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.
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- Creators: O'Flaherty, Katherine
- Creators: Newbern, Jason
Description
This thesis project examines the likely factors that cause students to drop out of Barrett, the Honors College. Honors literature regarding retention and attrition suggests four areas encompassing individual student attributes and honors program characteristics which may impact a student's decision to stay or leave an Honors College. The primary question in focus is, "Why do students leave the Honors College?" followed by the tertiary questions of, "what can be done to mitigate this occurrence?" and, "how does this affect the quality of an honors education?" Assessing attrition can be broken down into biographical, cognitive-behavioral, socio-environmental, and institutional-instrumental components. Students who graduated with honors and those who did not graduate with honors were assessed on these four components through survey methods and qualitative interviews to investigate specific reasons why students leave the honors program. The results indicated a wide array of reasons impacting student attrition, the most significant being negative perceptions towards (1) honors courses and contracts, (2) difficulty completing a thesis project, and (3) finding little to no value in "graduating with honors." Each of these reasons reflect the institutional-instrumental component of student attrition, making it the most salient group of reasons why students leave the Honors College. The socio-environmental component also influences student attrition through peer influence and academic advisor support, though this was found to be within the context of institutional-instrumental means. This project offers solutions to ameliorate each of the four components of attrition by offering standardized honors contracts and more mandatory honors classes, mandatory thesis preparatory courses instead of workshops, and emphasizing the benefit Barrett gives to students as a whole. These solutions aim at increasing graduation rates for future honors students at Barrett as well as improving the overall quality of an honors education.
ContributorsSanchez, Gilbert Xavier (Author) / Parker, John (Thesis director) / O'Flaherty, Katherine (Committee member) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Undergraduate on-campus residential education is a topic of significant inquiry within the field of higher education, and specifically student affairs. It has become commonplace for institutions of higher education in the United States to leverage the intersections between academics and residence life in order to promote student success by offering on-campus housing options that strategically place students in residential communities that provide additional connection to the students' academic experience, often by major, college, department, or other focus areas. Such models vary by institution, but are often referred to as living-learning communities or residential colleges, depending upon their structure and goals. For example, Barrett, the Honors College on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University implements a residential college model within its student housing; honors students live and study together, with the addition of three "special communities" designed for students majoring in Engineering, Business, or the Arts. This honors thesis case study describes and investigates the impact the visual and performing arts Barrett residential community has upon its residents in their first-year college experience. Through the lens of student development theory, this research focuses upon examining this specific residential community in detail in order to gain an understanding of its effect upon residents' academic and personal well being.
ContributorsBieschke, Sara Danielle (Author) / O'Flaherty, Katherine (Thesis director) / Rendell, Dawn (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the deterioration of motor neurons. ALS affects about 1 in 20,000 people and leads to death within 2 to 5 years after diagnosis. There is currently no cure for ALS, but there are many genes known to be associated with ALS, such as SOD 1 and C9orf72. Recently, mutations in Matrin 3 were linked to ALS. While 15 mutations in Matrin 3 have been discovered, this study focuses on the four initial mutations, which are the Ser85Cys, Phe115Cys, Pro154Ser, and Thr622Ala mutations. This study attempts to understand the mechanism of how these mutations lead to ALS. The first aim focuses on the role of Matrin mutations in the mislocalization of TDP-43 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, a pathological hallmark of ALS. We hypothesized expression of mutant Matrin 3 would lead to TDP-43 mislocalization, however the data did not support that hypothesis. The second aim of this study focuses on the mislocalization of TRanscription EXport (TREX) complex proteins within the nucleus. TREX proteins were studied based off of previous experiments suggesting that proteins within this complex bind to Matrin 3. The results showed differences in co-localization between each of these proteins and wild-type and mutant Matrin 3, confirming our earlier results. These findings can help increase our understanding of the mechanism of ALS while also setting the framework for future studies.
ContributorsSingh, Gurkaran (Author) / Bowser, Robert (Thesis director) / Newbern, Jason (Committee member) / Boehringer, Ashley (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description"Writing the Races" is a documentary exploring how two writers talk about race in their comedy television shows. http://www.writingtheraces.com/
ContributorsTyau, Nicole Jenice (Author) / Rodriguez, Rick (Thesis director) / O'Flaherty, Katherine (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder with poorly understood genetic and environmental factors. An allelic variant of complement component 4 (C4), a protein first identified in innate immune response is strongly associated with schizophrenia. In the brain, activity of C4 leads to dendritic pruning, a process that may be causal in disease progression. Environmental factors, such as early life exposure to significant stressors also associate with increased risk of schizophrenia in later life. My hypothesis is that these factors do not act independently, but rather in tandem to influence disease etiology.
This hypothesis is supported by previous studies demonstrating that stress-induced elevation of glucocorticoids increases the transcription of C4. I propose that activated glucocorticoid receptors directly increase C4 protein expression as a transcription factor activator. Additionally, I propose that activated glucocorticoid receptors inhibit the expression of the transcription factor nuclear factor-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), thereby leading to decreased expression of the C4 inhibitor CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1).
Glucocorticoid receptors and C4 are richly expressed in the hippocampus, a region critical in memory consolidation, spatial, and declarative memory. I propose that stress-induced upregulation of C4 activity in the hippocampus promotes excessive synaptic pruning, contributing to specific deficits and hippocampal shrinkage seen in schizophrenia. Stress exposure during fetal development and adolescence likely acts through the proposed mechanisms to increase hippocampal C4 activity and subsequent schizophrenia risk. These mechanisms may reveal novel interactions between environmental and genetic risk factors in the etiology of schizophrenia through complement activation.
This hypothesis is supported by previous studies demonstrating that stress-induced elevation of glucocorticoids increases the transcription of C4. I propose that activated glucocorticoid receptors directly increase C4 protein expression as a transcription factor activator. Additionally, I propose that activated glucocorticoid receptors inhibit the expression of the transcription factor nuclear factor-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), thereby leading to decreased expression of the C4 inhibitor CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1).
Glucocorticoid receptors and C4 are richly expressed in the hippocampus, a region critical in memory consolidation, spatial, and declarative memory. I propose that stress-induced upregulation of C4 activity in the hippocampus promotes excessive synaptic pruning, contributing to specific deficits and hippocampal shrinkage seen in schizophrenia. Stress exposure during fetal development and adolescence likely acts through the proposed mechanisms to increase hippocampal C4 activity and subsequent schizophrenia risk. These mechanisms may reveal novel interactions between environmental and genetic risk factors in the etiology of schizophrenia through complement activation.
ContributorsHoegh, Emily Marie (Author) / Orchinik, Miles (Thesis director) / Newbern, Jason (Committee member) / Talboom, Joshua (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
MicroRNAs are small, non-coding transcripts that control gene expression by preventing mRNA from translating into proteins. They have been implicated to play a role in many drug addictions. We previously found that miR-495 targets several addiction-related genes (ARGs) and is highly expressed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We also found miR-495 is downregulated in the NAc following acute cocaine administration, and cocaine motivation measured by breakpoint on a progressive ratio schedule of cocaine reinforcement is decreased when miR-495 is overexpressed. In this study, we manipulated the endogenous levels of miR-495 by using a viral vector. Using an animal model, rats were first trained for self-administration on a fixed ratio (FR) schedule of reinforcement. After they were infused with a lentivirus to overexpress (LV-miR-495) or decrease (LV-Sponge) miR-495, in the NAc shell. The rats were then tested for extinction and reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior, which are measures of motivation for cocaine. We measured the relative levels of miR-495 in the NAc shell using qRT-PCR. Our results show that overexpression of miR-495 decreased cocaine-seeking behavior during extinction and cocaine reinstatement, as we hypothesized. Surprisingly, miR-495 LV-sponge also decreased cocaine-seeking behavior in extinction, not as we hypothesized. However, we found that LV-Sponge failed to significantly decrease levels of miR-495 as intended. In conclusion, understanding why LV-Sponge decreased, rather than increased, miR-495 will need further study, however, the results with LV-miR-495 extend previous findings that miR-495 plays a vital role in the molecular mechanism that influences motivation to seek cocaine.
ContributorsChaudhury, Trisha (Author) / Neisewander, Janet (Thesis director) / Newbern, Jason (Committee member) / Powell, Gregory (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Rett syndrome is a genetically based, X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1 in 10,000 live female births. Approximately 95-97% of Rett syndrome cases are attributed to a mutation in the MECP2 gene. In the laboratory setting, key neuropathological phenotypes of Rett syndrome include small neuronal soma and nuclear size, increased cell packing density, and abnormal dendritic branching. Our lab previously created and characterized the A140V mouse model of atypical Rett syndrome in which the males are viable. Hippocampal and cerebellar granule neurons in A140V male mice have reduced soma and nuclear size compared to wild type. We also found that components of the mTOR pathway including rictor, 4E-BP-1, and mTOR, were reduced in A140V mutant mice. Quantitative PCR analysis also showed reduced IGFPB2 expression in A140V mice along with an upward trend in AKT levels that did not meet statistical significance. The objective of this study is i) to characterize the down regulation of AKT-mTOR pathway, and ii) to examine the effect of a genetic strategy to rescue mTOR pathway deficiencies in Mecp2 mutant mouse model. Genetic rescue of the mTOR pathway downregulation was done by crossing heterozygous female A140V mice with heterozygous male Tsc2 mice. Quantitative PCR analysis of A140V_Tsc2 RNA expression supported genetic rescue of mTOR pathway components, however, more testing is needed to fully characterize the rescue effect. Western blot analysis also showed reduction in phosphorylated AKT in Mecp2 A140V and T158A mutant mice, however, more testing is still needed to characterize the mTOR pathway in A140V_Tsc2 mice. Finally, other methods, such as a pharmacological approach, or transfection to increase mTOR pathway activity in cell lines, will be tested to determine if rescue of mTOR pathway activity ameliorate the Rett syndrome phenotype.
ContributorsGerald, Brittany Madison (Author) / Newbern, Jason (Thesis director) / Narayanan, Vinodh (Committee member) / Rangasamy, Sampath (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Every year, millions of people find themselves displaced from their homes because of fear or threats of violence. Some of these people will become refugees, who will then be resettled in the United States. In order to help with the resettlement process, refugees are given cultural orientations through their resettlement organizations. The Phoenix Police Department teaches one of these cultural orientations for local resettlement agencies in order to dispel some of the fears refugees have about law enforcement and build a stronger relationship with the refugee community. Past research on this topic has been limited within the United States, but communities are still trying to figure out how to interact with refugees despite not knowing how to do it. There are various possible complications inherent in the integration process and many potential methods of trust building available to the refugee community and public services like law enforcement. This project seeks to understand the refugee resettlement process through field observation of the cultural orientation taught by the Phoenix Police Department and interviews with detectives familiar with the process in Phoenix. Cultural and language differences as well as lack of education and research on the topic of refugee resettlement are all key points in comprehending what the police, refugees, and resettlement organizations are doing during the integration process. Once these issues are addressed to alleviate gaps in knowledge about refugees, it may be possible to adjust the process to be easier for stakeholders involved in refugee resettlement.
ContributorsBaumgartner, Rachel Paige (Author) / Telep, Cody (Thesis director) / O'Flaherty, Katherine (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
This creative project is a collection of profiles focused on Arizona nonprofits and refugees. The profiles share stories of refugees, volunteers, employees and others involved in the community serving refugees. Nonprofits are a vital resource for refugee resettlement. These organizations offer services to support refugees as they transition into new communities. Some services include: housing, English language learning, cultural orientation, job placement, medical treatment, education, and farming. Each of these programs support resiliency for refugees and for the communities in which they live. We Are Resilient was created first, to show the important role nonprofits have in serving refugees. Second, to connect people to a few of the stories and experiences within the Arizona refugee community. And third, to build understanding of the strength refugees bring to communities of Arizona and by extension the country. Visit weareresilientaz.com to learn more.
ContributorsGray, Elizabeth (Co-author) / Johnson, Kelcie (Co-author) / Shockley, Gordon (Thesis director) / O'Flaherty, Katherine (Committee member) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Postmodernism has been one of the dominant modes of thought in literature and philosophy since the 1960s, but its roots go back much further. This thesis is an examination of Brechtian frameworks in an assortment of popular postmodern works. Both literary texts, such as novels, films, and music, and philosophical texts are used to form a general understanding of the postmodern project, and these concepts are then placed in conversation with ideas from the works of the 20th century German playwright Bertolt Brecht. I found that despite certain differences, the central ideas of postmodernism can be seen as the extension of Brecht’s philosophy, especially his concept of the Verfremdungseffekt. First, multiplicity—in perspectives and understandings—can be seen as an attempt to achieve this Verfremdungseffekt in the reader, and second, transgression in these texts can be used to evoke the same feeling. Many of the identifying techniques of postmodernism, e.g. juxtaposition, unreliable narrator, self-reference, and so on, can be interpreted as the extension of ideas pioneered by Brecht in the 1920s and 1930s. My thesis illustrates these connections.
Keywords: Postmodernism, Bertolt Brecht, Verfremdungseffekt
Keywords: Postmodernism, Bertolt Brecht, Verfremdungseffekt
ContributorsTeipen, Jakob Corry (Author) / Gilfillan, Daniel (Thesis director) / O'Flaherty, Katherine (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12