Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
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.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 15
Filtering by
- Creators: Brian, Jennifer
- Creators: Lee, Christopher
Description
When an individual is conceived there is a metaphorical roll of the dice. A game of chance is played with their genetics to which they cannot consent. Unlucky players could have inherited mild conditions such as chronic allergies to terrible diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis or Tay-Sachs. Controlling the genetics of an individual through the use of gene editing technology could be the key to ending this cycle of genetic diseases. Once detrimental diseases are now being cured through direct applications of genetic engineering. Even as we see the uses of genetic engineering technologies change the world, the more “sci-fi” applications have yet to be fully realized or explored. Editing hereditary genes before birth may have the ability to eliminate diseases from entire genetic lines, reduce the possibility for certain cancers and diseases, and perhaps even modify phenotypes in humans to create enhanced humans. Although this scientific field shows promise, it does have its reservations. Like any other scientific field, its ability to benefit humanity depends on its use.
ContributorsSchuler, Jacob (Co-author) / Silva, Anthony (Co-author) / Brian, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Ross, Christian (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
As of 2019, 30 US states have adopted abortion-specific informed consent laws that require state health departments to develop and disseminate written informational materials to patients seeking an abortion. Abortion is the only medical procedure for which states dictate the content of informed consent counseling. State abortion counseling materials have been criticized for containing inaccurate and misleading information, but overall, informed consent laws for abortion do not often receive national attention. The objective of this project was to determine the importance of informed consent laws to achieving the larger goal of dismantling the right to abortion. I found that informed consent counseling materials in most states contain a full timeline of fetal development, along with information about the risks of abortion, the risks of childbirth, and alternatives to abortion. In addition, informed consent laws for abortion are based on model legislation called the “Women’s Right to Know Act” developed by Americans United for Life (AUL). AUL calls itself the legal architect of the pro-life movement and works to pass laws at the state level that incrementally restrict abortion access so that it gradually becomes more difficult to exercise the right to abortion established by Roe v. Wade. The “Women’s Right to Know Act” is part of a larger package of model legislation called the “Women’s Protection Project,” a cluster of laws that place restrictions on abortion providers, purportedly to protect women, but actually to decrease abortion access. “Women’s Right to Know” counseling laws do not directly deny access to abortion, but they do reinforce key ideas important to the anti-abortion movement, like the concept of fetal personhood, distrust in medical professionals, the belief that pregnant people cannot be fully autonomous individuals, and the belief that abortion is not an ordinary medical procedure and requires special government oversight. “Women’s Right to Know” laws use the language of informed consent and the purported goal of protecting women to legitimize those ideas, and in doing so, they significantly undermine the right to abortion. The threat to abortion rights posed by laws like the “Women’s Right to Know” laws indicates the need to reevaluate and strengthen our ethical defense of the right to abortion.
ContributorsVenkatraman, Richa (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Brian, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Abboud, Carolina (Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Binaural beat therapy is one acoustics technique used in music; a technique utilized in the music most people listen to when they have trouble sleeping or concentrating. The binaural beats technique, along with other therapeutic methods in music, have always fascinated me. This topic is something that I’ve wanted to research for some time. So for this creative project I want to challenge myself. I am going to learn how to produce music intended for musical therapy. I’ll be implementing methods based on my research. I hope to produce a piece of music that can help others. My goal is to create a song that has the potential to be added to the vast online library of therapeutic music.
ContributorsRaymond, Connor Nelson (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This project was organized to analyze a multitude of data in order to determine the economic impact of a professional sports team starting in a particular location, or “market”. The thesis group (“group”) collected historical data on professional sports teams from 1975 to present, state economic data as applicable, and data indicating sports fan preferences and behavior. This data was collected, cleaned, and analyzed in order to understand trends and impacts of sports teams in local economies. The group looked at a number of statistical factors including team performance, championships, state GDP and employment, and digital trends regarding the sports teams. Using economic models and statistics, the group was able to derive insights on the factors that cause sports teams to influence the economy they are located in. Additionally, the group analyzed reporting on teams in particular markets, as well as the financing surrounding stadiums to provide a diverse perspective on the topic. At a high level, starting a professional sports team in a new market does not have a significant impact on the economy: the data did not demonstrate statistical significance and qualitative analysis proved that the impact of a new team is negligible. The following serves as documentation and explanation of the group’s analysis on this topic.
ContributorsFriedman, Jared Davidson (Co-author) / Conner, Joshua (Co-author) / McClain, Jacob (Co-author) / Foster, William (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The sports industry is unlike any other in that it connects individuals and consumers from destinations around the world with one common interest. That commonality can be as specific as a favorite player, team, league, or sport. All in all, it bands together entire communities with their passion for the game. American sports leagues such as the National Football League, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and many more, have all revolutionized the way that businesses view marketing though a user friendly, interactive, marketing tool with a universal reach.
ContributorsMarker, Sierra Kamalani Akiko (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This paper explores the impacts of dam-induced displacement on the health of populations. By the start of the 21st century, an estimated 40-80 million people worldwide were forced to resettle due to the construction of large dams. The process of displacement and resettlement is connected to numerous social impacts on communities such as decreases in household income, natural resources, and social connectivity, but less seems to be known about specific health impacts. Analyzing literature in a formal review allowed for increased understanding about what information already exists in published research regarding the connections between dams, displacement, and health. Some negative health impacts as a result of forced displacement were identified, including increases in infectious disease transmission, depression, and mortality rates as well as losses of food and water sources. However, the small amount of cases found in the literature review when compared to the massive scale of dam development worldwide indicates a gap in knowledge in the dam industry and research field specifically about the health of the vast majority of populations forcibly displaced by dams. Health impacts must be considered and systematically studied in dam projects involving displacement to fully understand the needs of resettled populations and move towards equitable processes in development projects worldwide.
ContributorsWalker, Erika (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Brian, Jennifer (Committee member) / Drake, Alexandria (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
In this project, I will attempt to determine the moral permissibility of amateurism, as it relates to student athlete compensation, defined by the NCAA. Amateurism is the term that defines the current profiling of student athletes by the NCAA as non-professionals. Therefore, in the eyes of the NCAA, in order for a student to participate as an athlete, there are eight stipulations of characteristics they may not embody, specifically surrounding playing sports for personal monetary gain. The problem in question with this definition is the perceived inequity of the amount of money coaches, officials and directors are making from revenues surrounding the sport versus how much the players see. This analysis will include a situational analysis of the current environment—the nature of the NCAA student athlete problem, as well as an investigation into two proposal environments. The first is labeling student athletes as “professionals” and compensating them through negotiated contracts, and the second models after the pre-1988 International Olympic Committee definition of amateurism, which allowed athletes to pursue their own side endorsements relating to their athletic performance.
Through literature review and semi-structured surveys and interviews, this study will attempt to discern the true motives of the stakeholders in the student-athlete compensation case and use these motives along with ethical analysis to determine the moral permissibility of the proposed environments. This study will follow 4 specific research questions:
1. To what extent is “amateurism” a morally permissible concept to govern student athlete compensation?
2. To what extent is “professionalism” a morally permissible concept to govern student athlete compensation?
3. To what extent is “Olympic amateurism” a morally permissible concept to govern student athlete compensation?
4. How should the knowledge of these concepts’ moral permissibility affect how we apply the law in the area of this case?
This project will conclude with commentary on what the implications are towards modern law for after determining the moral permissibility of all environments.
Through literature review and semi-structured surveys and interviews, this study will attempt to discern the true motives of the stakeholders in the student-athlete compensation case and use these motives along with ethical analysis to determine the moral permissibility of the proposed environments. This study will follow 4 specific research questions:
1. To what extent is “amateurism” a morally permissible concept to govern student athlete compensation?
2. To what extent is “professionalism” a morally permissible concept to govern student athlete compensation?
3. To what extent is “Olympic amateurism” a morally permissible concept to govern student athlete compensation?
4. How should the knowledge of these concepts’ moral permissibility affect how we apply the law in the area of this case?
This project will conclude with commentary on what the implications are towards modern law for after determining the moral permissibility of all environments.
ContributorsShockness, Spencer A (Author) / Brian, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Koretz, Lora (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The NFL has a positive history sending teams across the pond to play a “London Series”. These games began in the 2007 season and have since increased popularity and buzz for the NFL as a whole in the London and UK market. Many conversations have occurred and spanned years of speculation of a possible franchise being relocated to London to allow American football fans in the UK market to have their own team as opposed to a few games a year. Because of the massive success of the international series for the NFL and the success that other leagues have seen with having a team outside of its home country, there is an argument for the NFL
to not only move a current franchise to London, but rather to create a brand new NFL franchise in London. Therefore, the objective of this proposal is to give a detailed amount of evidence to support the development of a new NFL franchise in London and provide the proposal for a possible franchise in the London market. The following describes instances of NFL franchises relocating and the effect of the decision.
to not only move a current franchise to London, but rather to create a brand new NFL franchise in London. Therefore, the objective of this proposal is to give a detailed amount of evidence to support the development of a new NFL franchise in London and provide the proposal for a possible franchise in the London market. The following describes instances of NFL franchises relocating and the effect of the decision.
ContributorsKish, Natalie Ann (Author) / Lee, Christopher (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor, Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the various paths that college students have taken to get a job in their desired field after graduation. Many factors go into preparing a student for the post-graduation job market and this thesis investigates this topic through the lens of post-graduates and job recruiters. This thesis begins by giving a brief overview of how the application process has changed within the last ten years, and where it is headed in the future. Our motivation for this research came from the lack of transparency in the application process. We hypothesized that a student's undergraduate experience and connections were the key to getting a job within their desired career path. Through interviews and research from graduated students and recruiters, our hypothesis was proved accurate. There is currently a big disconnect between what students believe is important and what recruiters are looking for in potential employees. The main purpose of this thesis is to try and bridge that gap. Students often lack confidence and struggle to understand what is important when applying for jobs post-graduation. With this data, we hope to outline crucial steps that need to be taken and make students feel more prepared as they enter the professional world. We have included personal stories that highlight the variety of successful paths that can be taken to starting a career. Interviewees advised students not to get discouraged while applying, push for what you want and prove your potential to recruiters. The goal of this thesis is to give undergraduate college students hope as they go through the application process in finding the right career path for them.
ContributorsHurley, Sydney (Co-author) / Brown, Paige (Co-author) / Thompson, Elise (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Genetic engineering and gene alterations are a very rich and complex issue that have been the talk of many ethical debates. Somatic and germline genetic engineering technologies are becoming more prevalent in the scientific community and could be provided for public use in a matter of time. These technologies raise bioethical concerns as society recognizes the challenges behind where to draw the line in use of this relatively new science. The basis of this paper is focused around a meta-analysis and systematic assessment of previous publications of major ethical debates to show the complex interests and ideas that need to be reflected and contemplated upon when deciding to genetically alter our species. A short description of background literature takes place first to show the ideas of major philosophers and bioethic figures to introduce these topics. This analysis will then continue with discussion from a religious point of view and the concerns that they have on these technologies. Next, there is a discussion regarding violation of consent, rights, and autonomy. A discussion of the potential consequential grounds of these enhancements on our species and what they could mean for our future takes ensues after this. At the end of this paper, there is a last discussion about the injustice and inequity that could form from these technologies becoming available to the public. These technologies could affect the future of our entire species and drastically shape our society, medicine, and science in ways we could never imagine.
ContributorsHinni, Danielle Nicole (Author) / McGregor, Joan (Thesis director) / Brian, Jennifer (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05