umass honors college thesis

Honors Thesis

Students can substitute one of the course requirements for an honors thesis focused on disability. The thesis can be completed as an individually contracted thesis with a faculty member or through a thesis seminar . For the purposes of DDHS, the thesis can be a portfolio or research manuscript. You are encouraged to speak with your academic advisor to ensure that your thesis will also meet expectations for departmental honors, if applicable. Students should consult the DDHS program director to ensure their thesis topic is sufficiently focused on disability to substitute a course requirement.

THESIS SEMINARS

Below, you will find information on thesis seminars that are most relevant to DDHS students. The thesis seminar is an alternative to an individually contracted thesis. The end product can be the same, but the thesis seminar guides you through the process within a cohort. Unlike the individually contracted thesis option, you do not have to submit a proposal through PATHS for approval ahead of time. Instructor permission is typically required for registration in a thesis seminar. Almost all thesis seminars are full-year courses (4 credits per semester).

Readings and Research in Disability (HONORS 499CJ/DJ)

Instructor:  Ashley Woodman, Senior Lecturer, Psychological and Brain Sciences

Credits:  4 credits Fall, 4 credits Spring

To Enroll:  Instructor Consent required. Please e-mail  [email protected]  to schedule a meeting.

Description: In this course, students will explore disability through theory and research. Students will be introduced to conceptualizations of disability, models of disability, and historical perspectives as well as the intersection of disability with other social identities such as gender, sexuality, and race/ethnicity. First, students will be introduced to the definition and meaning of disability. Disability is a complex identity that can be viewed from a variety of social, cultural, historical, legal and political perspectives. Students will be introduced to conceptualizations of disability, models of disability, and historical perspectives as well as the intersection of disability with other social identities such as gender, sexuality, and race/ethnicity. Students will review and discuss the challenges of conducting research with people with disabilities. Students will read and critique contemporary research involving people with disabilities as well as research on perceptions of disability among people with and without disabilities. Throughout the course, students will be scaffolded to design and implement an independent research project related to disability. Students are encouraged to use existing, publicly available data, but may also collect their own data within the UMass or broader community. Students will be advised on an individual basis to design a research project that is ethical, realistic given time and resource constraints, and a novel contribution to the field.

Community Action for Social Change (SRVCLRNG 499C/D)

Instructor:  Ellen Correa, Senior Lecturer, Civic Engagement & Services Learning (CESL)

To Enroll:  Instructor Consent required. Please e-mail  [email protected]  to schedule a meeting to discuss your experience and background in civic/community engagement.

Description: This two-semester Honors Thesis Seminar is designed for seniors in the Commonwealth Honors College with recent experience in service-learning and/or community engagement who wish to deepen their praxis – the combination of theory and practice – within their chosen area of community work. Throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, students work both in the classroom and with a self-selected community partner and develop a collaborative civic/community engagement project. The civic/community engagement project will address a real-world issue or problem associated with the work of the community organization, group, or constituency. Guided by their community partner, students will complete a project that addresses an issue of justice, equity, or social support for a particular constituency. Through the auspices of the class and under the direction of the community partner advisor, students will define and address the issue or problem, as well as communicate its significance to a public audience.

Student Health, Wellbeing & Campus Spaces (HONORS 499CP/DP)

Instructor:  Caryn Brause, Associate Professor of Architecture

To Enroll:  Instructor Consent required. Please contact  [email protected]  stating the reason for your interest in the course and provide a one-page writing sample.

Description: This two-semester, 8-credit Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis Seminar, we will explore current thinking on health and wellbeing in the built environment, with a focus on campus environments. Consideration of the impact of the built environment on health and well-being is an increasingly important priority in the design fields as well as in conversations concerning equity, public policy, public health, and education. These concerns are interrelated with issues of sustainability, resilience, and planetary wellbeing. We will read scholarly and practice literature, and examine case studies that center these topics, examine how different entities define, assess, and evaluate wellbeing in the built environment, and critically consider the challenges and opportunities for inclusively shaping campus environments. We will apply environmental theories, inquiry methods, and assessment strategies to understand the ways in which campus community members use and inhabit higher educational spaces and to propose improvements that support diverse student learning, development, and wellbeing.

Students from various majors are welcome – there are many topics ripe for student exploration, through writing, archival research, design and creative projects, and qualitative and quantitative studies. Workshops associated with research methods, writing, graphics, presentation skills, and other topics will be organized to align with Honors Thesis and Undergraduate Research Conference deadlines. Students will develop individual research proposals in the Fall and complete their Honors Theses in the Spring.

Health and Health Care Inequality in the United States (POLISCI 499CD/DD)

Instructor: Dean Robinson, Associate Professor, Political Science

Credits:  POLISCI 499C for 4 credits in fall and POLISCI 499D for 4 credits in spring.

To Enroll:  Instructor Consent Required. Contact  [email protected] .

Description: This course will help students develop capstone research topics concerning health inequality in the United States. Disadvantaged populations—racial minorities and people of lower socioeconomic status— face a higher burden of disease and death than their white, and more affluent, counterparts do. After an overview of the health care system in the United States compared to those of four other advanced, industrial democracies, this course will then consider insights from social epidemiology about the factors that drive disparities in health outcomes. Social epidemiologists show that lower social status consistently predicts health status today and in the past. The mechanism is thought to be the deleterious consequences of chronic stress, which impairs immune function over time. Numerous studies also show that the subjective experience of racial discrimination is bad for health. Students will have an opportunity to develop research topics that consider the relative health disadvantage of blacks and other minority populations, as well as why white Americans tend to do worse than their European counterparts. The answers reflect problems of the US health care system, and relate to the broader “social determinants” of illness and disease. These, in turn, ultimately reflect political inequalities that affect the pattern of health for Americans in general. The focus material for this part of the class will emphasis political and policy determinants of health and other indicators. We will facilitate this discussion by first revisiting the health disadvantage Americans experience relative to their wealthy nation counterparts.

PAST HONORS THESES

Check out the list of previously completed honors theses .

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Culture of Care Shines Brightly at Celebration of Excellence

Congratulations class of 2024.

By Kimberly Manyanga

On May 16, 2024, the Commonwealth Honors College (CHC) Class of 2024 gathered at the Mullins Center for their Celebration of Excellence. The event, which precedes the university's commencement ceremony, paid tribute to the remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment of the graduating seniors who have left an indelible mark on the UMass Amherst community.

As families took their seats in the Mullins Center, a slideshow preceded the event, followed by convocation messages from Commonwealth Honors College Dean Mari Castañeda, Chancellor Javier Reyes, Provost Michael Malone, and student speaker Tanyi Muanya, political science and journalism `24.

Photo: Theo Nims Dean Mari Castañeda welcomed the graduates: Graduates, I stand before you today filled with immense pride and admiration. Your journey at Commonwealth Honors College has been one of resilience, innovation, and excellence. You have not only excelled academically but have also made lasting contributions to our community and beyond

Dean Castañeda acknowledged the unprecedented challenges faced by the Class of 2024, who began their college experience amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic. "When you joined Commonwealth Honors College, you embarked on an intellectual journey like no other," she said.

"Little did we know that a global pandemic would shape the beginning of your college experience. Yet this journey has helped you develop the skills to understand the complex problems of this world and to respond to society’s changing needs. You have engaged in critical thinking, you have conducted advanced research, you have assumed leadership positions, you have volunteered in communities, you have advocated for a better tomorrow," she continued.

Dean Castañeda also addressed the difficult times the campus community has recently faced, and emphasized the importance of healing and ongoing dialogue.

"Our students have shown up with courage, a strong sense of justice, and above all, love and care for their peers. I am hopeful that through open and honest conversations, we can continue to build a more inclusive and supportive environment for all," she said.

UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes took the stage to commend the graduates on their groundbreaking research and creative endeavors. "Your intellectual curiosity and passion have challenged us to explore new perspectives and create new understandings," he said. He called attention to how this class’ research has spanned a wide range of disciplines and showcases the very best of what UMass Amherst has to offer, from examining the influence of loneliness on substance use to studying the environmental effects of artificial intelligence

Chancellor Reyes also highlighted the numerous accolades awarded to the graduating class, including seven Rising Researchers, one Goldwater Scholar, one Gilman International Scholar, and two Fulbright Finalists. "Your achievements have not gone unnoticed," he said. "You have been recognized with university, national, and international awards, which is a testament to your hard work, dedication, and the quality of education you have received at Commonwealth Honors College."

Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Michael Malone emphasized the vital role of the CHC community in shaping the graduates' experiences. "Commonwealth Honors College is more than just a place of learning; it is a close-knit community where students are encouraged to explore, challenge assumptions, and make lifelong connections," he said.

Reflections from a 2024 Graduate

Student speaker Tanyi Muanya, a double major in political science and journalism, delivered an inspiring speech. He captivated the audience with his personal journey, symbolized by the different hats he wore throughout his college years. From the comfort of his beanies during the remote first year, to the adventurous spirit of his bucket hats as he explored new opportunities, Muanya's story resonated with his fellow graduates.

Photo: Kimberly Manyanga "We began our journey together in 2020, at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. "The pandemic made us strong; it made us self-sufficient; it made us innovative; it made us reflect on how we view ourselves and how to make the best out of our time here once we get on campus."

Muanya's words served as a strong reminder of the Class of 2024's remarkable ability to overcome challenges and emerge stronger than ever.

The evening also paid tribute to the exceptional faculty members who have guided the students throughout their academic journey. Professor Susan Ware was recognized with the College Outstanding Teaching Award for her dedication to student learning and critical thinking.

Dean Castañeda concluded the ceremony with a powerful message: "As you go forward, remember the insights you have gained here; remember the exhilaration of getting research results or producing that amazing piece of artwork; the triumph of figuring out problems that, at first, may have seemed daunting. Remember, too, the friendships you have formed, and the opportunities you have pursued here. You have contributed to our beloved university and now it is time to share your ideas and your talents with broader communities. It is your time to make the world better for all of us."

As the celebration drew to a close, the graduates celebrated with family and friends, ready to face the challenges and opportunities ahead. Their journey at UMass Amherst may have ended, but their impact on the world is just beginning.  

Kimberly Manyanga

Kimberly Manyanga is a photographer in Commonwealth Honors College

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University of Massachusetts Amherst. Theses and Dissertations

SCUA holds a nearly complete run of undergraduate honors theses , arranged chronologically by year and then alphabetically by author. A small selection of honors theses are available to view online at university’s institutional repository’s CHC Theses and Projects page . Honors theses can be viewed on site in the Special Collections and University Archives reading room. Starting in 2019, all undergraduate honors theses are submitted electronically.

• Paper honors theses (pre-2019) may take up to one to two business days to retrieve.
• Digital honors theses (2019 forward) must also be viewed on site in SCUA’s reading room, but they do not have a delay period from request to retrieval and access.

A spreadsheet list of honors theses can be consulted online. Email SCUA with your requests in advance of visiting. Please include the year, author’s full name, and the title for each thesis requested.

Masters theses and dissertations written by UMass Amherst students are not a part of the University Archives, but most are available in electronic form through the university’s institutional repository, ScholarWorks .

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Honors Thesis

Spring 2024, instructors, description.

Honors Thesis expectations are high. The intended end-product is a traditional research manuscript with accompanying artifact(s), all theses: - are 6 credits or more of sustained research on a single topic, typically conducted over two semesters. - begin with creative inquiry and systematic research. - include documentation of substantive scholarly endeavor. - culminate in an oral defense or other form of public presentation.

Eligibility

Students registering for an Honors Thesis following Honors Research (499Y) must have the approval of their faculty committee. Submit their proposal through CHC PATHS (honors.umass.edu/chc-paths/) for online approval by their sponsor, committee, and other reviewers, including the Academic Standards Committee of the Faculty Senate's Commonwealth Honors College Council. Once fully approved it will be registered in SPIRE by Commonwealth Honors College. REGISTRATION SHOULD BE DONE DURING PRE-REGISTRATION AND COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF THE ADD-DROP PERIOD.

Subject Details

Subject description, catalog number, class number, catalog details, class attributes, academic career.

For complete and up-to-date class details, meeting times, and textbook information, search for this class in Spire ." Select the class term "Spring 2024 " and subject "Computer Science " and enter the class number "12020 ".

If the class is not open for enrollment, you may need to specify other search criteria.

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HONORS PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH

Decision Utilities of Effective Policy Strategy: The Impact of Message Framing and Authorship on Visual Search Dynamics in Climate Communications by Mackenzie Brady  (advised by Arjen Stolk and Kimberly Clark)

Are You Plugged In? Intergroup Competition Reduces Energy Consumption by Sade Franci s (advised by Luke Chang)

Can Psychosocial Interventions Preserve The  Lifespan of Individuals with Serious Mental Illness? Systematic Review of Accelerated Biological Aging in People with a Serious Mental Illness   by Julia Hill (advised by Karen Fortuna)

Examining the Interplay of Memory and Navigational Affordance on the Speed of Perceptual Awareness in Real-World Scenes by Adithi Jayaraman (advised by Caroline Robertson)

Metastereotyping, Anticipatory Epistemic Injustice, and Defensive Storytelling: Narrative to Bridge Social Divides by Anna Katherine Ray (advised by Emily Finn)

Honors Neuroscience Research

People With Higher Depressive Tendencies are More Idiosyncratic in Their Neural Event Boundaries by Evan Bloch (advised by Emily Finn)

The First Comprehensive Case Study of Developmental Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) by Sydney Fortner (advised by Brad Duchaine)

Determining the Role of Monocytes in Parkinson's Disease-Related Neuroinflammation   by Isabella Fox (advised by Matthew Havrda)

Characterizing Dopaminergic Signaling in the Nucleus Accumbens Core Across Different Sign-tracking responses using Fiber Photometry   by Daniela Garcia (advised by Kyle Smith)

Using a Deep-Phenotyping Approach to Test the Efficacy of an Enhanced Acceptance-based Mindfulness Strategy for Pain Across Multiple Body Sites by Sreekar Kasturi (advised by Tor Wager)

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Eleven from MIT awarded 2024 Fulbright fellowships

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Eleven MIT undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni have won Fulbright grants to embark on projects overseas in the 2024-25 grant cycle. Two other students were offered awards but declined them to pursue other opportunities.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers year-long opportunities for American citizen students and recent alumni to conduct independent research, pursue graduate studies, or teach English in over 140 countries.

MIT has been a Fulbright Top-Producing Institution for five years in a row. MIT students and alumni interested in applying to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program should contact Julia Mongo, MIT Fulbright program advisor, in the Office of Distinguished Fellowships in Career Advising and Professional Development.

April Cheng is a junior studying physics with a minor in mathematics and is fast-tracked to graduate this spring. They will take their Fulbright research grant to the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, Germany, where they will study different statistical techniques to infer the expansion rate of the universe from gravitational waves. They first developed an interest in gravitational waves and black holes at the MIT LIGO and Caltech LIGO labs, but their research spans a wide range of topics in astrophysics, including cosmology and fast radio bursts. Cheng is passionate about physics education and is heavily involved in developing educational materials for high school Science Olympiads. At MIT, they are a member of the Physics Values Committee, the physics mentorship program, and the MIT Lion Dance team. After Fulbright, Cheng will pursue a PhD in astrophysics at Princeton University, where they have received the President’s Fellowship.

Grace McMillan is a senior majoring in literature and mechanical engineering with a concentration in Russian language. As a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award recipient, she will teach at a university in Kazakhstan. McMillan’s interest in Central Asia was sparked by a Russian language immersion program she participated in during her sophomore summer in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, funded by MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI). She is excited to help her students learn English to foster integration into the global academic community. During her time at MIT, McMillan has conducted research with faculty in nuclear science; earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences; and the Digital Humanities Lab. Outside of academics, she has been an active member of her sorority, Sigma Kappa, and has served on the MIT Health Consumers’ Advisory Council for two years. After Fulbright, McMillan hopes to attend law school, focusing on education reform.

Ryan McTigue will graduate this spring with a BS in physics and mathematics and a concentration in Spanish. With a Fulbright award to Spain, he will do research at the University of Valencia’s Institute of Molecular Science focusing on the physics of two-dimensional multiferroic nanodevices. He is looking forward to improving his Spanish and getting the opportunity to live abroad. At MIT, McTigue became interested in condensed matter physics research with the Checkelsky group, where he focused on engineering materials with flat bands that exhibited correlated electron effects. Outside of research, McTigue has been a mentor in the physics department’s mentoring program and a member of the heavyweight men’s crew team. After his Fulbright grant, McTigue will begin a PhD in physics at Princeton University.

Keith Murray ’22 graduated from MIT with a BS in computation and cognition and linguistics and philosophy. He will receive his MEng degree in computation and cognition this spring. As a Fulbright Hungary research grantee at the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Murray will design generative AI models inspired by the primary visual cortex with the goal of making AI models more interpretable. At MIT, Murray’s research experiences spanned from training mice to perform navigation tasks in virtual reality to theorizing about how neurons might compute modular arithmetic. He was also a member of the men’s heavyweight crew team and the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After Fulbright, Murray will pursue a PhD in neuroscience at Princeton University.

Maaya Prasad ’22 completed her undergraduate education at MIT with degrees in both electrical engineering and creative writing and will graduate this month with an MS in mechanical and ocean engineering. Her thesis research focuses on microplastic detection using optical sensing. Prasad’s Fulbright fellowship will take her to Mauritius, an East African island country located in the Indian Ocean. Here, she will continue her master’s research at the University of Mauritius and will work with local researchers to implement a microplastic survey system. While at MIT, Prasad joined the varsity sailing team with no prior experience. Her time spent on the water led her to pursue marine research at MIT Sea Grant, and she eventually earned an honorable mention to the 2023 All-American Sailing Team. After Fulbright, Prasad hopes to pursue a PhD in applied ocean engineering.

Anusha Puri is a senior majoring in biological engineering. Her Fulbright award will take her to Lausanne, Switzerland, where she will conduct cancer immunology research at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research. At MIT, Puri’s work in the Weinberg Lab focused on understanding mechanisms that drive resistance of breast cancer to immunotherapy. On campus, she founded and serves as president of MIT’s premiere stand-up comedy group, Stand-Up CoMITy, leads MIT’s Bhangra dance team, and is the editor-in-chief of the MIT Undergraduate Research Journal . She looks forward to engaging with teaching outreach and practicing her French in Switzerland. After her Fulbright grant, she plans to pursue a PhD in biomedical science.

Olivia Rosenstein will graduate this spring with a BS in physics and a minor in French. Her Fulbright will take her to ENS Paris-Saclay in Palaiseau, France, where she’ll deepen her education in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics. At MIT, Rosenstein has worked in Professor Mark Vogelsberger’s group researching models of galaxy formation and the early universe, and in Professor Richard Fletcher’s group on an erbium-lithium experiment to investigate quantum many-body dynamics in a degenerate mixture. In France, she will expand on the skills she developed in Fletcher’s lab by contributing to a project using optical tweezer arrays to study dipolar interactions. After Fulbright, Rosenstein plans to return to the United States to pursue a PhD in experimental AMO at Caltech.

Jennifer Schug willreceive this spring an MEng degree in the Climate, Environment, and Sustainability track within the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. During her Fulbright year in Italy, she will conduct research on carbon storage in the Venice lagoon at the University of Padua. Schug is excited to build upon her research with the Terrer Lab at MIT, where she is currently investigating the effectiveness of forestation as a carbon sequestration strategy. She also looks forward to improving her Italian language skills and learning about Italian history and culture. Before beginning Fulbright this fall, Schug will study ecological preservation in Sicily this summer through an MIT-Italy collaboration with the University of Catania. After Fulbright, she hopes to continue researching nature-based solutions as climate change mitigation strategies.

Vaibhavi Shah ’21 earned a BS in biological engineering and in science, technology, and society at MIT, where she was named a Goldwater Scholar. She is now a medical student at Stanford University. As a Fulbright-Fogarty Fellow in Public Health, Shah will use both her computational and humanities backgrounds to investigate sociocultural factors underlying traumatic surgical injuries in Nepal. While at MIT, she was on the executive board of GlobeMed and the Society of Women Engineers, and she hopes to use those experiences to amplify diverse voices in medicine while on her journey to becoming a neurosurgeon-scientist. After Fulbright, Shah will complete her final year of medical school.

Charvi Sharma is a senior studying computer science and molecular biology with a minor in theater arts. As a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Spain, she is excited to engage in cross-cultural exchange while furthering her skills as a teacher and as a leader. In addition to teaching, Sharma looks forward to immersing herself in the country’s vibrant traditions, improving her Spanish proficiency, and delving into the local arts and dance scene. At MIT, through Global Teaching Labs Spain and her roles as a dynaMIT mentor, an associate advisor, and a captain and president of her dance teams Mirchi and Nritya, Sharma has served as a teacher of both STEM and dance. Her passion for making a difference in her community is also evident through her work with Boston Medical Center’s Autism Program through the PKG Public Service Center and as an undergraduate cancer researcher in the Yaffe Lab. After Fulbright, Sharma plans to pursue an MD and, ultimately, a career as a clinician-scientist.

Isabella Witham is a senior majoring in biological engineering. As a recipient of the Fulbright U.S.-Korea Presidential STEM Initiative Award, she will conduct research at Seoul National University’s Biomimetic Materials and Stem Cell Engineering Lab. Her work will involve creating biomimetic scaffolds for pancreatic cell transplantation to treat type I diabetes. While in South Korea, Witham aims to improve her language skills and explore cultural sites and cities. At MIT, she worked in the Belcher Lab on nanoparticle formulations, was a tutor for MIT’s Women’s Technology Program, and volunteered as a Medlink. After her Fulbright fellowship, she plans to pursue a PhD in biological engineering.

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