Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.

Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.

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The PPP Loan Program was created by the CARES Act and carried out by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide support to small businesses in maintaining their payroll during the Coronavirus pandemic. This program was approved for $350 billion, but this amount was expanded by an additional $320 billion

The PPP Loan Program was created by the CARES Act and carried out by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide support to small businesses in maintaining their payroll during the Coronavirus pandemic. This program was approved for $350 billion, but this amount was expanded by an additional $320 billion to meet the demand by struggling businesses, since initial funding was exhausted under two weeks.<br/><br/>Significant controversy surrounds the program. In December 2020, the Department of Justice reported 90 individuals were charged for fraudulent use of funds, totaling $250 million. The loans, which were intended for small business, were actually approved for 450 public companies. Furthermore, the methods of approval are<br/>shrouded in mystery. In an effort to be transparent, the SBA has released information about loan recipients. Conveniently, the SBA has released information of all recipients. Detailed information was released for 661,218 recipients who have received a PPP loan in excess of $150,000. These recipients are the central point of this research.<br/><br/>This research sought to answer two primary questions: how did the SBA determine which loans, and therefore which industries are approved, and did the industries most affected by the pandemic receive the most in PPP loans, as intended by Congress? It was determined that, generally, PPP Loans were approved on the basis of employment percentages relative to the individual state. Furthermore, in general, the loans approved were approved fairly, with respect to the size of the industry. The loans, when adjusted for GDP and Employment factors, yielded a clear ranking that prioritized vulnerable industries first.<br/><br/>However, significant questions remain. The effectiveness of the PPP has been hindered by unclear incentives and negative outcomes, characterized by a government program that has essentially been rushed into service. Furthermore, limitations of available data to regress and compare the SBA's approved loans are not representative of small business.

ContributorsMaglanoc, Julian (Author) / Kenchington, David (Thesis director) / Cassidy, Nancy (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

The Green Gamers is a start-up concept revolving around incentivizing healthy eating in Arizonan adolescents through the use of reward-based participation campaigns (popularized by conglomerates like Mondelez and Coca-Cola)

ContributorsDavis, Benjamin (Co-author) / Wong, Brendan (Co-author) / Hwan, Kim (Thesis director) / McKearney, John (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor, Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

Music streaming services have affected the music industry from both a financial and legal standpoint. Their current business model affects stakeholders such as artists, users, and investors. These services have been scrutinized recently for their imperfect royalty distribution model. Covid-19 has made these discussions even more relevant as touring income

Music streaming services have affected the music industry from both a financial and legal standpoint. Their current business model affects stakeholders such as artists, users, and investors. These services have been scrutinized recently for their imperfect royalty distribution model. Covid-19 has made these discussions even more relevant as touring income has come to a halt for musicians and the live entertainment industry. <br/>Under the current per-stream model, it is becoming exceedingly hard for artists to make a living off of streams. This forces artists to tour heavily as well as cut corners to create what is essentially “disposable art”. Rapidly releasing multiple projects a year has become the norm for many modern artists. This paper will examine the licensing framework, royalty payout issues, and propose a solution.

ContributorsKoudssi, Zakaria Corley (Author) / Sadusky, Brian (Thesis director) / Koretz, Lora (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

The purpose of this cookbook and ingredient index is to simplify the reasoning behind eating a plant based diet--including how it can be beneficial to your health, and what benefits each ingredient provides. These recipes have been cultivated and modified over time to provide nutritious meals that are also tasty.

The purpose of this cookbook and ingredient index is to simplify the reasoning behind eating a plant based diet--including how it can be beneficial to your health, and what benefits each ingredient provides. These recipes have been cultivated and modified over time to provide nutritious meals that are also tasty. I was introduced to healthy eating at a young age, and have been fascinated by it ever since. The recipes and information conveyed about a plant based diet have come from the many books read and research I have done on the subject. This paper will walk you through how I started this journey, and go on to show a basic overview of what makes up the foods we consume and why we need them. The cookbook portion of my Thesis contains recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, sauces, and dessert. Following the cookbook is an ingredient index that goes through the majority of ingredients used in my recipes, and what health benefits they provide. I hope that by reading this, others will be inspired to use more plant-based whole foods in their diet, and realize the healing that can come from them.

ContributorsMartin, Ashley (Author) / Barth, Christina (Thesis director) / McMullen, Mary (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description
Regenerative medicine is a relatively new area of interest among researchers and physicians alike and has truly come to light within the last twenty years. Its purpose is to “regenerate” cells in our body to return tissue and organs systems to their normal functions by utilizing innate cell mechanisms. Uses

Regenerative medicine is a relatively new area of interest among researchers and physicians alike and has truly come to light within the last twenty years. Its purpose is to “regenerate” cells in our body to return tissue and organs systems to their normal functions by utilizing innate cell mechanisms. Uses have ranged from growing completely new body tissue in labs, to promoting the repair of damaged neurons. More recently, the use of regenerative medicine techniques such as stem cell and platelet rich plasma therapy has seen significant growth throughout high level and professional sports. Beginning in the early 2000s, treatments quickly gained popularity as professional athletes began using them as an alternative to surgery, but this came before any concrete scientific support. This thesis paper will analyze the current statistical data supporting the use of platelet rich plasma and stem cell therapy and associated regulations to describe the connection between regenerative medicine and sports.
ContributorsFritzke, Jack Teodor (Author) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Thesis director) / Foster, William (Committee member) / Levinson, Simin (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Attending a university is a stressful transition for many students leaving their respective support systems. Many universities attempt to mitigate this stress by offering numerous campus resources such as, tutoring services, counseling services, and health services. However, research has shown that many of these resources are under utilized by the

Attending a university is a stressful transition for many students leaving their respective support systems. Many universities attempt to mitigate this stress by offering numerous campus resources such as, tutoring services, counseling services, and health services. However, research has shown that many of these resources are under utilized by the general student population because of barriers that include student perception, awareness, and access. Being able to understand these barriers that lead to the under utilization of campus resources can assist with creating resources that are more visible, engaging, and attractive to student populations on many campuses. The question being asked is: how to create an engaging health resource that is attractive, visible, and accessible to students?

Based on research analyzed on the barriers between students and campus resources, the optimization of student outreach, and marketing strategies directed towards students, the creation of a student-led campus health resource followed. Analysis of this research showcased that the medium in which students resources were promoted, and the framework of the resource have an impact on students' awareness of the resource, attractiveness of the student resource, and student resource engagement. Based on these analyses and results, the creation of HealthU occurred to provide a visible, engaging, and attractive student resource to the Arizona State University student body.
ContributorsAlcazar, Ivan (Co-author) / Mora, Leslie (Co-author) / Freeman, Javon (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Sebold, Brent (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
This paper seeks to emphasize how the presence of uncertainty, speculation and leverage work in concert within the stock market to exacerbate crashes in a cyclical market. It analyzes three major stock market events: the crash of Oct. 19, 1987, “Black Monday;” the dotcom bust, from 1999 to 2002; and

This paper seeks to emphasize how the presence of uncertainty, speculation and leverage work in concert within the stock market to exacerbate crashes in a cyclical market. It analyzes three major stock market events: the crash of Oct. 19, 1987, “Black Monday;” the dotcom bust, from 1999 to 2002; and the subprime mortgage crisis, from 2007 to 2010. Within each event period I define determinants or measurements of uncertainty, speculation. Analysis of how these three concepts functioned during boom and bust will highlight how their presence can amplify the magnitude of a crash. This paper postulates that the amount of leverage during a crash determines how long-term its effects will be. This theory is fortified by extensive research and interviews with experts in the stock market who had a front row view of the discussed crises.
ContributorsGraff, Veronica Camille (Author) / Leckey, Andrew (Thesis director) / Cohen, Sarah (Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor, Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Depletion can be a common occurrence in today’s world where a rapid pace is the norm. Depletion is the using of a person’s self-monitoring resources that can erode one’s decision making ability. Depletion affects people in their day-to-day personal and professional lives and can especially be problematic when it compromises

Depletion can be a common occurrence in today’s world where a rapid pace is the norm. Depletion is the using of a person’s self-monitoring resources that can erode one’s decision making ability. Depletion affects people in their day-to-day personal and professional lives and can especially be problematic when it compromises career prospects. Professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants, all make important decisions daily and in pursuit of quality decision-making must exert self-control and avoid impulsive reactions to environmental events. Many studies have been conducted providing evidence of the harmful effects of cognitive depletion; an extensive literature focuses on the medical profession where poor decision-making has life-and-death consequences. This thesis reflects on the effect of depletion on accounting professionals. To that extent, behavioral experiments were conducted using student participants: students that will be future accountants. This study found that accounting students’ performance on a subsequent task was influenced if they had completed a difficult first task. Accountants, along with all professionals, need to be made aware of this circumstance to ensure that those who may be more susceptible to their resources being depleted can find ways to be aware of their self-control levels.
ContributorsBlevins, Megan J (Author) / Clausen, Thomas (Thesis director) / Reckers, Philip (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
This paper intends to examine topics related to Chinese financial policy and
institutions mainly in the early 21st century. China has gone through enormous changes in the late 20th century and early 21st century, and financial policy reforms and adjustments have been at times instrumental to aiding that growth, and

This paper intends to examine topics related to Chinese financial policy and
institutions mainly in the early 21st century. China has gone through enormous changes in the late 20th century and early 21st century, and financial policy reforms and adjustments have been at times instrumental to aiding that growth, and at other times have served as impediments to the country’s success. As China’s clout has grown both economically and politically in the wider world, it has become evermore important to understand the Chinese financial system, particularly as other authoritarian regimes may seek to emulate it in the perhaps recent future. The paper will examine the institutional elements of Chinese finance, including the broader structure of the party state apparatus and the role of legislative and executive authorities in determining financial policy. Next, the paper will go through both the legal-regulatory environment of the country and the structure of the preeminent Chinese banks. Finally, issues in Chinese monetary policy, particularly exchange rate system reforms, and the developing stock and bond markets will be addressed.
ContributorsFeatherston, Ryan (Author) / Hill, John (Thesis director) / Mendez, Jose (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Genistein, a compound found in soy that functions as a phytoestrogen, has been found to play a role in the body’s inflammatory response. By suppressing the expression of inflammatory genes and inhibiting tumor cell growth, genistein is thought to have both anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting properties. This study seeks to

Genistein, a compound found in soy that functions as a phytoestrogen, has been found to play a role in the body’s inflammatory response. By suppressing the expression of inflammatory genes and inhibiting tumor cell growth, genistein is thought to have both anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting properties. This study seeks to demonstrate genistein’s potential to mitigate the negative consequences of consuming a high fat diet specifically as it relates to increased inflammation and changes in the gut microbiome. Using an animal model, the study tested whether supplementing the mice’s diet with soy derived genistein would affect their serum IL-6 levels and the way in which their gut microbiomes responded to their high fat consumption. It was presumed that genistein supplementation would result in a less significant shift from the biomarkers tested in the control group and reduce the impact of the high fat diet. It was also hypothesized that consumption of the high fat diet would raise IL-6 levels and increase the presence of harmful bacteria in the test subjects.
ContributorsPettit, Gabrielle Sofia (Author) / Whisner, Dr. Corrie (Thesis director) / Al-Nakkash, Dr. Layla (Committee member) / Ortega Santos, Carmen (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05