Honors

The department encourages qualified Geography majors who wish to graduate with honors in Geography to apply for admission to the department honors program. Students find the process of graduating with honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude) to be a most challenging and rewarding capstone to their college career.   

Eligibility
  • Cumulative GPA at CU of at least 3.3
  • Geography GPA of at least 3.5
  • At least 18 credit hours in Geography with at least 1 upper division Geography course

Students who are eligible and have identified a project of interest must then:

  • Select a primary thesis advisor within Geography to supervise the Honors research
  • Select a second reader outside the student’s major department
  • Select an Honors Representative from the GEOG department. Current Honors reps include Dr. William Travis (William.travis@colorado.edu) or Dr. Taneesha Mohan (Taneesha.mohan@colorado.edu)
  • Thesis committee members must be faculty members or instructors on a multi-year contract; graduate students are not eligible to be thesis committee members
  • Your committee should be established and your project idea formulated BEFORE you apply online to the Honors Program.

As part of the application, you will need to submit:

  • a short proposal of the honors research, including your research timeline and bibliography, and
  • online registration form to the Arts and College Honors Program by the relevant deadlines (https://www.colorado.edu/honors/graduation)

While working on your honors project, you may be eligible to receive senior thesis credits through GEOG 4990 in both the semester prior to the defense, as well as the semester of your defense. To register, fill out the Honors and Senior Thesis Credits Registration Form with your sponsoring faculty member. Once the form is filled out, send the form to Gabby Sales (gabriela.sales@colorado.edu) to be put into DocuSign.

Finally, for a detailed timeline of the Honors thesis project, see Geography's Honors Information Document and the University's College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program

Undergraduate Alumni Theses

NameDefendedThesis TitleHonors LevelAdvisorLink to CU Scholar
Belen RoofSpring 2025Does Winter Outdoor Recreational Traffic Impact Concentrations of Microplastics in Colorado’s Snowpacks?summa cum laudeNoah Molotch 
Wesley ThomsonSpring 2025Abolition Geographies and the Making of Liberatory Geographies in Aurora, Coloradosumma cum laudeIsaac Riverahttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/73666660m
Elizabeth BannisterSpring 2023How the Differential Vulnerability of the Elderly Hinders Wider Community Capacity for Resilient Adaptation on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.cum laudeJennifer Flurihttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/pv63g182j
Jordan LeeSpring 2023Eating Ourselves Into Being: Navigating Identity Through Queer Foodwayssumma cum laudeAbby Hickcoxhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/kw52j962s
Anila NarayanaSpring 2023Food for Thought: Investigating Wellbeing, Belonging, and Barriers to Community Gardening During the COVID-19 Pandemicsumma cum laudeAzita Ranjbarhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/sb397964n
Megan PyzolaSpring 2023ZIP codes and beyond: Inequality in college preparation in Colorado Springs high schoolssumma cum laudeAbby Hickcoxhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/0z708z07r
Paloma SiegelSpring 2023Drivers of Stable Water Isotope Anomalies in a Temperate Alaskan Ice Core on the Juneau Icefieldsumma cum laudeHolly Barnardhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/s1784n13c
Zoe BoiarskySpring 2022Flooding Memorials in the Northern Front Range of Colorado: Hazard Memorialization and the Human – Environment Relationshipsumma cum laudeAbby Hickcoxhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/f7623f06p
Zac ClementSpring 2022Imagining ‘Home’: Undergraduate Housing Insecurity in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemicsumma cum laudeAzita Ranjbarhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/bg257g39h
Reese GregorySpring 2022Examining Spatial Differences in Soil Solute Chemistry in a Semi-arid Montane Catchment, Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado.summa cum laudeHolly Barnardhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/b8515p775
Mykael PinedaSpring 2022Regeneration of Ponderosa Pine Within the Southern Rocky Mountainssumma cum laudeHolly Barnardhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/6969z218c
Siobhan CiafoneSpring 2021Effects of Wind Flow and Topography on Snow Distribution and Liquid Water Content in Mountain Snowpacksumma cum laudeNoah Molotchhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/6969z202g
Esme FahnestockSpring 2021(Mis)Remembering the American West: Public Memory and the Erasure of Indigenous History in Telluride, COmagna cum laudeHeide Brucknerhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/5d86p1319
Ryan CabanaSpring 2020Protests in Independent Kazakhstan 1991-2019magna cum laudeJohn O'Loughlinhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/4j03d043h
Andrea ClementSpring 2020Assessing Gendered Climate Related Vulnerabilities in Community Based Conservation Areas of Southern Sub-Saharan Africasumma cum laudeSarah Kellyhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/kd17ct91s
Madison MatthiasSpring 2020Evaluating the Capacity of Green Infrastructure Projects to Facilitate Empathy with Nature in Their Usersmagna cum laudeBill Travishttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/wh246t01z
Micheli OliverFall 2019Reclaiming Fire: Fire Management as a Form of Autonomy and Self-Determination for the Karuk Tribe of Californiacum laudeJoe Bryanhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/sq87bv440
Hattie HouserSpring 2019Resisting Feminicide in Mexico through Policy, Performance, and Researchsumma cum laudeJoe Bryanhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/v979v360t
Tai KoesterSpring 2019The Cartographic Destruction of Bears Ears: Dispossession, Creating “Public” Land, and Fighting for Indigenous Conceptions of Spacesumma cum laudeJoe Bryanhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/5t34sk05j
Dylan LankaSpring 2019Solifluction Lobes on Niwot Ridge: Using Drones, Time-lapse Cameras, and Weather Data to Study Periglacial Featuressumma cum laudeSuzanne Andersonhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/rr171x780
Rylee McConeSpring 2019Representations of Africa through Photographysumma cum laudeMara Goldmanhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/tm70mv70r
Dylan MurphySpring 2019Using Random Forest Machine Learning Methods to Identify Spatiotemporal Patterns of Cheatgrass Invasion through Landsat Land Cover Classification in the Great Basin from 1984 - 2011summa cum laudeJennifer Balchhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/0k225b56f
John SchererSpring 2019Comparison of the Practical Applications and Limitations of InSAR and Structure From Motion Depictions of Surface Elevation Flux for Academic Purposescum laudeBill Travishttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/dz010q633
Kai KresekSpring 2018Are perceived neighborhoods palimpsests? Analyzing self-defined neighborhoods in the context of historical redliningsumma cum laudeColleen Reidhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/qb98mf962
Brooke LongSpring 2017Rather Dead Than Gay: Complicating Rights-Based Activism as a Final Step for LGBTT+ Braziliansmagna cum laudeMara Goldmanhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/5x21tf961
Gabi MurriloSpring 2017The Hispanic Health Paradox: Does the Barrio Advantage Exist Outside of Urban Enclaves?summa cum laudeFernando Riosmena 
Emily EleyFall 2016Neoliberalism and the Death of the Pedagogical Institutionmagna cum laudeNajeeb Jan 
Danielle BeatySpring 2016A Comparison Between Mass Balance of the Taku and Lemon Creek Glaciers Derived from Glaciological Methods and GRACEmagna cum laudeMark Serrezehttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/xs55mc74w
Mollie BucklandSpring 2016What Is a Megafire? Defining the Social and Physical Dimensions of Extreme U.s. Wildfires (1988-2014)summa cum laudeJennifer Balchhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/5999n364d
Natalie GillardSpring 2016Changing Flood Intensities in California: Examination of Changing Annual Peak Flow Magnitudes in the Northern Coastal Region, Sierra Nevada Mountain Region, and the Southern Coastal Region, CA.magna cum laudePitlick Johnhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/9w032348n
Katharine V GregorySpring 2016Iceland's Environmental Saga: Motivations for Sustainable Action and Beliefsumma cum laudeAbby Hickcoxhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/pk02cb19t
Katelynne KnightSpring 2016Current conditions and future flood policy recommendations for the st. vrain watershed through a historical Hydrologic analysis of the Town of lyons, coloradocum laudePaul Landerhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/c821gk316
Caitlin McShaneSpring 2016The Spatial Characteristics of Extreme Precipitation in the Arcticcum laudeMark Serrezehttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/6w924c45h
Jesse NestlerSpring 2016Take a Walk on the Wild Side: GIS Modeling of Environmental Controls on Trail Degradation in the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen, Coloradosumma cum laudeStefan Leykhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/z029p530m
Will RempelSpring 2016A Review of Historic and Modern Oil and Natural Gas Well Drilling and Abandonment in Greeley, Colorado, and the Potential Applications of a Historic Geographic Information Systemmagna cum laudeBill Travishttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/0g354f72k
Charles A SolbergSpring 2016Visual Media’s Influence on Land Policymagna cum laudeBill Travishttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/0p0967445
John TarriconeSpring 2016Optimizing Hydrologic Model Selection for Low-Flowsmagna cum laudeJohn Pitlickhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/v979v364x
Kyle G WebberSpring 2016Deciphering the Effects of Decentralization on Water Rights: State to Urban Inconsistencies in Boliviamagna cum laudeBryan Bryanhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/mw22v591p
Jennifer BloomFall 2015Geothermal Reconnaissance: Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in the Investigation of Thermal Anomalies Near Trinidad, Coloradomagna cum laudeWaleed Abdalatihttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/rx913q56d
Jeremy ArkinSpring 2015An Analysis of Tree Regeneration following the Hayman Fire in the Upper-Montane Zone of the Colorado Front Rangecum laudeTom Veblenhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/ht24wj90w
Keli BakerSpring 2015The Truth About Organic: Sustainability, Practice, and Perceptioncum laudeAbby Hickcoxhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/jm214p74r
Jessica BarnesSpring 2015Phenological and altitudinal changes in plants responding to drying Neotropical Cloud Forestssumma cum laudeHolly Barnardhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/tb09j621h
Noah BrauerSpring 2015Microscale Temperature Fluctuations In The Boulder Valleycum laudeJohn Cassanohttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/r494vk680
Laura ConwaySpring 2015Gentrification In The Neoliberal World Order: A Study of Urban Change in the River North District of Denver, Coloradocum laudeNajeeb Janhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/3n203z80v
Catarina MassaSpring 2015Wild Women: The Positive Transformation of Women and Girls Through Female-Only Adventure Educationsumma cum laudeMara Goldmanhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/vx021f55f
Anthony MelusoSpring 2015Reinvention: A Spatial History of Westwoodsumma cum laudeBill Travishttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/gb19f638x
David ScarrSpring 2015Exploring Climate Change Driven Shifts to Water Rights and Policy Along the Colorado Rivermagna cum laudePaul Landerhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/8w32r632z
Nathan Zick-SmithSpring 2015Food Support Networks and their Relationship to Food Insecurity in Colorado Countiesmagna cum laudeElisabeth Roothttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/1r66j1548
Bryan HankinsonFall 2014American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) abundance in spruce beetle-infested forests of Coloradomagna cum laudeTom Veblenhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/t722h9342
Madison MusgraveFall 2014An Inquiry into Disparities in Teenage Birth Rates Between Douglas County and Pueblo County, Coloradocum laudeElisabeth Roothttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/02870w33v
Kelly AndersonSpring 2014The Use of Dendroecological Techniques to Build a Master Chronology and Determine Fire Effects in a Mixed-Severity Fire Regime Forest of Northern Montanasumma cum laudeTom Veblenhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/mw22v590d
Benjamin BellmanSpring 2014Segregation and Urban Form: Towards an Understanding of Dynamics Between Race, Population Movement, and the Built Environment of American Citiessumma cum laudeSeth Spielmanhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/4t64gn63k
Fabian PtokSpring 2014Alternative Irrigation Methods: Structured Water in the context of a Growing Global Food Crisis due to Water Shortagescum laudePaul Landerhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/tm70mv63b
Lindsay WieboldSpring 2014Physically and Financially Trapped: Migration Desires and the Geopolitics of Cuba's "Lineamientos"summa cum laudeAbby Hickcoxhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/8p58pd384
Robert SemborskiFall 2013Dust Deposits from Anthropogenic Sources on the Snowpack of the Glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca, Perusumma cum laudeMark Williamshttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/8910jv084
Nicholas StoryFall 2013U.S. Coastal Retreat: Historical Analysis, Policy Options and Political Willingnessmagna cum laudeBill Travishttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/8k71nh540
Michal FagreliusSpring 2013Ground Penetrating Radar Validation of Seasonal Snow Depth Variations in Forested and Non-Forested Transectscum laudeNoah Molotchhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/3t945r204
Alexander LoomisSpring 2013Montane pine species differ in water use efficiency under drought conditions across a small, headwater catchmentmagna cum laudeHolly Barnardhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/5q47rp237
Sarah McKinnellFall 2012Dimensions of Disaster During Hurricane Katrina: Landscape, Levees, and the Least Fortunatemagna cum laudeBill Travishttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/0z708x068
Tracy PihlFall 2012Medical Geography of the Pima Indian Reservation Diabetes Epidemic: The Role of the Gila Rivercum laudeElisabeth Roothttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/7p88cg95w
Jessica DehartSpring 2012Modeling Fate and Transport of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Organic Additivessumma cum laudeMark Williams 
Mark RoseSpring 2012A Geographic Analysis of Armed Conflict Events in Sudan 1980-1990magna cum laudeJohn O'Loughlinhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/t722h926c
Jared BlochSpring 2011Subalpine Forest Regeneration following Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak in Routt and White River National Forests, Coloradosumma cum laudeThomas Veblenhttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/ws859g08n
Thomas BrennanSpring 2011The Spatial Ecology of Lynx canadensiscum laudeBill Travishttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/ms35t9049
Erik (Shane) GrigsbySpring 2011Derivation of Solar Insolation Estimates from LiDARmagna cum laudeWaleed Abdalatihttps://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/v118rd80b
Adam MasonFall 2010Snowmelt Timing in the Colorado Front Rangecum laudeMark Williams 
Atalie PestalozziFall 2010A Political Ecology Approach to Kenya's Mau Forestsumma cum laudeMara Goldman 
Alexander DurantSpring 2010Economic Effects of the Mountain Pine Beetle in Colorado Resort Communitiescum laudeBill Travis 
Michael MazzoneSpring 2010The Cost and Value of Water: How Simple Cost-Recovery is Unable to Address the Issue of Scarcity and Externalities Associated with Water Resourcescum laudeDouglas S Kenney 
Jeffrey MoskowitzSpring 2010Visualizing History Through Geographic Information Systems (GIS): The Battle of Britain August 16, 1940cum laudeKen Foote 
Nathan RockSpring 2010Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Variability of Snowpack in an Upper Montane Forest Catchment in the Front Range of Coloradocum laudeSuzanne Anderson 
Aaron Zettler-MannSpring 2010The Effects of Wave Energy Converters on a Monochromatic Wave Climatemagna cum laudeBaylor Fox-Kemper 
Matthew PrimomoFall 2009A Historical Analysis of the Stanley Avalanche Area with Implications for Predicting Road-Hit Avalanches, Berthoud Pass, Coloradosumma cum laudeMark Williams 
Ezequiel ChalbaudSpring 2009The Melting Alpine Snowpack and Water Managementcum laudeMark Williams 
Kelsi CoiaSpring 2009Border Tourism: An Embodied Solution to Israel's International Conflictscum laudeTim Oakes 
Margaret (Cody) LollisSpring 2009Soil Conservation: Achieving Efficient Policy for a variable Resourcemagna cum laudeSusan Beatty 
Justin MarlerSpring 2009An Assessment of Spatial Pattern Analysis Techniques: Stand Structure of an Old-Growth Temperate Rainforest in Southern Chilesumma cum laudeTom Veblen 
Joel ParkerSpring 2009Modeling Surface Energy Balances and Melt Energy Partitioning of a Sub-Alpine Snowpack within a Tree Stand Affected by Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), Niwot Ridge, Coloradomagna cum laudeMark Williams 
Connor SheehanSpring 2009An Analysis of Remittances to Mexicosumma cum laudeFernando Riosmena 
Jennifer PerryFall 2008Understanding Maasi-ion Conflict in Nothern Tanzania: Implications for Community Based Conservationsumma cum laudeMara Goldman 
Daniel JarvisSpring 2008Dendrochronological Detection of Historic Spruce Bark Beetle Outbreaks in Rocky Mountain National Park, Coloradocum laudeTom Veblen 
Evan ApelSpring 2007Radical Movements in Pakistan Since Autumn of 2001magna cum laudeJohn O'Loughlin 
Andrew (Jimmy) VoneshSpring 2007Incorporating Human Perceptions into Climate Policy: Environmnetal Justice in the Arcticmagna cum laudeEmily Yeh 
Kovi BessoffSpring 2006 summa cum laude  
Amanda ChesnuttSpring 2006 magna cum laude  
Audrius (Otis) CritchleySpring 2006The Changing Geography of Wall Streetsumma cum laudeGary Gaile 
Kristina FournierSpring 2006 summa cum laude  
Jaclyn GormanSpring 2006Unknown (Subjects: New Zealand Mudsnail (NZMS), fluvial processes, invasive species, Boulder Creek)magna cum laudeSuzanne Anderson 
C. Beckett HartFall 2005 magna cum laude  
Anna MilanFall 2005 magna cum laude  
Evan BurgessSpring 2005Developing a GIS Based Technique to Estimate the Mass Balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaskasumma cum laudeKenneth Foote and Nel Caine 
Inbar KishoniSpring 2005 magna cum laude  
Danny KunchesSpring 2005 cum laude  
Anna ProctorSpring 2005 summa cum laude  
Brian TannenbaumSpring 2005Nature's Forbidden Fruit: Natural Resources and the Occurrence, Duration, and Dynamics of Civil Warsumma cum laudeUnknown 
Casey BatesFall 2004 magna cum laude  
Chelsea JarvisSpring 2004 cum laude  
Pavla VaneckovaSpring 2004Male Suicide Rates in Northeast Texas, 1990-2001summa cum laudeKenneth Foote 
Matthew KuhnSpring 2003 cum laude  
Chelsea PrimakSpring 2002Cuban Women of the Night; Cuban Tourism and It Effects on Jineterismacum laudeRachel Silvey 
Melissa CrandellSpring 2001 cum laudeLynn Staeheli 
Meghann OrmondSpring 2001"We Look for Places" the Creation & Practice of "Public" Spaces by Young, Educated, Middle Class, Urban Moroccanssumma cum laudeJohn O'Loughlin 
Cynthia WolkenFall 2000 magna cum laude  
Staci McCombSpring 2000Social and Environmental Implications of the Three Gorges Project with Case Studies of Reservoir Relocation Unknown 
Wendy MokesSpring 2000 summa cum laude