The International Affairs Program is pleased to announce that 9 IAFS students have successfully completed the IAFS Honors Program! These 9 undergraduate students will be graduating this spring with Latin Honors thanks to their hardwork this year.
The IAFS Honors Program offers IAFS majors the opportunity to graduate with departamental Latin Honors with three grades: cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude. See our IAFS honors standards for specific information. To complete the Honors Program, these students underwent a year-long process in writing and defending a thesis, which is a large paper composed of a compilation of research on a specific subject/topic. Through their research and with the support of their advisors, each of the students successfully wrote and defended an undergraduate thesis on an International Affairs-related topic.
In Spring of 2023, the students applied to the honors program by creating a thesis proposal and upon being admitted, this is where their process began. In Fall of 2023 IAFS 4800 began, which is a class that teaches how to write a thesis. Taught by Professor Robert Wyrod, the class provided a basis for the research process and guidance on how to effectively develop their theses. The students began finding their advisors, who are faculty members who assist honors students in their writing, and honing in their topics. As almost every honors student can attest, their topic significantly changed from their first research proposal. Not only did the class provide guidance for the thesis process, but everyone received moral support from their peers, the only other people who knew what each other was going through.
In Spring of 2024, the honors students were no longer in a guided class, rather they were now writing their theses on their own under the guidance of their advisors. They refined their research and began the necessary edits for a polished paper, ready to be defended. Finally, as the end of the semester neared, their thesis defenses began. A thesis defense is an oral exam in which students present their topic and findings to their Honors Committee composing of their primary advisor, outside reader, and honors committee member, this year being Robert Wyrod. After their presentation, the Honors Committee asks students questions about their topic and a thoughtful conversation is held about the limitations, implications, and overall arguments presented in their theses. After the defense is held, students make final edits that are suggested by their Honors Committee, and they submit their final drafts.
Since submitting their final drafts, our 9 IAFS honors students have received their Latin Honor designation. Our students, their designation, and their theses are:
- Eleanor Fuchs- summa cum laude
- "The Plight of Womanhood: Understanding the Undocumented Female Migrant Experience from Latin America to the United States"
- Nickolas Harguth- summa cum laude
- "Shadows of the Past: Exploring the Resurgence and Evolution of Far-Right Politics in Germany: A Comparative Visual Analysis of the Elect"
- Kennedi Harris- summa cum laude
- "The Impacts of Neoliberalism on Mapuche Identity through the Theoretical Lends of Place"
- Mikayla Jassem- summa cum laude
- "Sport Diplomacy: A Case Study on International Fencing and the War in Ukraine"
- Ella Marshall- summa cum laude
- "Who Votes for Vox? The Rise of the Spanish Radical Right"
- Luis Molina-Barraza- summa cum laude
- "From Petty Corruption to Petrodollars: Examining the Middle East's Development Dilemma"
- Henry Stoner- cum laude
- "NGOs in Transition: Exploring Organizational Changes and Online Work Strategies Post COVID-19"
- Hayley Thomas- summa cum laude
- "Recognizing the Ukrainian Famine: Politicization of the Term "Genocide" in the Case of Holodomor"
- Sarah Wittemyer- summa cum laude
- "An Exclusive Entry: Analysis of the Spanish Asylum System"
Congrats honors students! We can't wait to see what the future holds for you all.