Theses and dissertations

This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students. 

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Sidekick: A Speculative Fiction Story

Description
In the future a Community struggles for survival on an uninhabitable Earth. A small faction of rebels, called Villains, put the lives of the entire Community at risk as they fight for domination of their home. Heroes and their Sidekicks rise up from the population to fight the Villains and…

In the future a Community struggles for survival on an uninhabitable Earth. A small faction of rebels, called Villains, put the lives of the entire Community at risk as they fight for domination of their home. Heroes and their Sidekicks rise up from the population to fight the Villains and win back their world. As they complete their training and begin to enter the world of Heroes and Villains, Alyssa begins to struggle with her identity as a Sidekick, her new role in the Community, and whether she can really preserve all that matters most to her. This excerpt from the larger novel, Sidekick, tells the story of Alyssa's struggles to remain true to herself, and her best friend Jeremy, all the while being called to serve the Community and eradicate the threat the Villains pose to her way of life. I conceived Sidekick as a work of speculative fiction because I believe the genre is one of the most powerful tools for education in the present time. By freeing one's mind to wonder, the dull becomes an exciting thought experiment that can (and does) influence how individuals see their world. Reading pieces like Ender's Game and 1984 I have found my ways of thinking challenged and stretched, and ideas from these works of fiction have stuck with and changed me. One major goal of the work was identifying and integrating major academic and life lessons I have learned into the overall work, providing it an intellectual and emotional grounding in reality. Having its foundations in the real world, the setting of Sidekick becomes a stage for a fantastical story as well as the reader's own imagination and introspection.
ContributorsWarren, Taylor Ann (Author) / Finn, Ed (Thesis director) / Bell, Matt (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor, Contributor, Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
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K-2SO: A Science Fiction Novel

Description
K-2SO: A Science Fiction Novel consists of three separate narratives all connected by one singular event: the choice to save a life. Told in three parts, each narrative explores the story of a different character in a different time, both before the end of the world and after. Dubbed “The…

K-2SO: A Science Fiction Novel consists of three separate narratives all connected by one singular event: the choice to save a life. Told in three parts, each narrative explores the story of a different character in a different time, both before the end of the world and after. Dubbed “The Fracture” by the characters of the novel, the repercussions of this cataclysmic event are felt throughout each narrative, but it is not the focus of their stories. The characters and their connections to one another, how each one influences the lives of others, and the choices they make in an effort to rebuild that which they’ve lost and hold onto that which they love, is the heart of the novel, and the titular character, a robot born into a strange new world, is the thread that binds them all together.
ContributorsLind, Alex Thomas (Author) / Irish, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Bell, Matt (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05

The Hidden Cost of Acrylic Paint: An Exploration of Possible Solutions

Description

Acrylic paint is one of the most prominent supplies in the art field as it has many qualities that make it the most desirable paint, including affordability, versatility, and a fast drying time. Despite acrylic paint’s great contribution to the art field and art history, its chemical makeup and ingredients…

Acrylic paint is one of the most prominent supplies in the art field as it has many qualities that make it the most desirable paint, including affordability, versatility, and a fast drying time. Despite acrylic paint’s great contribution to the art field and art history, its chemical makeup and ingredients damage the local environment and aquatic ecosystems. Acrylic paint is essentially liquid latex that, when it enters sewage systems, releases microplastics directly into the waterways as well as contains harmful chemicals such as heavy metals, benzene products, or vinyl chloride. The purpose of this project was to research the qualities of acrylic paint most important to users, as well as learn information regarding people’s current usage of paint and their perspectives on paint-related environmental issues. Furthermore, I have recorded my process and published videos on social media to gain insight and feedback. Using this data, I have experimented with making a sustainable version of acrylic paint that remains desirable. Throughout this project, I have used different natural materials to create pigments and an acrylic medium and contribute my perceptions on the desirability of each alternative in this thesis.
ContributorsVeldhuizen, Juliana (Author) / Goebel, Janna (Thesis director) / Coats, Cala (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05

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ContributorsVeldhuizen, Juliana (Author) / Goebel, Janna (Thesis director) / Coats, Cala (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05

Thesis_Canvas.JPEG

ContributorsVeldhuizen, Juliana (Author) / Goebel, Janna (Thesis director) / Coats, Cala (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05

Thesis_Glass.JPEG

ContributorsVeldhuizen, Juliana (Author) / Goebel, Janna (Thesis director) / Coats, Cala (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05

Thesis_Wood.JPEG

ContributorsVeldhuizen, Juliana (Author) / Goebel, Janna (Thesis director) / Coats, Cala (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05

Veldhuizen_Spring_2023.pdf

ContributorsVeldhuizen, Juliana (Author) / Goebel, Janna (Thesis director) / Coats, Cala (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05

Vestigials: A Novel

DescriptionAcademic interests combined into a speculative science fiction novel. Concepts from American Sign Language, mechanical engineering, and journalism studies were all utilized during development of the novel.
ContributorsGraziano, River (Author) / Irish, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Bell, Matt (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2024-05