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Honors Theses

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Distracted But Still Listening: How Cognitive And Perceptual Load Affect Multisensory Integration, Eddie Lee Jan 2025

Distracted But Still Listening: How Cognitive And Perceptual Load Affect Multisensory Integration, Eddie Lee

Honors Theses

There is an ongoing debate about whether multisensory integration (MSI) occurs automatically and before attention is allocated or if multisensory integration occurs after attention is allocated and is subject to top-down attentional control. A recent study investigated this by manipulating the availability of attentional resources in a dual-task paradigm, finding that when the demands of the secondary task increased, susceptibility to the Sound-Induced-Flash-Illusion, a non-speech audiovisual illusion, also increased (Michail & Keil, 2018). This was taken as evidence for the role of post-attentive, top-down control during MSI. In the present study, we extend this logic to explore the role of …


Kentucky Comfort Care: Understanding And Awareness Of Palliative And Hospice Care In Kentucky Adults, Riley E. Hicks Jan 2025

Kentucky Comfort Care: Understanding And Awareness Of Palliative And Hospice Care In Kentucky Adults, Riley E. Hicks

Honors Theses

Kentucky has an overwhelming need for both palliative and hospice care services because of the high percentage of individuals who struggle with chronic or life-threatening conditions. Studies have shown that access to palliative and hospice care may be inhibited by the knowledge patients have of these services. The purpose of this study was to examine the awareness and understanding Kentuckians have of palliative and hospice care and to determine the factors influencing them. A 22-question survey was administered to collect information about Kentuckians understanding of available palliative and hospice care services and common vocabulary used by providers in these settings. …


Abortion On The Ballot: How Direct Democracy Shapes Abortion Policy Post-Dobbs, Serena E. Klebba Jan 2025

Abortion On The Ballot: How Direct Democracy Shapes Abortion Policy Post-Dobbs, Serena E. Klebba

Honors Theses

Since the return of abortion policy to the states following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), sixteen states have considered ballot measures addressing core questions of abortion access. Distinct from pre-2022 initiatives, these recent measures present binary choices on issues such as viability-based access, six-week bans, and the existence or repudiation of a right to abortion in state constitutions. Although existing scholarship generally frames initiatives and referendums as mechanisms that enhance congruence between public opinion and policy outcomes, this focus overlooks the broader effects of direct democratic processes on voters. I hypothesize that there is something unique in the …


The International Transracial Adoption Effect: Measuring The Well-Being Of Korean Adoptees Vs. Non-Adopted Korean Americans, Grace H. Jones Jan 2025

The International Transracial Adoption Effect: Measuring The Well-Being Of Korean Adoptees Vs. Non-Adopted Korean Americans, Grace H. Jones

Honors Theses

In this study, I examine the differences in well-being and long-term outcomes between adopted and non-adopted Korean Americans. The vast majority of adopted Korean Americans are placed with white, heterosexual couples, positioning them in a unique position in American society. While they are raised in white families and often disconnected from Korean culture, they are still perceived and treated as Asian by society. Scholars refer to this tension as the transracial adoptee paradox. This study explores how that paradox affects both economic and non-economic outcomes. The analysis finds that adopted Koreans tend to earn higher incomes than their non-adopted peers, …


See The Trees, Then The Forest: Tensions And Alignments In Parent-Teacher Relationships Within Maine’S Special Education System, Leila H. Low Jan 2025

See The Trees, Then The Forest: Tensions And Alignments In Parent-Teacher Relationships Within Maine’S Special Education System, Leila H. Low

Honors Theses

To examine relationships between parents and teachers within the special education system, the present research utilizes Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems theory to understand how these relationships are influenced by interconnected systems, ranging from immediate school-level interactions to wider institutional and cultural contexts. Research has found that despite efforts to keep parents involved in the education process, barriers to full support of special education students often exist, such as the capacity of school systems and disagreements between parties (Leiter & Wyngaarden Krauss, 2004). Regardless of policies promoting parental inclusion, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), inequities in geography, …


Optimizing Radial Interfaces For Eye-Movement Authentication On Smartphones, Trey V. Tuscai Jan 2025

Optimizing Radial Interfaces For Eye-Movement Authentication On Smartphones, Trey V. Tuscai

Honors Theses

Radial authentication interfaces offer privacy-preserving, calibration-free eye-movement authentication. While their effectiveness has been demonstrated on large displays, their performance on smartphones remains underexplored. This study investigates seven radial interface configurations on the iPhone 13, varying the number of radial indicators and password lengths to examine trade-offs between accuracy, security, and entry time. Through a controlled eye-tracking experiment with 27 participants, we evaluate each configuration’s performance and collect user prioritizations of the three factors. Our findings reveal that shorter passwords with fewer indicators improve speed and accuracy but reduce security, while longer configurations enhance security at the cost of usability. Based …


Deconstructing The Greenium: Exploring Mispricing In The Green Bond Market, Koto Yamada Jan 2025

Deconstructing The Greenium: Exploring Mispricing In The Green Bond Market, Koto Yamada

Honors Theses

This paper investigates the sources and conditions under which the greenium – a yield discount observed for green bonds relative to comparable conventional bonds – appears in global fixed income markets. Using a dataset of over 26,000 bonds issued between 2012 and 2024 across 37 countries and 5,400 firms, I find that the existence of the greenium is highly context-dependent, shaped by factors such as issuer reputation, institutional trust, and green capital allocation across sectors. Repeat green issuers receive yield discounts of up to 57 basis points, particularly in the EU and Nordic countries, where strong climate policies and disclosure …


“Off To Greek Camp”: A History And Examination Of Greek America And Its Adaptation Of American Summer Camp Culture, Julia J. Walsh Jan 2025

“Off To Greek Camp”: A History And Examination Of Greek America And Its Adaptation Of American Summer Camp Culture, Julia J. Walsh

Honors Theses

Camps are one of the most distinct institutions of American childhood, offering children a place to socialize and explore their identities. Since the late 19th century, camps have been used to inspire religious, social, and ethnic identity. Extensive research has been done into some kinds of summer camps, this thesis attempts to add to this literature through analysis of Greek Orthodox Summer Camp programs run under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (The Metropolis of Boston Camp and Ionian Village). This dissertation examines the role of the modern religious summer camp in building and maintaining Greek American and Greek Orthodox …


Drivers Of Heat Pump Installation In Maine: Climate Shocks, Politics, And Incentives, Micah J. Margolis Jan 2025

Drivers Of Heat Pump Installation In Maine: Climate Shocks, Politics, And Incentives, Micah J. Margolis

Honors Theses

Heat pumps are a growing trend as climate adaptation measures around the world and are gaining significant popularity and attention due to a number of environmental and social factors across Maine. Homeowners in Maine face difficult financial and personal pressures when considering a heat pump. Impacting this decision is a high cost of energy, a substantial rebate offsetting the purchase price, as well as summers and winters that are warming beyond record highs and lows. Previous research has looked at specific populations or large regions without considering the long-term personal drivers of this decision. I use data from Efficiency Maine, …


Tracing The Lines In Comics And Life: Genealogies And My Place Within Them, Audrey M. Loo Jan 2025

Tracing The Lines In Comics And Life: Genealogies And My Place Within Them, Audrey M. Loo

Honors Theses

My thesis is a hybrid English Lit/Creative Writing project on comics. The English Lit half is an Artist’s Statement comprised of scholarly research and both analytical and personal writing, and this work will necessarily inform and be informed by the Creative Writing half, in which I create my own comics.


Does The 25th Amendment Merit Reform?: The Challenge Of Determining Presidential Disability, Karena R. Andreassen Jan 2025

Does The 25th Amendment Merit Reform?: The Challenge Of Determining Presidential Disability, Karena R. Andreassen

Honors Theses

This research project examines the persistent lack of use of the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution in its original form, despite many calls for the reform of the language or expansion of its application as situations unfold. Adopted in 1967, the amendment was created to address the challenges of presidential succession and incapacity. However, historical events over the last few decades, such as the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, Reagan’s colon cancer, and the general increase in the age at which presidents assume office, have contributed to scrutiny over the amendments’ provisions. This study will explore why specifically …


Characterization Of A Highly Arsenic-Resistant Microbe, Eleanor E. Windholz Jan 2025

Characterization Of A Highly Arsenic-Resistant Microbe, Eleanor E. Windholz

Honors Theses

Heavy metal pollution in our terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is a major global concern, as chronic exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic and chromium has dire effects on mammalian health. In these polluted, arsenic-rich environments, microorganisms resistant to heavy metals have been isolated. The microbe isolated in this paper was resistant to As(V) up to 1100 mM, which is significantly higher than most published strains, and resistant to Cr(VI) at concentrations up to 5 mM. The microbe was tentatively identified as Micrococcus luteus, but its high arsenic resistance suggests it may be a novel strain. The ability of the …


Why Community: The Potentials And Limitations Of Community Engagement In Restorative Justice, Emily P. Chauhan Jan 2025

Why Community: The Potentials And Limitations Of Community Engagement In Restorative Justice, Emily P. Chauhan

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of community in restorative justice through both the criminologist and practitioner perspectives. Through investigating the limitations of the U.S. penal system, which ranks highest globally in incarceration rates yet fails to ensure public safety, the research investigates restorative justice as a victim-cantered, harm-driven alternative. It emphasizes how restorative justice redefines crime by focusing on healing and accountability rather than punishment of the criminals/harm-doers. This thesis examines how communities are essential to restorative processes and how restorative justice, in turn, helps to build communities. Drawing from case studies, models, and interviews this thesis questions the assumptions …


Off The Grid: Rural Identity, Environmentalism, And Renewable Energy Policy In Rural New England, Joseph A. Grassi Jan 2025

Off The Grid: Rural Identity, Environmentalism, And Renewable Energy Policy In Rural New England, Joseph A. Grassi

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates how rural identity, environmental values, and place-based resentment interact to shape support for land use regulation in rural New England. Despite their vulnerability to climate change, rural communities often resist renewable energy development—a pattern commonly attributed to economic concerns or NIMBYism. Using an original survey of over 1,400 New England residents, this study tests six hypotheses through multivariate regression and subgroup analysis. Findings confirm that environmental identity is a strong predictor of support for land use regulation; however, this effect diminishes significantly among rural respondents. Place identity alone is associated with greater policy support, but when combined …


Understanding Perspectives Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Central Maine, Bridget B. Meehan Jan 2025

Understanding Perspectives Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Central Maine, Bridget B. Meehan

Honors Theses

The present study investigates perspectives of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Rural Central Maine and the support measures needed to optimize students’ inclusive education experiences. The research examines views of three primary stakeholders: parents/guardians, teachers (general education and special education), and clinicians. By utilizing Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Model, I explore the complexity of inclusive education by analyzing how macrosystem beliefs (operationalized through logics) and mesosystem interactions across microsystems influence the educational experience for students with ASD (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Part one of the research consists of a systematic literature review for each stakeholder, incorporating 45 sources across three prominent education databases. …


Shared Tracks, Divided Rule: The Role Of Polycentrism In Shaping Public Transportation In U.S. Metropolises, Dev Purohit Jan 2025

Shared Tracks, Divided Rule: The Role Of Polycentrism In Shaping Public Transportation In U.S. Metropolises, Dev Purohit

Honors Theses

American public transportation is notably less comprehensive and efficient relative to peer nations. The reliance on private automobiles and commercial air travel for routes that can be served by high-speed rail is a uniquely American phenomenon. This inefficiency is deeply rooted in governance structures, where centralized decision-making has often failed to address the complexities of metropolitan transit systems spanning multiple jurisdictions. This project explores polycentric governance as a potential mechanism to address these shortcomings by fostering competition, enhancing collaboration, and promoting localized responsiveness within metropolitan transit systems. By developing an empirical inventory to measure governance polycentricity and comparing transit outcomes …


Shouting Down Democracy: The Role Of The Deeply Engaged In American Political Discourse, Annaliese Fleck Jan 2025

Shouting Down Democracy: The Role Of The Deeply Engaged In American Political Discourse, Annaliese Fleck

Honors Theses

In an age of heightened polarization and increasing incivility in politics, a small but influential subset of Americans, known as the deeply engaged have emerged as dominant voices in political dialogue. This thesis investigates who these individuals are, what drives them, and how their behavior impacts democratic participation in the United States. Through a combination of theoretical analysis and original survey data, this study constructs a profile of the deeply engaged and distinguishes them from the general electorate. Drawing on foundational concepts of free speech, including isegoria and parrhesia, and the philosophies of John Stuart Mill and Karl Popper, this …


When Choice Disappears: Voter Cynicism In The Absence Of Competition, Benjamin J. Kaden Jan 2025

When Choice Disappears: Voter Cynicism In The Absence Of Competition, Benjamin J. Kaden

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the democratic consequences of uncontested state legislature elections in the United States, focusing on how the absence of electoral competition influences both voter engagement and political attitudes. While state legislatures wield significant influence over public policy and resource allocation, an increasing number of these elections proceed without meaningful opposition. Drawing on an original survey of 2,775 respondents, this study tests two core hypotheses: first, that uncontested state legislature elections lead to decreased voter engagement, as reflected in voter attitude towards election participation and candidate qualities; and second, that uncontested state legislature elections increase negative attitudes towards government …


From Living With The Land To Vacation Timeshares: The Impact Of Outdoor Recreation On The United States’S Recognition Of Shoshone, Timpanogos, And Havasupai Ancestral Homelands, Harry T. Robison Jan 2025

From Living With The Land To Vacation Timeshares: The Impact Of Outdoor Recreation On The United States’S Recognition Of Shoshone, Timpanogos, And Havasupai Ancestral Homelands, Harry T. Robison

Honors Theses

The romantic view of the Western United States from the perspective of a US resident is fueled by the thought of adventure and expansion. The phenomena of the "Wild West," frontier ideology, and manifest destiny have kindled a love of being outside and pursuing new and "unexplored" territory. Long before those ideologies came into play, people already inhabited these landscapes. As colonists moved West, many of those inhabitants were forcefully moved onto reservations. Those people include the Shoshone people of Wyoming, the Timpanogos people of Utah, and the Havasupai people of Arizona. Alongside this history of displacement, the United States …


Asian American Navigation In Higher Education: Do We Belong At Colby College?, Amanda Rose Alpert Jan 2025

Asian American Navigation In Higher Education: Do We Belong At Colby College?, Amanda Rose Alpert

Honors Theses

This thesis explores how Asian American students navigate their belonging at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI), specifically a case study at the higher educational institution Colby College. In understanding how Asian American students navigate the spaces around them, this thesis dives into the history of Asian immigration to the U.S., the Asian American politicized label, and the different diasporas and cultural nuances Asian Americans experience that make up the complicated, diverse, and misunderstood label. Through exploring global racializations of Asian bodies and legacies of Western imperialism and colonialism, this gives a basis of how Asian Americans understand themselves as persons living …


Identifying The Spread Of Invasive Jumping Worms Across Maine’S Forests Using Soil Edna, Rebecca Wanger Jan 2025

Identifying The Spread Of Invasive Jumping Worms Across Maine’S Forests Using Soil Edna, Rebecca Wanger

Honors Theses

Jumping worms of the Megascolecidae family are invasive earthworms from East Asia that have been spreading across the United States since the late 1800s (Chang et al., 2021). Recently, the earthworms have gained more attention for their expansion into northeastern states, as they are believed to have negative impacts on the soil biogeochemistry, flora, and fauna of these forest ecosystems that have had no native earthworms given the recent nature of the Last Glacial Maximum (~11,000 yrs ago; Bohlen et al. 2004; McCay et al. 2020). The earthworms are distinguished by their thrashing behaviors, milky-white smooth clitellum, and evenly spaced …


Local Limit Theorems On Finitely Generated Abelian Groups, Yutong Yan Jan 2025

Local Limit Theorems On Finitely Generated Abelian Groups, Yutong Yan

Honors Theses

In this thesis, we classify the pointwise behavior of finite-range random walks on finitely generated abelian groups in terms of local limit theorems. Random walks are central objects of research in probability theory, and the theory has found applications in statistics, physics, and even card shuffling. One significant topic in this line of study is random walks on finitely generated groups. Starting from the pioneering work of G. Pólya and H. Kesten, random walks on finitely generated groups have been studied extensively. However, many notable results on the subject (local limit theorems, for example) make assumptions about periodicity and irreducibility …


The Imperial Origins Of Genocide: Colonial Discourses And The Genocides In Timor-Leste And Rwanda, Zoe S. Appio Jan 2025

The Imperial Origins Of Genocide: Colonial Discourses And The Genocides In Timor-Leste And Rwanda, Zoe S. Appio

Honors Theses

This project aims to compare the ideological and structural colonial legacies that created the tensions for genocide to occur in Timor-Leste and Rwanda. It also aims to understand how these colonial legacies inhibited the international community's response and exacerbated the genocides. The genocide in Timor-Leste occurred from 1975 to 2002 and was perpetrated by the Indonesian government against the native Timorese population. The genocide in Rwanda occurred from April to July of 1994 and was perpetrated by the Hutu majority against the Tutsi minority. Throughout this thesis, I argue that colonial legacies like nationalism, racial hierarchies, and the maintenance of …


The Relevance Of Information On Effective Charitable Giving, Pride J. Jia Jan 2025

The Relevance Of Information On Effective Charitable Giving, Pride J. Jia

Honors Theses

The most effective charities are often more than a hundred times as effective as the average charity. However, top charities are not prioritized, and donation money is not used most effectively. To address this issue, it is crucial to understand why effective charitable giving is not prioritized. One factor identified in previous research is the limited access to cost-effectiveness information among donors. Our research explores whether providing individuals with different forms of information about charities leads to more effective donation decisions. Through an online RCT, individuals are separated into groups exposed to different types of information about two charities and …


A Long Way Home: Postcolonial Migration Between Cameroon And France, Elizabeth Greenberg Jan 2025

A Long Way Home: Postcolonial Migration Between Cameroon And France, Elizabeth Greenberg

Honors Theses

This project grew from an observation that despite exhibiting strong national pride, most young Cameroonians express a fervent desire to emigrate. Through a combination of interviews and a review of past literature, I discovered a unique narrative among upper middle class Cameroonian migrants whose stories are generally underrepresented in migration literature. This study investigates how history and sociocultural dynamics help explain the Cameroonian decision to choose France (specifically the Île de France region) as a migration destination. France is particularly relevant because it previously held control of many parts of Cameroon and is one of the most popular migration destinations …


Mucking Up Public Health: A Geospatial Analysis Of Agricultural Sludge Application And Cancer Prevalence In Maine, Sarah A. Bassett Jan 2025

Mucking Up Public Health: A Geospatial Analysis Of Agricultural Sludge Application And Cancer Prevalence In Maine, Sarah A. Bassett

Honors Theses

This study investigates the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on cancer prevalence throughout Maine. The main contribution of this project is the database constructed to examine cancer rates at a novel aggregation area: watersheds. By using a watershed as the aggregation area, this study gains insight into the threat that spreading sludge as fertilizer on agricultural fields poses to human health through groundwater pathways. Using geospatial analysis and an ordinary least squares regression model, this study estimates the effect of the presence of PFAS in a watershed from 2017 to 2021, in addition to estimating the impact of …


From Colony To Classroom: British Rule And Contemporary Educational Outcomes In India, Yashvita Shukla Jan 2025

From Colony To Classroom: British Rule And Contemporary Educational Outcomes In India, Yashvita Shukla

Honors Theses

This study analyzes the modern day legacy of British colonial ruling structures on Indian educational outcomes. In directly ruled areas, the British retained total control, while Indian princes in indirectly ruled areas had administrative agency. I find that directly ruled districts have higher literate population shares across both genders over three census years, but no significant difference by 2011 in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, controlling for colonial geographic conditions. Gender-disaggregated results generally find stronger colonial effects for women than men. This thesis challenges earlier findings and implies that the British effort to create an educated administrative class and their …


Fair Play? Gender Equity, Title Ix And Resource Allocation In College Athletics, Caleb Horsch Jan 2025

Fair Play? Gender Equity, Title Ix And Resource Allocation In College Athletics, Caleb Horsch

Honors Theses

Amid a period of rapid transformation in college athletics, gender equity and Title IX remain underemphasized in the discourse. This study investigates disparities in athletic expenditure by gender, finding that in 2022, Division I institutions spent approximately $1.30 on men’s teams for every $1.00 spent on women’s teams. While Title IX does not mandate equal spending, it does require that schools provide equitable experiences for male and female student-athletes. The persistence and magnitude of an expenditure gap call into question if schools are continuing to meet Title IX. This study identifies the characteristics of schools associated with less equal expenditure …


Are Cities Still Liberal? An Analysis Of Post-Pandemic Political Change In American Cities, Olivia Mundy Jan 2025

Are Cities Still Liberal? An Analysis Of Post-Pandemic Political Change In American Cities, Olivia Mundy

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates whether American cities are experiencing a political shift to the right in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as suggested by recent media narratives. Drawing on an original national survey of 2,385 respondents conducted in early 2025, the study examines attitudinal and demographic changes among urban residents, with a particular focus on ideology, trust in local government, economic perceptions, and views on race and immigration. Despite anecdotal evidence of conservative gains in urban elections, the findings show no significant trend toward conservatism among urban residents overall. In fact, urban respondents were slightly more likely than their non-urban …


How Does Cocaine Exposure Affect Early Gene Expression Changes In The Prefrontal Cortex (Pfc) And Striatum?, Saathvika Diviti Jan 2025

How Does Cocaine Exposure Affect Early Gene Expression Changes In The Prefrontal Cortex (Pfc) And Striatum?, Saathvika Diviti

Honors Theses

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) remains a significant public health concern, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying individual susceptibility are poorly understood. This study investigates early transcriptional responses to acute cocaine exposure in two key brain regions implicated in addiction, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum, using genetically diverse Diversity Outbred (DO) mice. Paired tissue samples were collected following a standardized sensitization protocol and analyzed via bulk RNA sequencing. Differential expression analysis revealed 37 significantly differentially expressed genes in the striatum. These genes overlapped with gene sets associated with substance use, neurodevelopmental disorders, and immune signaling, implicating shared pathways in central nervous …