: Carl Ross

Kyle Hinchberger 
Linear Oscillating Energy Generation 
Advisor: Tony Kerzmann

Madison Kozlowski 
Walt Disney World Organizational Structure and Customer Service 
Advisor: Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre

Deryn Martin 
A Case for Redesigning Ice Hockey Equipment for Women: Addressing Safety, Comfort, and Attitude Toward Shopping 
Advisor: Arif Sirinterlikci

Cheryl McMaster 
Destination Loyalty: The Roles of Destination Brand Image and Satisfaction 
Advisor: Denis Rudd

Brian Murone 
Health Insurance Literacy Among College Students 
Advisor: David Hudak

Jordan Neusch 
Perceptions and Knowledge: A Study of Former Pennsylvania High School Students’ Mental Health Education 
Advisor: Samantha Monda

Luke Phillips 
Capping the Game: A Look at the Effectiveness of a Salary Cap in Major League Baseball 
Advisor: David Hudak

Amber Pramann 
Rape Myths Revisited: Looking at Rape through the Lens of Religiosity 
Advisor: Lauren Rauscher

Jazmyne Sasse 
Treatment and Rehabilitation of Hamstring Injuries 
Advisor: Gavin Buxton

Haley Sawyer 
Hail to RMU: A Football Documentary 
Advisor: Cigdem Slankard

Andrew Scheidemantel 
An Investigation of Mandibular Reconstruction Techniques 
Advisor: Won Joo

Evyn Selden 
A Program Evaluation of the Nonprofit Organization: The Global Sisterhood 
Advisor: Mary Hansen

Isaac Swink 
Novel Manufacturing Process for Cranial Remolding Orthoses  
Advisor: Arif Sirinterlikci

Cassidy Toole 
Food of the Past for the Health of the Future: The Benefits of a Paleolithic Diet in College Students 
Advisor: Lisa Locasto

Lauren Walk 
Manipulation of Iron Oxide Powder Suspended in a Hydrogel 
Advisor: Rika Carlsen

Andrew Wisnkeski 
The Impact of Salary Allocation on NHL Team Success 
Advisor: John Clark

2015 Honors Theses

Frankie Alderson 
Uses and Gratifications of Paranormal Television Viewership: A Case Study of  "A Haunting" 
Advisor: Helena Vanhala

Trisha Brandt 
The Relationship Among Self-Efficacy, Locus of Control, and Life Satisfaction: The Case of College Students 
Advisor: Jill Maher

Garnet Brown
A Study of the Development of Resistance to Ampicillin in Escherichia coli Through Repeated Exposure
Advisor: Melissa Hillwig

Nicholas Buzzelli 
Rebel Reporting: A College Journalists' Guide to Circumventing Administrative Censorship 
Advisor: Anthony Moretti

Allyson Copeman 
Exploring Differences in Concentration Levels While Playing Games 
Advisor: Benjamin Campbell

Kathryn Connell 
The  Reintegration of Veterans on College Campuses 
Advisor: Julianne Michalenko

Sara Dinwiddie 
An Ethnographic Study of the Borderlands Influence on the Creation and Development of Carrizozo, New Mexico 
Advisor: Daniel Barr

Mark Gaynord, Jr. 
Popping the Bubble: The Impact of Sports Programming on the Cable TV "Bubble" 
Advisor: John Clark

Aaron Hartman 
The Financial Impact of  Tommy John Surgery 
Advisor: David Synowka

Jenna Hidinger 
Building a Business: Jenna Hidinger Photography 
Advisor: William Shadle

Alexis Jones 
Stereotyping or Segmentation? An Analysis of Children's Advertising Across Networks 
Advisor: Jill Maher

Anne Kandray 
Exploring the Change in Knowledge Level of Undergraduate Nursing Students in Conjuncture with a Foundations of Nursing Practice Course 
Advisor: Janene Szpak

Kory Kozlowksi 
In Bloom: The Rise and Fall of Grunge and Its Significance Today 
Advisor: Julianne Michalenko

George Maldonado 
A Map of the Zombie Apocalypse 
Advisor: Gavin Buxton

Kristina Marks 
NO2 Concentration Levels in the Greater Pittsburgh Area 
Advisor: Daniel Short

Brittany Palac 
Using Mobile Applications as a Supplement to Sustainability Education in Pennsylvania Middle Schools and High Schools 
Advisor: Priyadarshan Manohar

Vanessa Petrasko 
Key Influencers in Federal Government and Their Role in Productivity 
Advisor: Brian O'Roark

Mark Polcha 
Effects of Increasing the Contribution Base on Social Security Solvency 
Advisor: David Hudak

Marulla Quirk 
A Guide to Publishing for First-Time Authors 
Advisor: Sylvia Pamboukian

Casey Riedmann 
Effects of Video Game Exposure to Survey Performance  
Advisor: Stephan Paul

Danielle Scheunemann 
The Role of Tyrosine in Oogenesis in Drosophila Melanogaster 
Advisor: Melissa Hillwig

Tanner Sebastian 
From Page to Stage 
Advisor: Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre

Andrew Trapp 
Freedom of Interaction: A Case for the Creation of Touch Screen Compatible Prostheses 
Advisor: Sushil Acharya

2014 Honors Theses

Sarah Burns 
The Feasibilty of an Anaerobic Digestion System at Robert Morris University 
Advisor: Tony Kerzmann

Kristen Garofalo 
Professional Athletes on Social Media 
Advisor: Michele Edwards

Gabriella Gasparich 
Analyzing Cultural and Experimental Factors Influencing Undergraduate American and International Students 
Advisor: Ann Jabro

Carter Khalequzzaman 
Life Insurance Pricing Competition and Simulation Research 
Advisor: David Hudak

Kevin Klus 
An Intuitive Understanding of Social Security
Advisor: David Hudak

Josef Landon 
Production and Performance of Glengarry Glen Ross 
Advisor: Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre

Mackenzie Lawler 
The Moneyball Application: A Statistical Analysis of Women's Lacrosse 
Advisor: Jill Maher

Chris Ludwiczak 
Understanding Sportsbook Behavior and How to Profit 
Advisor: John Clark

Ellen Martin 
Looking Through the Smoke: Electronic Cigarettes and Taxation 
Advisor: Katie Hetherington

Victoria Mikulan 
The Issue of Consolidation in Allegheny County Volunteer Fire Departments 
Advisor: John McCarthy

Kayla Newman 
Social Impact Bonds: Funding for Social Profit Organizations as Explored through the Public Library System 
Advisor: Marcel Minutolo

Rebecca Noal 
A Changing Society: The Strip District in the 1800s 
Advisor: Carolina Loyola-Garcia

Alexander Olijar 
The Relationship between Government Revenue and the Income Tax Rate 
Advisor: Brian O'Roark

Carley Padgett 
Restless Leg Syndrome in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review 
Advisor: Nadine Englert

James Rankin 
Sarbanes-Oxley: America's Financial Law 
Advisor: Victoria Fratto

Philippe Rigaud 
The Development, Testing, and Design of a New Strategy Board/Card Game 
Advisor: Andrew Ames

Lauren Roberts 
Procalcitonin as a Possible Future Biomarker for Bacterial Infections 
Advisor: Matthew Maurer

Alex Romano 
Using Historical Quantitative Data to Rank Football Players in a Fantasy Football Atmosphere
Advisor: Chris Groendyke

Alexa Sarsfield 
The Relationship between Athletics and Business: Using Management Tools to Guide a Team Captain to Success 
Advisor: Marcel Minutolo

Jeffrey Siwik 
Retirement Education: A Necessity for Today's College Students 
Advisor: Robert Beaves

Jennifer Smith 
Sustainability: A Whole New World of Sports 
Advisors: David Synowka & Scott Branvold

Nathanael Tinik 
Examining the Factors Associated with Recidivism 
Advisor: David Hudak

Jaclyn Wilson 
Mathography: The Creative process of Combining Mathematics and Photography into an Activity Book for Middle School Students 
Advisor: Heather Pinson

2013 Honors Theses

Danny Bonaventura 
Perceptions of Assistant/Associate Athletic Directors of Student Athletic Support Services: The Case of the Northeast Conference 
Advisor: Artemisia Apostolopoulou

DaniRae Block 
Biodiversity of Leafhoppers in Western Pennsylvania 
Advisor: Catherine Hanna

Jennifer Broderick 
The Public Opinion and Perception of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Advisor: Melissa Hillwig

Joe Douglas 
Investing in Amateur Talent: Surplus Value and Expected Returns of Top 100 Prospects in Major League Baseball 
Advisor: David Hudak

Brianna Flasco 
We Are...The Precedent: A Crisis Communication Analysis of the Penn State Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Scandal 
Advisor: Michele Edwards

Matthew Kreiser 
An Analysis of What the Move to 150-credit Hours for CPA Licensure Means for Pennsylvania Accounting Students 
Advisor: David Hess

Maxwell Morrow 
CS1 Programming Courses: Comparing Objects-First and Procedural-First Approaches 
Advisor: Charles Woratschek

Christopher Murone 
Developing an Informational App for Higher Education 
Advisor: Charles Woratschek

Veronica Radloff 
Educating and Integrating the Public into the Oral Health Community 
Advisor: Carl Ross

Benjamin Ridgeley 
Health Care Reform: An Actuarial Student Guide 
Advisor: David Hudak

Sarah Robb 
A System for Controlled Study of Strain Gradients in-vitro 
Advisor: Melissa Hillwig

Lindsey Sobolosky 
New Urbanism in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: From the Suburbs to the Inner-City 
Advisor: John McCarthy

Phillip Timcheck 
Effectiveness of Hospital Footwear and Bactericidial Mats in Reducing Bacterial Transmission in the Clinical Setting 
Advisor: Katrina Pyo

2012 Honors Theses

Alexandra Antonacci 
The Story of a Soldier's Adaption: From the War Front to the Home Front

Brent Baburich 
An Exploration of Youth Hockey Development Programs in the National Hockey League 
Advisor: Artemisia Apostopoulou

Julia Bennett 
A Measure of Pre-Service Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Before and After Completing a Special Education Course or Student Teaching Semester 
Advisor: Bruce Golmic

Kyle Bradley 
Team Name Selection in Professional Sport: The Case of the Tulsa Shock 
Advisor: Artemisia Apostopoulou

Thomas Boss 
Signaling of Dividend Initiations: Earning Stability During Recessions 
Advisor: Denise Letterman

Nicole Carlins 
Saving Presidential Reputations: Anatomy of Post-War Political Scandals 
Advisor: Philip Harold

Sabine Cherenfant 
Charisma and the Castro Brothers 
Advisor: Philip Harold

Sybile Cherenfant 
Gender Differences in Classroom Aesthetics

Jason Jurich 
The Textbook Acquisition Process: A Study of Pricing and Students Behaviors 
Advisor: Marcel Minutolo

Travis Loncar 
Google It: The State of Search in 2012 
Advisor: Monica VanDieren

Eric Milovac 
Catastrophe Modeling with a Focus on Hurricanes and How the Industry Can Be Improved 
Advisor: David Hudak

Katherine O'Dowd 
Specific Theoretical Predictors of Dysphoria Among College Students 
Advisor: William Kelly

Jessica Olin 
George Washington's Contact with Native American Indians 
Advisor: Daniel Barr

Bradley Perciavalle 
Developing Trap Placement Strategies in Emerald Ash Borer Contaminant Models 
Advisor: William Dress

2011 Honors Theses

Michelle Beamer 
The Future of Social Security 
Advisor: David Hudak

Lauren Douglas 
The Basel III International Banking Requirements: Assessing the Adequacy in Response to the U.S. Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 
Advisor: H. James Vincent

Matthew Feryus 
Actuary Examinations 
Advisor: David Hudak

Brian Gayso 
Corporate Sponsorship Strategies 
Advisor: Artemisia Apostolopoulou

Jennifer Greene 
What Factors Contribute to the Successful Revitalization of Rural Main Street? A Case Study of Imperial PA 
Advisor: Ann Jabro

Heather Lowery 
Analysis of Political-type, Front-page Articles in USA Today and in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
Advisor: Andrea Frantz

Jean Kalevitch 
I Don't Remember Learning That: The Modern High School Student and Information Retention
Advisor: AJ Grant

Sara Meier 
Student Perception of Sustainability Efforts in Regional SW PA Grocery Stores 
Advisor: Gayle Marco

Tabitha Savka 
Battling the Death of Altruism: A Study of the Non-Profit Organization Donor Relationship 
Advisor: Julianne Michalenko

Sheila Strong 
Follow the Money: An International Study of Tax Havens 
Advisor: Katie Hetherington

Jessica Stubbs 
Motivation: Effects of External Rewards on Intrinsic Motivation and its Application to Restaurant A 
Advisor: Daria Crawley

Evan Wright 
Hierarchy Revisted: The Need Life Cycle 
Advisor: Steven Clinton

2010 Honors Theses

Channing Frampton 
Broadcast Television: A comparison between the stations of Finland and America 
Advisor: Helena Vanhala

Emily Himmel 
Nursing: Universalities and Diversalities, a Comparison Between Nursing in Nicaragua and Nursing in America 
Advisor: Carl Ross

Nicholas Pucci 
Ownership Structure: An Analysis of Publicly and Privately Owned Life Insurance Firms 
Advisor: David Hudak

2009 Honors Theses

Erik Herleman 
A Comparative Study of the Implementation of Total Quality Management Techniques by Small Business Entrepreneurs in Poland and the United States  
Advisor: Cathi Jones

Melissa Wenger 
A Cultural Analysis: Managing a Multi-Cultural Environment within One Building 
Advisors: Diane Todd Bucci and Nell Hartley

Brendan Berkley 
Monitoring an Emerging Australian National Identity and the Role Graphic Designers Play in Shaping It 
Advisor: Ferris Crane

Caroline Ovial 
An Examination of the Exploitation of Males in Magazine Advertisements: A Comparison of the United States and Italy 
Advisor: Jill Maher

James Mike Schellhammer 
Irish Tourism and the Economy: Applying the Government Policies of Ireland to Pennsylvania 
Advisor: Richard Mills

Diane Durkin 
A Comparative Analysis of Retirement Benefits in the United States and Australia 
Advisor: David Hudak