Each year, Austin College faculty members invite superior students within their department to complete an Austin College senior honors thesis or project.
The Austin College Departmental Honors Program is designed to challenge and stimulate the creative ability of superior students through an emphasis on independent investigation. A student performing at exceptional levels within a department of major and at a level of distinction in other courses may be invited to participate in the program. Each department then works with nominated students in designing an appropriate independent study project.
Students who choose to participate in the program do so during their final year as undergraduates and must defend their work at the end of the academic year in an oral examination. The oral examination is administered by a professor in the department and by at least two other faculty members, one of whom must be from another department. Successful completion of the Departmental Honors Program is indicated on the student’s diploma as “Honors in” that field.
Students who have completed honors theses in 2016 are listed below along with the department for which they have completed honors, and their thesis title. Post-graduate plans, if available, are listed.
Joel H. Barrett Jr.—Biology, “Mediated Gene Expression to Control Viability Following Cisplatin Treatment.” Joel will enter the M.D. program at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas, in August. He completed a major in biology with a concentration in cell and molecular biology and a minor in psychology. He is the son of Candace and Joel Barrett Sr. of Dallas, Texas. |
Kaitlyn Casmedes—History, “Culture, Identity, and Dramatic Arts During the Texas Centennial of 1936.” Kaitlyn will pursue a master’s degree in history at American University in Washington, D.C. She completed majors in history and theatre. She is the daughter of Christopher and Monica Casmedes of Sherman, Texas. |
Kyle Davis—Psychology, “Relationship Satisfaction as a Predictor of Life Satisfaction among Married and Unmarried Individuals.” Upon graduation, Kyle will prepare for graduate school. He completed majors in political science and psychology and is the son of Traci and Cliff Davis of Argyle, Texas. |
Carlynn Fagnant—Mathematics, “Pricing Exotic Options.” Carly will attend Rice University this fall to pursue a Ph.D. in statistics. She completed majors in economics and mathematics and is the daughter of Mike and Sue Fagnant of The Woodlands, Texas. |
Erik Gentzel—Chemistry, “The Search for Palindromic Proteins: Identifying Complex Amino Acid Sequences within Known Proteomes.” Erik will attend the Yale Graduate School of Arts & Sciences to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry. He completed a major in biochemistry and a minor in mathematics. He is the son of Charles and Wanny Gentzel of McKinney, Texas. |
Katie Gowdy—Psychology, “Jurors’ Perceptions of the Mentally Ill.” She plans to attend graduate school in forensic psychology. She completed a major in psychology and a minor in communication. She is the daughter of Kathleen Gowdy of Kingwood, Texas. |
Austin Holloway—Mathematics, “Generalizing Classical Knot Theory to the Theoretical Frameworks of Virtual Knots and Psuedoknots.” He will pursue graduate study in mathematics. He completed a major in mathematics and a minor in music. He is the son of Terry and Cappy Holloway of Borger, Texas. |
Johanna Hunter—Latin American & Iberian Studies Program, “Guadalupe: Aztec Goddess to the Chicano Protector—Her Significance among Mexican-Americans.” She plans to improve her Spanish fluency while applying for Spanish graduate programs. She completed majors in Latin American & Iberian Studies and Spanish, with a minor in theatre. She is the daughter of Pamela Hunter of Whitewright, Texas. |
Tabatha Keton—Sociology, “Cultural Revitalization of the Choctaw of Oklahoma and the Siraya of Taiwan.” Tabatha will join the grant writing staff of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma upon graduation. She plans eventually to travel to Taiwan to teach English and help the Siraya in their struggle for national recognition. She completed majors in biology and interdisciplinary: anthropology. She is the daughter of Bert and Tina Keton of Baytown, Texas. |
Sara Krusekopf—Mathematics, “Non-Euclidean Geometries in the Secondary School Classroom.” Sara will pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching with the Austin Teacher Program. She completed a major in mathematics and a minor in Spanish. She is the daughter of Deborah and Kurt Krusekopf of College Station, Texas. |
Kayla Linthicum—Psychology, “Developing a Measure to Assess Vicarious Resilience.” Kayla plans to attend University of Denver’s Counseling Psychology program. She completed a major in psychology and a minor in exercise & sport science. She is the daughter of Steve and Melissa Linthicum of Lake in the Hills, Illinois. |
Holly Sample—Psychology, “The Effects of and Attitudes toward Adolescent Sexual Health Education: A Closer Look at Gender and Sexual Minorities.” She will prepare for graduate school in counseling. She completed majors in psychology and gender studies and is the daughter of Joel and Darlene Sample of Kerrville, Texas. |
Charlotte Smart—English, “Comus and Coronation.” Charlotte plans to attend University of Chicago’s Master of Arts program in the Humanities. She completed a major in English and a minor in Western intellectual tradition. She is the daughter of Patty and James Smart of Santa Fe, New Mexico. |
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.