Congratulations to the Spring 2024 Graduating Seniors
The University Honors Program is proud of your accomplishments and wish you the best in your next adventure!
Spring 2024 Graduates
Inga Baldus
Madison, WI
Genetics (AGLS)
Minor in Spanish
Honors Project: Pathway, a Novel Mechanism that Drives Myeloid Differentiation
Moment of pride: I am proud that I have been an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Raquel Espin Palazon for over 2 years.
Post-grad plans: Attending Optometry School.
Maddie Barbee
Dubeque, IA
Biology (AGLS)
Honors Project: Analyzing the Efficacy of In-Person versus Virtual Group Singing Therapy, as an Early Intervention for Swallowing in Persons with Parkinson’s Disease
Moment of pride: Being asked to be a TA for BIO 344 (Human Reproduction).
Post-grad plans: Attending PA School.
Sydnee Brockney
Nora Springs, IA
Animal Ecology, option in Wildlife and Pre-Vet Wildlife Care
Honors Project: Silencing the Stigma and Promoting Social Acceptance: Tourette’s Syndrome Education and Awareness at Iowa State University
Valentine Chenus
Davenport, IL
Environmental Science (AGLS), Performing Arts
Minor in Sustainability
Honors Project: Carbon Accrual in Saturated Riparian Buffers
Kit Clayburn
Carthage, IL
Animal Ecology, Biology (AGLS)
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Analyzing the Impacts Chronic Wasting Disease has on Varying Communities within the United States
Sydney Cuddeback
Washington, IA
Agricultural Business, Finance
Honors Project: Succession Planning for Farmers
Post-grad plans: Attending Law School.
Haley Curtis
Peoria, IL
Biology (AGLS)
Minor in Anthropology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Spontaneous Haploid Genome Doubling in Arabidopsis thaliana
Moment of pride: Getting into research my freshman year through the honors program.
Kayla Cutler
Buffalo Grove, IL
Genetics (AGLS), World Languages & Cultures
Honors Project: Fine Arts Improving the Mental Health and Well-Being of Students at Iowa State
Moment of pride: My induction into the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society.
Post-grad plans: Attending Dental School after a gap year.
Kaija Dahlberg
Mounds View, MN
Genetics (AGLS), Nutritional Science (AGLS)
Honors Project: Risks of Antimicrobial Resistance in Swine Manure Treated Environments
Moment of pride: Capstone project
Post-grad plans: Attending University of Minnesota Medical School.
Phoebe Ditrinco
Boulder, CO
Animal Science
Minor in Microbiology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader and Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Development of Real Time PCR for Nine Clostridium perfringens Toxins
Moment of pride: Earning the Outstanding UHP Scholarship.
Post-grad plans: Attending Veterinarian School at Iowa State University.
Ashley Hipnar
Council Bluffs, IA
Environmental Science (AGLS), Global Resource Systems
Minor in Spanish
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader and Student Enrichment Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Global Cities at the Crossroad: Pursuing Justice in Planning for Climate Change
Claire Holtkamp
Mt Pleasant, IA
Global Resource Systems, Chemistry
Minor in Sustainability, French
Honors Project: Nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery of an antioxidant, mitoapocynin, via an intramuscular route in an organophosphate rat model of epilepsy: Toxicity studies
Moment of pride: Interning in France at the USDA European biological control lab.
Post-grad plans: Attending University of Kentucky.
Amelia Huebsch
Golden Valley, MN
Animal Science
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Determining the Effects of Dry Extruded Corn in Receiving Cattle Diets
Kinley Kolbet
Manchester, IA
Animal Science
Honors Project: Characterizing Differences in the Nasal Microbiota of Healthy Lambs and Stillborn Lambs resulting from Cache Valley Viral Infections
Moment of pride: Being accepted into vet school.
Post-grad plans: Attending Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Julie Lennon
Ames, IA
Global Resource Systems, Environmental Science (LAS)
Minor in Classical Studies
Honors Project: Evaluating the potential to reduce soil transport at strategic flowpaths in western St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, using best management practices (BMPs)
Moment of pride: I am proud to be a member of Gamma Sigma Delta, Phi Beta Kappa, and Eta Sigma Phi.
Olivia Liebing
Ames, IA
Horticulture
Minor in Forestry, Agronomy, Soil Science (Certificate)
Participation & Awards: UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Quantifying the Effects of Ethoxylated Isotridecanol as an Additive to Plant Growth Regulators
Post-grad plans: Receiving Master's at the Ohio State University.
Brenna Mathers
Chaska, MN
Genetics (AGLS)
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Drosophila PTTH Mutants to Analyze Aging and Muscle Function
Moment of pride: The CALS Council Senior Award for Inclusive Excellence.
Post-grad plans: Research Technician Position at Thomas Jefferson University at Dr. South's lab focused on skin cancer research.
Sierra McCoy
Plymouth, MN
Forestry
Minor in Animal Ecology
Participation & Awards: UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Campus Trees of Iowa State
Annika Miller
Jacksonville, FL
Animal Science
Minor in Women and Gender Studies
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Honors UA, Mentor & Melampy Grant Recipient
Honors Project: The Use of Bacteriophage in the Fight Against Mastitis
Moment of pride: I am proud of making such amazing friends.
Post-grad plans: Attending University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.
Shannon Morgan
Cedar Rapids, IA
Microbiology
Minor in Psychology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Phenotypic characterization of intestinal organoids in healthy dogs and dogs with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease
Moment of pride: I was one of the captains (section leaders) of the ISUCFVMB trombone section this past fall. I loved getting to teach the freshman and work with my best friends every single day towards a common goal.
Post-grad plans: I will be starting a Medical Lab Science program this summer, working towards being a clinical microbiologist in hospital diagnostic labs!
Megan Mueller
Lenexa, KS
Microbiology
Minor in Global Health
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Verifying Yeast 2 Hybrids of Blumeria Haustoria to Barley Plants using Microbial Analysis
Moment of pride: I am proud to have worked in Dr. Roger Wise’s lab for 3 years now. I have further developed my lab skills and made connections within the Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology department.
Post-grad plans: Attending graduate school in the future to pursue a Master's in Public Health.
Diana Mulder
Parkersburg, IA
Microbiology, International Agriculture
Participation & Awards: Mentor & UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Verification of a qPCR Assay for Detection of Phialophora gregata in Varied Soybean Tissues and Brown Stem Rot Suspect Samples
Moment of pride: Cornell University Graduate School Fellowship
Post-grad plans: Attending the Plant Pathology Ph.D. program at Cornell University.
Shelby Nechkash
Spring Green, WI
Agricultural Studies
Minor in Sustainability and Animal Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Creating a Scope 1 and 2 Carbon Calculating Tool for Small Business and Individual Use
Moment of pride: Working with the Live Green! Team on Campus.
Post-grad plans: Job, full time offer accepted
Jared Overmann
Indianola, IA
Biology (AGLS)
Minor in Animal Ecology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Honors Undergraduate Assistant
Honors Project: Explore Poultry: Interactive Learning Modules
Moment of pride: Served as an Honors FHP Leader and Honors Undergraduate Assistant.
Post-grad plans: Iowa State Master of Arts in Teaching, Science Education
Madi Palmer
Waukon, IA
Animal Science
Minor in Spanish
Honors Project: Dam Effects on Pre-Weaning Health and Lifetime Outcomes in Holstein Dairy Cattle
Moment of pride: Highest 2% AGLS Senior - Spring 2023 and Spring 2024
Post-grad plans: Working as a Dairy Nutrition Consultant for Nelson Dairy Consultants.
Elizabeth Plunkett
Perryville, MO
Dairy Science
Honors Project: Proportion of Bovine Leukemia Virus Antibody Positive Dams Actively Shedding Virus in Colostrum in a Small Research Dairy
Sean Prell
Ames, IA
Microbiology, Genetics (AGLS)
Honors Project: Establishment of Natural Transformation as a Genetic Tool for Studying Avibacterium Paragallinarum
Moment of pride: Being the president of Microbiology Club
Nick Rogers
Hardwick, MN
Genetics (AGLS)
Minor in Psychology
Honors Project: Streamlining Data Coding: GPT Automation of Idea Unit Coding
Jordan Sanders
Marion, IA
Animal Ecology
Minor in Animal Science
Honors Project: Isolation of Porcine Astrovirus 4
Moment of pride: Being awarded the Mensa Foundation Women in STEM Scholarship.
Post-grad plans: Attending ISU College of Veterinary Medicine.
Sarah Schroeder
Coal Valley, IL
Food Science (AGLS), Global Resource Systems
Minor in Microbiology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: An Evaluation of the European Union’s Farm to Fork Strategy: Formation, Feedback, and Moving Forward
Arilyn Tegtmeier-Oatman
Lancaster, PA
Global Resource Systems
Minor in French, Food and Society, Teaching English as a Second Language
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Assessing the Impact of Women’s Education on Perceived Household Food Security in Western Kenya
Moment of pride: I am proud to have received the presidents leadership award this year for my involvement at ISU.
Post-grad plans: I am hoping to be accepted into Princeton In Africa Fellowship Program to work in education and youth development.
Amanda Torres Traverso
Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Microbiology
Minor in Psychology & Spanish
Honors Project: Optimizing Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Mycoplasma bovis Isolates
Post-grad plans: Attending Pharmacy School.
Cuinn Tuey
Exira, IA
Animal Ecology
Minor in Criminal Justice
Honors Project: Evolve with Mammals: The Efficacy of Board Games as Alternative Learning
Blake Van Der Kamp
Prairie City, IA
Agricultural & Life Sciences Education, Public Relations
Certificate in Leadership Studies
Honors Project: A Creative Capstone to 21st Century Marketing in the Agricultural Industry
Moment of pride: Being a part of the McNair Scholars Program.
Post-grad plans: I will be both working a full-time job as a Jr. Program Manager with Liberty Fund based in Indianapolis through the Orr Fellowship as well as attending Butler University for a Masters in Strategic Communications.
Anna Walls
Adel, IA
Horticulture, Biology (AGLS)
Honors Project: Our Panhellenic: A Close-Knit Sisterhood
Moment of pride: Serving as CPC VP-Judicial Affairs.
Post-grad plans: Attending Medical school.
Sasha Wilson
Waverly, IA
Animal Science
Equine Certificate
Honors Project: Marketing and Sales in the Saddlebred Industry
Moment of pride: Top 2% of my class as a Junior.
Cameron Bristow
Pleasant Hill, IA
Marketing, Management
Minor in Leadership Studies
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Grant Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Creating a Business Case Study Competition for Undergraduate Students
Moment of pride: Completing internships with my 3 dream organizations - Disney, NBCUniversal, and NASA!
Post-grad plans: In the middle of the interview process right now - so excited for all of the possibilities!
Tanner Kelchen
Manchester, IL
Marketing, Sociology (LAS)
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Connecting Personality to Scientific Literacy
Moment of pride: I am most proud of leading the Honors 121 class.
Post-grad plans: Working in business analytics with plans to attend grad school or law school at some point in the future.
Taylor Larner
St. Louis, MO
Accounting
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Charting the Course: A Study on the Career Decisions of Accounting Graduates
Moment of pride: Being inducted into Cardinal Key Honor Society.
Post-grad plans: Attending Missouri State to pursue a Masters of Accounting.
Emily Shatek
Mason City, IA
Finance, Agricultural Business
Honors Project: Public Carbon Pipeline Sentiment
Kaitlyn White
Waukee, IA
Accounting, Healthcare Management
Honors Project: The Effect of COVID Provider Relief Funds on Healthcare Organizations
Moment of pride: I'm proud of my time serving as the Vice President of Finance for the Collegiate Panhellenic Council.
Post-grad plans: Work full time at CliftonLarsonAllen in Nashville.
Nick Cheung
Pleasant Hill, IA
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Sustainability and Entrepreneurial Studies
Honors Project: Made in Iowa: Low Carbon Concrete from Local Waste
Moment of pride: I am proud of my contributions as the Co-President of the NOMAS chapter to spark critical conversations and create opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in the program.
Post-grad plans: Architectural Designer at DLR Group in New York City.
Lexi Clark
Ottawa, IL
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Urban Studies
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Architectures of Protest atop Distorted Foundations
Moment of pride: I've been able to act as a Peer Mentor for College of Design freshmen and transfer students for 4 semesters now!
Post-grad plans: I will be working at Healy Bender Patton & Been Architects in Naperville, IL.
Zoe Flynn
Austin, TX
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Environmental Studies
Honors Project: Architecture for Non-Humans
Moment of pride: Being a Cyclone Aide Advisor.
Thomas Hewitt
West Des Moines, IA
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Sustainability
Participation & Awards: UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Mushroom Bricks
Ahillan Kumar
Fairfield, IA
Community & Regional Planning, Philosophy
Honors Project: A Death Disposition Database
Moment of pride: Member of The Phi Betta Kappa Society.
Post-grad plans: Pursuing master's degree in public affairs.
Megan Palmer
Eagan, MN
Landscape Architecture, World Languages & Cultures
Honors Project: Sprout: An Exploration into Eco-Brutalism
Moment of pride: I am most pround of my leadership positions as the Vice President of Iowa Students of Landscape Architecture, and the President of Conservation Club.
Post-grad plans: I am still in the interview & application stage, but I look forward to working in the field.
Lexi Schuur
Carroll, IA
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Urban Studies
Honors Project: Exhibit Curation: Architectural Histories of Rome
Moment of pride: Hixson Scholar Award/Peer Mentor Experience
Post-grad plans: Interested in Healthcare/K-12 Architecture, unknown position at this time.
Jazmin Terrell
Urbandale, IL
Art: Integrated Studio Arts
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Honors Ambassador, W. Robert Parks Commendation Award
Honors Project: Grounds for Growing a Dye Garden
Moment of pride: Re-establishing the Design Council as President.
Post-grad plans: Pursuing a Masters in Printmaking in the next few years.
Vee Vijendran
India
Industrial Design
Minor in Digital Media
Participation & Awards: UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: The Art of Seating
Tim Zhang
Madison, WI
Architecture Professional Degree
Minor in Urban Studies
Honors Project: Architectural Design for Non-Human Ecologies: Bridging the Gap Between Built Environment and other Natures
Moment of pride: I happy to have had the opportunity help lead the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students.
Post-grad plans: Junior Designer at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.
Aaron Bodenham
Mt. Pleasant, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Honors Project: Integrated Safety Controller for Robot Cell
Moment of pride: Technical Director of Formula SAE team.
Post-grad plans: Manufacturing Development Engineer at John Deere.
Isaac Bradford
The Midwest
Agricultural Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Comparison and Evaluation of SLAKEs and Cornell Aggregate Stability Tests
Moment of pride: Outstanding Presentation and Future Leader in EWB.
Post-grad plans: Masters at Purdue in ABE working with Water Quality and Sensing.
Cainan Davidson
Council Bluffs, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Computer Science
Honors Project: Image to CAD Modeling Framework for Biomedical Applications
Erik Dralle
Oswego, IL
Civil Engineering
Minor in Music
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Performance Assessment of Transmission Towers' Failures after the 2020 Iowa Derecho
Moment of pride: President of ASCE
Post-grad plans: Masters of Engineering in Structural Engineering at ISU.
Shanna Fellows
Albia, IA
Civil Engineering
Minor in Chemistry
Participation & Awards: Mentor & Student Enrichment Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Iowa's Shifting Ecology: Climate Change Implications for Iowa's Wildlife Through the 21st Century
Moment of pride: My work with the WiSE Department and the CCEE Undergraduate Research program.
Post-grad plans: Water/Wastewater Engineer at HR Green.
Will Fettkether
Dunkerton, IA
Materials Engineering
Minor in Sustainability, Spanish
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Development of Cathode Materials for Next-Generation Solid-State Batteries
Moment of pride: My friends
Post-grad plans: Attending Georgia Institute of Technology.
Aidan Furley
Gretna, NE
Aerospace Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Grant Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Wave Augmented Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (WAFOWT)
Moment of pride: Being a NASA Intern and Sustainability Ambassador.
Post-grad plans: Seeking employment.
Damien Henry
Blockton, IA
Electrical Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Planning Iowa's Energy: What do the People Want?
Moment of pride: Winning the 8th Annual PesiCo MBA Invitational Case Competition!
Post-grad plans: Lead Power & Utilities Analyst at 1898 & Co. (part of Burns & McDonnell).
Kyle Herbst
Le Mars, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Honors Project: Does an Engineering Background Impact Quality of Leadership?
Moment of Pride: My honors project.
Post-grad plans: Job searching.
Jonathan Hess
Batavia, IA
Computer Engineering
Honors Project: Digital Logic Lab Tool
Moment of pride: Being a TA for CPRE281.
Post-grad plans: Skyworks solutions.
Ben Hobson
Farmersville, IL
Civil Engineering
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Economic Comparison of Staged and Detoured Construction Zones
Moment of pride: Being an Ambassador since Sophomore Year.
Post-grad plans: Highway Designer for Iowa DOT.
Daniel Kaye
Lake in the Hills, IL
Industrial Engineering
Minor in Philosophy
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Childcare and Early Education—A Modern Comparison of the United States and Sweden
Victoria Kyveryga
Ames, IA
Chemical Engineering, Chemistry
Participation & Awards: Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Cause, Consequence, and Control of Silver Vacancies in BaAg2–xAs2
Moment of pride: Being president of Ukrainian Club.
Post-grad plans: Attending Stanford University.
Justin Nock
Bettendorf, IA
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Music Technology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Integrating Music into Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
Moment of pride: Students for Open Discussion President
Post-grad plans: Ph.D. in Welding Engineering at Ohio State University.
Sam Potter
Waverly, IA
Computer Engineering, Mathematics
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Comedy Graduate School
Moment of pride: KURE KQ Director
Noah Rudi
Edina, MN
Construction Engineering
Minor in Political Science
Participation & Awards: Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: A Review of Bicycle Infrastructure: What Can Be Applied to Middle America?
Moment of pride: Learning more about bike infrastructure through my honors project.
Post-grad plans: Field Engineer, M.A. Mortenson.
Emma Shepard
West Des Moines, IA
Environmental Engineering
Minor in Sustainability
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Outstanding Senior in Environmental Engineering.
Moment of pride: Placing 6th in trampoline at the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs national meet
Post-grad plans: Teaching at a Catholic high school in Belize for a year before pursuing graduate studies in environmental engineering.
Katelyn Wolters
Clinton, NJ
Aerospace Engineering
Minor in Computer Science
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Dance Revolution
Moment of pride: FHP Co-Leader
Peter Zeller
Aurora, IL
Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Energy Systems
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Acoustic driven circulation around cylindrical obstructions in micro channels
Moment of pride: Being a second author on a published paper.
Post-grad plans: Mechanical Analyst for HVAC Consulting.
Faith Diamond
Crystal Lake, IL
Financial Counseling and Planning
Minor in General Business and Sociology
Participation & Awards: Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Association Between Financial Debt Literacy and Student Well-Being at Iowa State University
Moment of pride: College of Human Sciences Dean’s Recognition Award | Cl Dowling & Yahnke Private Wealth Scholarship | Keeling Wealth Advisors Financial Planning Scholarship | June Kaser Lovejoy Tri-Delta Scholarship | Director of Member Finance of the Omega Delta Chapter
Post-grad plans: Moving to Madison Wisconsin and pursuing a career in financial services.
Paulina Hernandez
Des Moines, IA
Apparel, Merchandising, and Design
Honors Project: Into the Archive: A Pilot Study on Using 3D Technology to Render Historic Garments and Textiles for Accessibility and Preservation
Moment of pride: The Fashion Show Design Director CHS graduating senior of the semester award.
Betsy Marlow
Cedar Rapids, IA
Kinesiology & Health
Minor in Event Management
Participation & Awards: Mentor Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Examining Motivational Factors for Performing Arts Attendance in Iowa State University Students.
Moment of pride: Being on Cardinal Court this year during Homecoming.
Post-grad plans: Walt Disney World doing the Disney College Program.
Sarah Petersen
Ida Grove, IA
Kinesiology & Health
Minor in Nutrition
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor & UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: The Relationship Between Modifiable Health Behaviors and Spirituality in Patients with Substance Use Disorder
Moment of pride: Salt company connection group leader was a life changing leadership role.
Post-grad plans: Attending medical school.
Haley Plambeck
Red Oak, IA
Dietetics (H Sci)
Honors Project: The Effects Cannabis has on the Endocanabenoid System
Moment of pride: Being the president of the ExerCYse is Medicine club on campus.
Post-grad plans: Attending graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Haley Reyna
Hoffman Estates, IL
Dietetics (H Sci)
Minor in Psychology and Hispanic Studies
Honors Project: The Importance of Culinary Education in Didactic Programs for Undergraduate Dietetics Students
Savannah Schemenauer
Woodbury, MN
Apparel, Merchandising, and Design
Honors Project: Into the Archive: A Pilot Study on Using 3D Technology to Render Historic Garments and Textiles for Accessibility and Preservation
Moment of pride: Maintaining Dean's list through all four years at ISU.
McKenna Vacek
Ames, IA
Kinesiology & Health
Minor in Psychology
Honors Project: Shape Differences Effect on Bilateral Transfer Using Mirror Tracing
Post-grad plans: Attending University of Minnesota-OTD.
Brooklynn Wagoner
Council Bluffs, IA
Kinesiology & Health
Honors Project: Dual-task and Auditory Interference Effect on Auditory Reaction Time
Moment of pride: Completing my honors capstone project.
Post-grad plans: Taking a gap year spent in MN and applying to Physician Assistant programs!
Roba Abbajabal
Urbandale, IA
Computer Science
Minor in Data Science
Honors Project: Counting Cellular Images in an Immunocytochemistry Dataset with Deep Learning Methods
Moment of pride: Facilitating four programming competitions for the Computer Science and Software Engineering Club.
Post-grad plans: Wells Fargo Technology Analyst.
Gavin Andres
Schaumburg, IL
Computer Science
Participation & Awards: UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Inertial and RF UWB Sensor Fusion for Indoor Localization
Moment of pride: 1st place overall team finish in the Cardinal Space Mining Club.
Mackenzee Ashcroft
Ames, IA
Psychology
Minor in Sociology
Honors Project: Social Media, Body Image, & the Big Five Personality Traits
Lexie Balkema
The Woodlands, TX
Biology (AGLS)
Honors Project: World Food Issues Children's Book
Moment of pride: I am proud of being an outreach chair for the Iowa State Pre-Health Conference for the last three years and seeing how much the conference has grown.
Post-grad plans: Applying to Physician Assistant school.
Sophie Byroade
Urbana, IA
English
Minor in Criminal Justice, Music
Honors Project: Internet Safety to Combat Against Child Exploitation and Grooming
Moment of pride: President of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity.
Post-grad plans: Attending Jacksonville University School of Law.
Clarissa Carolan
Vinton, IA
Biology (LAS)
Minor in Psychology
Honors Project: The Effects of Exercise on the Endocannabinoid System and Brain Health in Adults with and without Cannabis use
Moment of pride: Completing this program is something I am quite proud of while also being a member of the Biological Honors Society and obtaining the fundraising chair leadership position for the Biological Sciences Club.
Post-grad plans: Take the next year to determine which field of health care I would like to pursue.
Michael Craighton
Urbandale, IA
Political Science, Economics (LAS)
Minor in Russian Studies
Honors Project: Investigation the Relationship between Natural Resource Abundance and State Fragility
Moment of pride: Expanding my international experience from no travel outside the United States, to completing a travel course, two semesters abroad, and an international internship.
Allie Crowson
Peoria, IL
Public Relations
Minor in Political Science, Sociology
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor Grant Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: Trust in the Courts, Voting Behavior, and Political Attitudes in College-Aged Americans
Moment of pride: Deans List, Phi Beta Kappa, 2023 Dean's High Impact Award for Undergraduate Research, tour guide!
Post-grad plans: Applying for jobs.
Zoe DeKruif
Cedar Rapids, IA
Linguistics
Minor in Anthropology and Classical Studies
Participation & Awards: Mentor & Summer Grant Recipient
Honors Project: A Survey and Comparison of Syntactic Analysis Systems for Language Description
Moment of pride: Award for Excellence in Classical Studies.
Post-grad plans: for Linguistics (still deciding between two programs).
Ashlee England
Granger, IA
Psychology
Minor in Sociology
Honors Project: Mindfulness Impact on Intrinsically Motivated Physical Activity
Post-grad plans: I am applying for a post grad job.
Don Gill
Baton Rouge, LA
Psychology
Participation & Awards: UHP & Student Enrichment Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Noobs vs Pros: Comparing Coping Styles across Streamers
Moment of pride: Undergraduate Lab Manager Media Research Lab.
Post-grad plans: Counseling Masters
Jennifer Godbersen
Ida Grove, IA
Linguistics
Minor in Spanish, English
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor & Summer Grant Recipient
Honors Project: “Jump Analysis”: An Approach to Analyzing Continuity in Written Text Production
Moment of pride: The amazing opportunity to be a FHP leader.
Post-grad plans: Data analyst internship.
Grace Hagedorn
Ankeny, IA
Biology (LAS)
Minor in Microbiology, French
Honors Project: Impacts of Water Quality on G418 Antibiotic Effectiveness
Moment of pride: I served as the soprano section leader in Cantamus Treble Choir for three years.
Post-grad plans: Research Assistant
Sean Hartmann
Ames, IA
English, Technical Communication
Minor in Film Studies
Participation & Awards: UHP & Student Enrichment Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Exploring Experimental Film Firsthand
Moment of pride: Dean’s Summer High Impact Award and connected sharing of Undergraduate Research at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research in Long Beach, California.
Alexandra Harwood
Tampa, FL
English
Honors Project: All Laid out like a Tarot (Original Screenplay)
Moment of pride: Working at the Journal of Popular Culture.
Daniel Howell
Winterset, IA
Chemistry
Minor in Horticulture & Spanish
Participation & Awards: Mentor & Summer Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Exploration of Titania-Silica Nanosheets as Catalysts for Plastic Upcycling
Moment of pride: Receiving the Barry Goldwater Scholarship alongside three of my fellow ISU students.
Post-grad plans: Pursue a Ph.D. in Chemistry at Stanford University.
Maggie Jirik
New Prague, MN
Biology (LAS)
Minor in Psychology
Honors Project: Association of Physical Activity and Quality of Life on Commitment to Sobriety and Substance Abuse Treatment
Post-grad plans: Attending Physician Assistant School.
Elizabeth Jones
Grimes, IA
English, Women's and Gender Studies
Minor in Textile Design
Participation & Awards: Mentor & UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Feminine Heritage Within Stitches
Post-grad plans: Attending Student Affairs master's program at ISU.
Mia Kawamitsu
Council Bluffs, IA
Journalism & Mass Communication, International Studies
Minor in Fashion, Culture, History & Social Justice
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Ho-PoC Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Diversity Dialogues: Success & Struggles at Iowa State University
Moment of pride: I'm honored and proud to have been the only undergraduate student recognized on the 2024 Women Impacting ISU Calendar!
Post-grad plans: I will be starting a career in student affairs, focusing on serving underrepresented students.
Michaela Lange
Johnston, IA
Psychology
Honors Project: A Study on Storytelling
Moment of pride: HOME Peer Mentor
Post-grad plans: Internship with Stride Autism Center.
Julia Litecky
Minneapolis, MN
Journalism & Mass Communication, Political Science
Minor in Criminal Justice
Honors Project: To what Extent does the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights apply to American Constitutionalism
Moment of pride: I was the Honors Student Board President and I am proud of the work I did for HSB.
Post-grad plans: Attending law school.
Carsyn Mueller
Cedar Falls, IA
Physics
Minor in Psychology
Honors Project: The Properties and Synthesis of Sr(Co1-xCux)2P2
Post-grad plans: Attending the University of Maryland.
Benjamin Niklasen
Farley, IA
Computer Science
Minor in Cyber Security
Honors Project: JVM vs LLVM Compiler
Moment of pride: President of Boxing Club at ISU.
Post-grad plans: Software Engineer at ALMACO.
Clay Peters
Jefferson, IA
Psychology
Minor in Statistics
Honors Project: Framing, Its Effects, and Mitigation
Moment of pride: Balancing my involvement in many different areas.
Danielle Robinson
Pella, IA
English
Minor in Technical Communication
Participation & Awards: Summer, Student Enrichment, and UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: A Modern Chapbook: Poems and Dialogues on Wellbeing in an Unwell World
Moment of pride: I am proud of receiving the Will C. Jumper scholarship in poetry! It truly honors the growth I've made in my creative writing over my time at ISU.
Post-grad plans: I will be moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where I will be tutoring college and high school students in English.
Addison Schmidt
Eagan, MN
Computer Science, Mathematics
Minor in Data science
Participation & Awards: Summer Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Proofs and Automation for Chemical Reaction Network Verification
Gretchen Schwager
Ames, IA
Psychology
Minor in Women and Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Sociology
Honors Project: Cycle of Empowerment: Psychological Impacts of Menstrual Health Education
Moment of pride: I am very proud of the honors project I completed during my time at ISU, and the opportunities to research and learn about women's experiences and health through various seminars and my research project.
Post-grad plans: My current plans include a gap year to work before applying to PhD programs for Clinical/Counseling Psychology!
Grace Schwarz
North Caldwell, NJ
Psychology
Minor in German
Honors Project: Heuristic Based Deception Detection
Moment of pride: Presenting research at MPA in Chicago and the Honors Poster Presentation.
Post-grad plans: Heading back home to New Jersey to attend the master's program in I/D Psychology at Montclair state University in Montclair, NJ.
Eliza Sherman
Quad Cities, IA
Sociology (LAS), International Studies
Minor in Communication Studies
Honors Project: The Truth about Human Trafficking
Post-grad plans: International Public Policy at University College London.
Kaitlyn Sievers
Luzerne, IA
Psychology
Minor in Statistics and English
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Actual Play Medium Influences on Novelty, Surprise, Transportation, and Competence Needs and Effects of Expertise
Moment of pride: I am proud of being a guide (basically equivalent to captain) for Iowa State Marching Band’s color guard.
Post-grad plans: I hope to earn my PhD in cognitive psychology.
Jesse Slater
Parnell, IA
Mathematics, Computer Science
Minor in Political Science, Philosophy
Honors Project: A Verified Compiler Targeting Chemical Reactions In DNA Soup
Moment of pride: My time as the vice president of the Philosophy Club.
Post-grad plans: Pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Michigan.
Seema Smadi
Ames, IA
Anthropology
Minor in Middle Eastern Studies, Ethics, Political Science
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: Testing the Efficacy of the Ultra-Filtration Centrifuge for the Stable Isotope Analysis of Bone Collagen
Moment of pride: I restarted the Arab Student Association, and was president of the organization in my last semester.
Post-grad plans: Working at a law firm and applying for law school in the next cycle.
Jamie Smith
New Virginia, IA
Communication Studies, World Languages & Cultures
Minor in Linguistics
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Mentor & Summer Grant Recipient, Honors Ambassador
Honors Project: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Documenting Product- and Process-focused Advice in Writing Center Sessions
Moment of pride: I'm proud of being a published co-author in the Young Scholars in Writing Journal from research done in the Language Processing, Acquisition, and Change Lab.
Post-grad plans: I'm going to be an English language assistant for NALCAP (North American Language and Culture Assistants Program)in Spain.
Natalie Sommervold
Minneapolis, MN
Psychology
Minor in Statistics & Criminal Justice
Honors Project: Using Eyewitness Descriptions of Perpetrators to Forecast Lineup Identification Accuracy
Moment of pride: President of the Psychology Club.
Ranai Srivastav
Waukee, IA
Computer Science
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader, Summer Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Duckietown as an Experimental Verification Platform for Evaluating Perception Metrics
Moment of pride: 4 years as an improv comedian in Grandma Mojos
Post-grad plans: Phd in Ecology at Pennsylvania State University
Hailey Stone
Lenexa, KS
Political Science
Minor in Religious Studies
Honors Project: 2024 Iowa Republican Caucus: Why isn't Donald Trump doing Better?
Moment of pride: Researching with Dr. Peterson.
Post-grad plans: Attending law school in Fall 2025.
Katherine Surur
Cedar Rapids, IA
Anthropology, World Languages & Cultures
Honors Project: The Beliefs of Witchcraft and Religion for Liberian-Americans
Moment of pride: I enjoyed being a YWCA peer mentor.
Post-grad plans: Master's in Library and Information Science at Indiana University.
Karsten Theilen
Johnston, IA
Biochemistry
Minor in Spanish
Participation & Awards: Student Enrichment Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Selecting and Testing Activity of Different Mre11/Rad50 Mutations for Use in Single Molecule FRET Assays
Moment of pride: Biochemistry Club President
Post-grad plans: Gap year before deployment.
Henry Thomas
Rockford, IL
Chemistry, Physics
Participation & Awards: Mentor, Summer, and Student Enrichment Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of High-Entropy Intermetallics
Moment of pride: Receiving the Barry Goldwater Scholarship.
Post-grad plans: Pursuing a Chemistry PhD at Stanford University.
Rebekah Veldboom
Grinnell, IA
Environmental Science (LAS)
Minor in Sustainability; Soil Science Certificate
Participation & Awards: HON 121 Leader
Honors Project: The Potential Enzymatic Activity in Solid Anaerobic Digestate Compared to Two Iowa Soils
Moment of pride: Taking 8 semesters of carillon and playing a few carillon concerts in the Campanile.
Post-grad plans: Working as a Soil Conservationist for the Minnesota USDA-NRCS.
Davis Verhoeven
Ames, IA
Biology (LAS)
Honors Project: Engineering an Improved mRNA Vaccine using Unique Secondary Structures
Mackenzie Vogt
Grand Island, NE
English, Anthropology
Minor in Technical Communication
Participation & Awards: UHP Grant Recipient
Honors Project: Mia's All About Me
Moment of pride: Designer and Visual Arts Editor of Sketch Literary Journal.