Thesis Archives Search
This search engine will let you explore the over 1800 theses written in Honors at The University of Maine since the Program’s inception in 1935. You may search our thesis archives based on any of the fields listed above. If the thesis is available at the Reynolds Library (Thomson Honors Center) or Fogler Library (Special Collections), the information will appear below the bibliographic data. At last count, we had about 1800 theses in the Reynolds Library.
If you have information to add, or if we don’t have your thesis listed in our database, please let us know through our Alumna/us Connection Form.
Search Results
A HISTORY OF THE USE OF SWEDISH LANGUAGE IN NEW SWEDEN, MAINE
A History of Woolwich, Maine from Discovery to 1860
A Journal Accompanying an Honors Thesis; The Thesis Being a Series of Original Paintings
A Lateral Field Excited Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Wave Sensor
Author:
Michael
R
FitzGerald
Major: Mathematics & Physics Graduation Year: 2013 Thesis Advisor: John Vetelino
Description of Publication:
Medical and environmental needs have served as a catalyst for the development of sensors that can probe the molecular level and below. This study addresses the practical- ity of highly sensitive aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film bulk acoustic wave resonators (FBARs) as sensors from theoretical and experimental points of view. Theoretically, COMSOL Multiphysics simulations predict that lateral field excitation of AlN produces an electric field perpendicular to the c-axis, with the electrical energy density being con- centrated in the active area of the sensor. An analysis of the piezoelectrically stiffened Christoffel equation shows that the shear mode can be excited by an applied electric field in the x − y plane. Several thin films were deposited on various substrates such as borosilicate glass, silicon, sapphire, and fused silica using RF reactive magnetron sputtering and e-beam evaporation. To characterize film structure and composition, x- ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used. An Agilent network analyzer was used to assess the performance of the sensor in air and water.In the most successful case, c-axis AlN films with a FWHM of 1.5 degrees were fabricated with quality factors between 33-36 in air and water. The magnitude of the admittance did not change appreciably when the film was exposed to water, indicating a shear mode was excited. Overall, a building block to a realizable AlN sensor was established.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/631
Major: Mathematics & Physics Graduation Year: 2013 Thesis Advisor: John Vetelino
Description of Publication:
Medical and environmental needs have served as a catalyst for the development of sensors that can probe the molecular level and below. This study addresses the practical- ity of highly sensitive aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film bulk acoustic wave resonators (FBARs) as sensors from theoretical and experimental points of view. Theoretically, COMSOL Multiphysics simulations predict that lateral field excitation of AlN produces an electric field perpendicular to the c-axis, with the electrical energy density being con- centrated in the active area of the sensor. An analysis of the piezoelectrically stiffened Christoffel equation shows that the shear mode can be excited by an applied electric field in the x − y plane. Several thin films were deposited on various substrates such as borosilicate glass, silicon, sapphire, and fused silica using RF reactive magnetron sputtering and e-beam evaporation. To characterize film structure and composition, x- ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used. An Agilent network analyzer was used to assess the performance of the sensor in air and water.In the most successful case, c-axis AlN films with a FWHM of 1.5 degrees were fabricated with quality factors between 33-36 in air and water. The magnitude of the admittance did not change appreciably when the film was exposed to water, indicating a shear mode was excited. Overall, a building block to a realizable AlN sensor was established.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/631
A Layman’s Guide to Malignancies: Cancer and Cancer Research in Everyday Terms
Author:
Bailee
Bartash
Major: Electrical Engineering Graduation Year: 2019 Thesis Advisor: Duane Hanselman
Description of Publication:
In the 200,000 years that humans have existed in our current homo sapien sapien form, we built our civilizations based in part on our desire to understand the world around us. The difficult part about this is the fact that our world has grown so vast and so quickly (think Moore’s Law, the observation that the speed and capability of computers is projected to double each year with an increasing number of transistors that can fit into a microchip), especially within the past century, that many people have been left behind due to their capability to understand. This gap in understanding is extremely problematic when it comes to issues of importance, such as politics and business. For example, a significant portion of the population does not understand the electoral college and its role in ensuring that the few do not decide for the many in our Presidential elections. On a more personal note, healthcare is unnecessarily complex, from advancements in treatment, the structure of insurance, how care itself is delivered, and how “health” is perceived. While one guide cannot cover all of the intricacies of the medical field, this thesis discusses a complex disease that affects millions of patients and their families each year. Cancer biology, treatment, and research will be explained using science, history, and mathematics in layman’s terms.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/491/
Major: Electrical Engineering Graduation Year: 2019 Thesis Advisor: Duane Hanselman
Description of Publication:
In the 200,000 years that humans have existed in our current homo sapien sapien form, we built our civilizations based in part on our desire to understand the world around us. The difficult part about this is the fact that our world has grown so vast and so quickly (think Moore’s Law, the observation that the speed and capability of computers is projected to double each year with an increasing number of transistors that can fit into a microchip), especially within the past century, that many people have been left behind due to their capability to understand. This gap in understanding is extremely problematic when it comes to issues of importance, such as politics and business. For example, a significant portion of the population does not understand the electoral college and its role in ensuring that the few do not decide for the many in our Presidential elections. On a more personal note, healthcare is unnecessarily complex, from advancements in treatment, the structure of insurance, how care itself is delivered, and how “health” is perceived. While one guide cannot cover all of the intricacies of the medical field, this thesis discusses a complex disease that affects millions of patients and their families each year. Cancer biology, treatment, and research will be explained using science, history, and mathematics in layman’s terms.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/491/
A Legislative Study of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
A Lifetime of Occupational Therapy
A Literature Review on Why Zooxanthellae Are Expelled From Corals During Bleaching Episodes
A Look at Looping
A LOOK INTO MILLSTONE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT: ATTITUDES ON SUSTAINABILITY AND PREVALENCE OF EPIZOOTIC SHELL DISEASE
Author:
Emily
Craig
Major: Marine Sciences Graduation Year: 2018 Thesis Advisor: Paul D. Rawson
Description of Publication:
Epizootic Shell Disease in Homarus americanus: American lobster populations along the northeastern U.S. coast have been experiencing increased prevalence of Epizootic Shell Disease (ESD) over the past two decades. Several reports have correlated this increase with warmer water temperatures. My thesis examined the distribution of diseased lobsters surrounding Millstone Nuclear Power Station (MPS) in Long Island Sound. Lobsters in this area have seen a rise in Epizootic Shell Disease (ESD) that parallels the broader trends. To determine if the thermal plume from MPS had a local effect on ESD prevalence, the spatial distribution of diseased lobsters was analyzed at three stations Twotree, Jordan Cove, and Intake, using data from 1984-2016. No statistically significant relationship was found between average bottom water temperature and shell disease prevalence per station. Twotree, the most offshore station with the coolest bottom water temperatures had the highest prevalence of shell disease. In contrast, prevalence at this station was due to a higher frequency of diseased females in the population. It has been hypothesized that lobsters with ESD have compromised immune systems. The immune system of lobsters relies primarily on the phagocytic activity of hemocytes within their hemolymph. I examined hemocyte abundance in 18 lobsters sampled in 2017 and found that lobsters with intermediate stages of shell disease had the highest hemocyte counts. The Nuclear Industry’s Concepts on Sustainability: How do we understand the role of nuclear power generation in a sustainable future? Is this low-greenhouse gas producing energy source part of that future? In my second study, I addressed these questions by conducting qualitative, semi-structured interviews with employees of MPS, a nuclear power plant owned by Dominion Energy. The purpose of this study was to understand the attitudes of people working within a nuclear power plant towards sustainability and nuclear power. The results indicated that employees have a more economic view of sustainability and that nuclear energy is viewed as transitional fuel source. These responses were congruent with concepts found in the literature and should be taken into account from when creating policies regarding renewable energy.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/326
Major: Marine Sciences Graduation Year: 2018 Thesis Advisor: Paul D. Rawson
Description of Publication:
Epizootic Shell Disease in Homarus americanus: American lobster populations along the northeastern U.S. coast have been experiencing increased prevalence of Epizootic Shell Disease (ESD) over the past two decades. Several reports have correlated this increase with warmer water temperatures. My thesis examined the distribution of diseased lobsters surrounding Millstone Nuclear Power Station (MPS) in Long Island Sound. Lobsters in this area have seen a rise in Epizootic Shell Disease (ESD) that parallels the broader trends. To determine if the thermal plume from MPS had a local effect on ESD prevalence, the spatial distribution of diseased lobsters was analyzed at three stations Twotree, Jordan Cove, and Intake, using data from 1984-2016. No statistically significant relationship was found between average bottom water temperature and shell disease prevalence per station. Twotree, the most offshore station with the coolest bottom water temperatures had the highest prevalence of shell disease. In contrast, prevalence at this station was due to a higher frequency of diseased females in the population. It has been hypothesized that lobsters with ESD have compromised immune systems. The immune system of lobsters relies primarily on the phagocytic activity of hemocytes within their hemolymph. I examined hemocyte abundance in 18 lobsters sampled in 2017 and found that lobsters with intermediate stages of shell disease had the highest hemocyte counts. The Nuclear Industry’s Concepts on Sustainability: How do we understand the role of nuclear power generation in a sustainable future? Is this low-greenhouse gas producing energy source part of that future? In my second study, I addressed these questions by conducting qualitative, semi-structured interviews with employees of MPS, a nuclear power plant owned by Dominion Energy. The purpose of this study was to understand the attitudes of people working within a nuclear power plant towards sustainability and nuclear power. The results indicated that employees have a more economic view of sustainability and that nuclear energy is viewed as transitional fuel source. These responses were congruent with concepts found in the literature and should be taken into account from when creating policies regarding renewable energy.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/326