Global Studies and Geography

Department Honors

A Global Studies or Geography major who meets the current GPA requirements (a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4 and at least 3.5 in the major), may decide to write an Honors Dissertation during his or her senior year. The procedure for doing this is outlined on our Honors Thesis Guidelines.

Here is a full list of our honors dissertations:

YEAR NAME TITLE ADVISOR
2021 Margaret Engel, Geography The Aid Industrial Complex: Private Sector Engagement and Reform Linda Longmire
2021 Jenna Reda, Geography Gluten Free-Food Desserts: Determining Their Existence and Expanse Zilkia Janer
2020 Alishbah Saddiqui, Geography (High Honors) Constructed Oppression and Forced Liberation: Analyzing, Deconstructing, and Rejecting the Conception of The Oppressed Muslim Woman Kari Jensen
2020 Emma Rossetti, Geography Painting a Self-Portrait of a City: Exploring Participatory Branding Practices and Sense of Place in Seoul, South Korea’s 2014-2015 Branding Process Nisha Korattyswaroopam
2020 Alena Clark
Global Studies
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Redefining Development and International Relations in Greece and Sri Lanka Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2019 Ligia Clara
Geography
A Qualitative Study of Salvadoran Women’s Experiences and Perceptions of Civil War, Migration, and Mental Health Kari Jensen
2018 Julianna Cirafesi
Global Studies
(High Honors)
Globalization and Health: A Qualitative Study of Immigrant Women's Health and the Hispanic Paradox Kari Jensen
2018 Emilie Beck
Geography
(High Honors)
Re-Contextualizing the War on Terror Kari Jensen
2017 (Fall) Connor Mayes
Geography
Ruling the Bloodlands: The Relationship Between Space, Resources, and Genocide Kari Jensen
2017 Sarah Gerwens
Global Studies
(High Honors)
Anglicisms - Nein Danke? Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of the Occurrence and Usage of English Loanwords in Contemporary German(y)
Winner of the Undergraduate Library Research Award
Zilkia Janer
2016 (Fall) Temperance Staples
Geography
Place, Policy, Poverty and Maternal Mental Health: A Case Study of Los Angeles County and New York City Kari Jensen
2016 Bhavneet Anand
Geography
India's Medical Diversity: Hybridization in People's Use of Medicine in Adhi, Punjab Kari Jensen
2016 Anastasia Cassisi
Global Studies
Justice for All? An Analysis of Police Brutality in the United States, England and Canada Kari Jensen
2016 Thomas Vogel
Geography
Evaluating the Efficacy of TMDL Implementation Actions on Fecal Bacteria Concentrations in Mill Neck Creek, NY Craig Dalton
2016 Blaine Volpe
Geography
Helping and Hurting: Policies and Actions on Human Trafficking in Romania by the EU, UN, the Romanian Government, and NGOs Kari Jensen
2015 Athraja De Silva
Geography
Lasting Impressions: The New Face of Tourism in Sri Lanka James Wiley
2015 Lora Gerulsky
Global Studies
(High Honors)
Friend or Foe? The (In)Compatibility Between Cultural Relativist Theory and the Global Feminist Agenda Zilkia Janer
2015 Zoe Hoffmann
Geography
Immigration’s Impact on Education: How Immigration Impacted Public Policy, School Districts, and High School Curriculum in Southern Arizona James Wiley
2015 Mishaina Joseph
Geography
A Critical View of NGOs in Developing Nations: A Case Study of Haiti Dr. Linda Longmire
2015 Clara Schopf
Geography
What’s Brewing in Wisconsin?; Why America’s Dairyland Votes for Democrats in Presidential Elections and Republicans in Gubernatorial Elections James Wiley
2015 Samantha Spagnoli
Global Studies
(High Honors)
A Comparative Analysis of Subway Systems and Commuter Rails in Three Major World Cities: Paris, New York, and Seoul Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2014 Kevin Tamerler
Geography
How Far Will We Go for (Online) Love? A Study of the Geographical Effects of Online Dating Kari Jensen
2014 Benjamin Suazo
Global Studies
(High Honors)
The Meaning of Race at the Intersection of Santo Domingo and New York: A Case Study of Dominican and U.S. Perceptions James E. Wiley
2014 Elizabeth Driscoll
Global Studies
Here to Stay: Guidelines for a Legal and Balanced Compromise on the Use of Drones Kari Jensen
2013 Nathan Shapiro
Geography
The Migration of Lithuanian Jews to the United States, 1880 – 1918, and the Decisions Involved in the Process, Exemplified by Five Individual Migration Stories Kari Jensen
2013 Anna Okoniewski
Global Studies
Aid and its Discontents: The Paradox of Democracy Promotion and the Media in Africa Zilkia Janer
2013 Josh Ettinger
Global Studies
Child Work in an Interconnected World: Examining the Impact of Free Trade Policies on Child Labor in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Zambia Kari Jensen
2013 Kayla Rivara
Global Studies
(High Honors)
Standardized Individualism: An Exploration of Attitudes on 'American Exceptionalism' and 'Global Citizenship' in American Education Kari Jensen
2012 (Fall) Hannah Skahill
Geography
Expatriate Literature and American Culture:  The Influence of Place in Literature James E. Wiley
2012 (Fall) Melanie Martha
Geography
Tourism and the Galapagos Islands: Examining the Relationship between Ecotourism and the Local Population James E. Wiley
2012 Etana Jacobi
Global Studies
(High Honors)
iGlobalization: Kodak, Apple, and the Evolution of U.S. Employment from 1960 to 2012
Winner of the Undergraduate Library Research Award
Grant Saff
2012 William Keating
Geography
The Web of Nations: The Challenges of Small, Vulnerable Economies in a Globalized World James E. Wiley
2012 Elizabeth  Robson
Global Studies
The Chesapeake:  A Microcosm for Climate Change and Shift in Population Robert Brinkmann
2012 Anna Styles
Global Studies
Green Fashion and Identifying Factors of Greenwashing Robert Brinkmann
2012 James Yantis
Geography
(High Honors)
Popular Movements in Public Space:
A Geographical Analysis of Occupy Wall Street
Kari Jensen
2011 Allison Redman
Global Studies
The Roma in Europe Today: Patterns of Discrimination Linda Longmire
2011 Alyssa Coco
Geography
Patterns of Sequential Occupancy and Cultural Manifestations in Lowell, Massachusetts James E. Wiley
2011 Evelia Johnston
Global Studies
Revitalizing the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro Through Cultural Expression Zilkia Janer
2011 Chelsea Whitfield
Global Studies
Finding the Right Fit: Attitudes Towards Arranged Marriages and Love Marriages Among Young Indians.
Winner of the Manya and Max Tenenbaum Endowed Memorial Prize in Economics (and Human Geography)
Kari Jensen
2010 Michael Carrigy
Geography
Public Transit in New York: The Past and Future of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2010 Alex Moore
Global Studies
Cross‐Cultural Perspectives on the Creation of American Dance: 1619 – 1950
Winner of the Undergraduate Library Research Award
Dyane Harvey
2007 Matthew  Craig
Geography
The Effects of Cold Chain Logistics and Technology on Global Freight Distribution Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2003 Hewan Girma
Economics
Microcredit as a Development Tool: A Case Study of Ethiopia.  Grant Saff
2001 Chris Karampahtsis
Geography
Ecotourism in Small Developing States: A Viable Development Path? James E. Wiley
1999 Claire Bowler (Stanek)
Geography
Fair Housing in the United States Grant Saff
1998 James Eyler
Geography
Section 8: A Government Program for Affordable Housing Grant Saff

Honors Thesis Guidelines

A Global Studies or Geography major who meets the current GPA requirements (a cumulative grade GPA of at least 3.4 and at least 3.5 in the major), may decide to write an Honors Dissertation in the senior year. The accepted page length for honors essays in this department is minimum 35 pages and maximum 50 pages (double-spaced, one-inch margins, Times New Roman) not counting References and Appendices.

Honors Thesis Committee Approval Form: [PDF]

Weeks 1-2, but PREFERABLY prior to the beginning of the semester

  • Constitute the thesis committee. In consultation with the thesis advisor, choose two faculty members to serve as readers.
  • The readers should be carefully chosen: their disciplines and areas of expertise should be relevant to the thesis topic and ideally would complement the discipline and expertise of the advisor.
  • The advisor need not be from the Department, but a minimum of two committee members must be from the Global Studies and Geography department.
  • If an advisor from another Department is selected, the student needs prior approval from the Chair of the Department of Global Studies. This needs to be completed within the first week of the semester as the HCLAS Deans Office needs to be alerted so that the advisor gets paid.
  • The student should talk to the advisor and readers no later than these first two weeks and get a clear sense of what each committee member expects from the thesis.

Week 3 or earlier:

  • File the "Departmental Honors Thesis Committee Approval Form" in the office of the Department of Global Studies and Geography.
  • This form requires the signature of the student, the three members of the committee, and the Department Chair.
  • It should be filed together with a 1-page thesis proposal which includes a research topic and a brief bibliography.
  • No permission for honors will be approved after week 3 of a semester.

Weeks 4-8:

  • The student should work in close consultation with the thesis advisor.
  • They should also meet with the readers as needed.

Week 9 or earlier:

  • The student must give the advisor and readers a full draft of the thesis.

Weeks 10-11 or earlier:

  • The student keeps on editing and improving the draft.
  • During these two weeks the members of the committee will give feedback to the student to help polish the thesis.

Week 12 or earlier:

  • The student continues to edit the thesis.

Week 13 or earlier:

  • The final draft is given to the committee.
  • There must be a minimum of one week between the day in which the draft is turned in and the thesis defense.

Examination week or earlier:

  • Thesis defense.
  • Any additional changes must be made within one week of the defense.
  • The complete corrected thesis must be submitted as a PDF file to the entire committee and to the Department Chair.
  • An electronic copy of the thesis will be placed on our website.
  • No grade will be awarded prior to submitting the corrected thesis.

Students undertaking the Department honors option should be aware that it is open to only our most talented and committed students. We strongly encourage you to do this option, but it is also a commitment on your part to continue providing the type of excellent work that you have done in the past.

Part of this commitment is to meet all deadlines and complete the work within a given semester. Incompletes will only be granted under the most compelling of circumstances. We will do our utmost to make sure that we provide you with the guidance to complete your honors within the semester. The honors thesis is perfect preparation for graduate school or the challenges you will face in your career. We strongly hope that all eligible majors will embark on the honors process.

Grades for honors are as follows:

  • High Honors: Exceptional work, original, theoretically and empirically of the highest order,
  • Honors: Excellent work, deserving of Department Honors,
  • No honors: Work not completed or work not of honors caliber.

HONORS THESIS COMMITTEE APPROVAL FORM [PDF]