Recent Honor Students in Emory Sociology

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Emory Sociology Honors Students from 2023 


Listed below are those few students who completed our rigorous honors program in Emory Sociology. To gain admittance into this program, these students had to compile an outstanding GPA in their first three years at Emory University. To fulfill this program, they had to work closely with their faculty advisor in bringing to completion a year-long project of original research -- the "honors thesis." Once the thesis was completed, they then had to defend it before a committee of a faculty members. The resulting decision from that defense could range from "pass with honors" or "pass with high honors" to "pass with highest honors." 

Click on each name below to see the title of the honors student's thesis, as well as the name of his or her faculty advisor.  

Sarah Cooper 2023

  • Thesis Title: How child sexual abuse relates to major depressive disorder in women pre- and post-partum: a systematic review.   
  • Advisor: Ellen Idler 

Cory Dorfman 2023

  • Thesis Title: I am not a prize to be won.    
  • Advisor: Devon Goss 

Elexis Fisher 2023

  • Thesis Title: Am I Black enough? An examination of the importance of racial identity and Black students' sense of belonging to their racial group.    
  • Advisor: Cassidy Puckett 

Katalia Alexander 2022

  • Thesis Title: Identity negotiation strategies among progressive Christians.
  • Advisor: Ellen Idler 

Hannah Chong 2022

  • Thesis Title: Gendered labor and entrepreneurship in the platform economy.  
  • Advisor: Cassidy Puckett 

Amanda Dranch 2022

  • Thesis Title: “Part of being a girl”: Analyzing TikTok narratives of reproductive health care.  
  • Advisor: Rachel Hall-Clifford 

Hailey Greenstone 2022

  • Thesis Title: Beyond the virus: How ethnoracial preterm birth disparities interact with Covid-19 indicators.  
  • Advisor: Ali Sewell 

Abigail Haugan 2022

  • Thesis Title: Oh, what can you do with that? Assessing the influence of undergraduate culture on major and career choice at Emory University.  
  • Advisor: Tracy Scott  

Tori Huggins 2022

  • Thesis Title: An examination of the current state of female athlete media coverage. 
  • Advisor: Sonal Nalkur 

Ryan Kenneally 2022

  • Thesis Title: What the heck are you going to do with that?  An insight into the affective consequences of college-to-career comparisons.  
  • Advisor: Tracy Scott 

Christopher Kusumonegoro 2022

  • Thesis Title: Double invisibility: A case study on identity formation and experiences of gay Asian-American Christian men.  
  • Advisor: Frank Lechner 

Elizabeth Pittenger 2022

  • Thesis Title: Policing as a social determinant of health: How death by law enforcement impacts community health in the time of Covid-19. 
  • Advisor: Ali Sewell 

Amanda Sitkowski 2022

  • Thesis Title: Trump’s gag rule on Title X:  An examination of fetal and infant mortality rates in women of color. 
  • Advisor:  Heeju Sohn 

Greer Spradling 2022

  • Thesis Title: What you know you should receive: Comparing staff and student justice perceptions within the medical school environment.  
  • Advisor: Tracy Scott

Elizabeth Beling 2021

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Coping with Crisis: COVID-19’s Impact on Metro-Atlanta Alternative Farmers
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Deric Shannon

Jenny Braverman 2021

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: A Means to an End or the End in Itself? Exploring the College-to-Career Culture of Undergraduate Students at Emory University
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Julia Lawrence 2021

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: College-to-Career Culture and Gender: Investigating Perceptions of BBA-Liberal Arts Double Majors at a Liberal Arts University
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Miranda Nutt 2021

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Parental Leave and Gender Equality: An Analysis of Paid Leave at Fortune 500 Companies
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Rachel Hall-Clifford 

Cherie Wang 2021

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: Based on Culture and Traditions, How Parental Pressure Affects the Academic Attitude of Asian Children in the United States: Analyzing the Gender Differences
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Timothy J. Dowd

Teresa Apel 2020

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: Latinx Education During the Trump Era
  • Honors Adviser Dr. Alyasah Sewell

Sara Feinstein 2020

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Socioeconomic Status and College Extracurricular Involvement
  • Honors Adviser Dr. Cassidy Puckett

Cici Fu 2020

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Religon and End-of-Life Treatment Preferences Among Mainland Chinese
  • Honors Adviser Dr. Ellen Idler

Onyie Eze 2020

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: A Tale of Two Campuses: A Study of Sense of Belonging at a Mult-campus University
  • Honors Adviser Dr. Irene Browne

Aneesha Maini 2020

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Does Love Trump Hate? An Analysis of Preterm Birth Rates in Virginia Across the 2016 Election and Unite the Rite Rally
  • Honors Adviser Dr. Tracy Scott

Gabriel Baskin 2019

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: There is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch: Stigma and Media Portrayals of the School Lunch Program
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Deric Shannon

Maya Bornstein 2019

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Gender and Climate Change: Unequal Burdens and Unequal Perceptions
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Irene Browne

Jose Cervantes 2019

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Peer and Elite Institutional Strategies on Success of Graduated "Doubly Disadvantaged" Alumni
  • Advisor: Dr. Cassidy Puckett

Jose Ruben Diaz Vasquez 2019

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: The Production of Ideology though Chicanx Poetry: Towards An Alternatrive Framework for the American Dream
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Alyasah Sewell

Peter Kim 2019

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Public and Physician Attitudes Towards the Expansion of Medicare
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Ellen Idler

Marissa Pham 2019

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Exploring Health Behaviors of Health and Non-Health Majors at Emory University
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Katherine Schntizer 2019

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: "Who let her out of the kitchen?" Gender and Discourse in the 2018 United States Midterm Elections
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Sharon Shen 2019

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: Teen Pregnancy in Sociology Contexts: The Relative Effect of Family Characteristics and Formal Sex Education
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Jeff Mullis

Amina Dunn 2018

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: An Investigation into Political Engagement on College Campuses
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Irene Browne

Aneel Maini 2018

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Relationships Get Sick Too: An Exploration of Nurse-Physician Relationships in Modern Medicine
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Xiyan Liu 2018

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Portrayals of Fatherhood and Motherhood in Best-selling Childcare Manuals
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Sonal Nalkur

Mansi Maini 2018

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Health and Economy: Impact of Great Recession on Physical and Mental Health Outcomes
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Corey Keyes

Andrea Abbate 2017

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Food Security vs Food Sovereignty: A Qualitative Analysis of Food Justice Narratives and Activist Identities Among Community Gardens in Atlanta
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Melissa Pirkey

Hagar Elsayed 2017

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: The News Media, Public Opinion, and Criminal Justice Legislation: The Rise and Fall of Mass Incarceration
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Timothy J.  Dowd

Sari Flomenbaum 2017

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: "More Badass than Cinderalla": Understanding the relationship between body esteem, media and race for undergraduate women at a United States University
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Irene Browne

Jocelyn Hong 2017

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: The Development and Evaluation of an Intersectional Sexual Violence College Curriculum
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Kathryn Yount

Glory James 2017

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Does the Audience Matter? A Critical Analysis of Black Female Bodies in Media
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Gabriella Meier 2017

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: Sociological Moments in the History of Netflix
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Jeff Mullis

Clara B. Perez 2017

  • high Honors
  • Thesis Title: Unequal Borders: Neoliberalism, Colorblindness and Perceptions of Climate Change in Atlanta, GA
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Derek Shannon

Elizabeth Day 2016

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Social Reproduction versus Social Mobility: The Influence of Parents' Education Levels on Undergraduates' Work Values and Career Aspirations
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Talia Gilbert 2016

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Discerning Justice: A Quantitative Analysis of Juvenille Offenders' Perceptions of Interactional and Procedural Justice in Resorative Conferencing
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Karen Hegtvedt

Elizabeth Schechter 2016

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Food for Thought: A Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of the National School Lunch Program
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Derek Shannon

Anh Bao Tran-Le 2016

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: The impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Quality, Access, and Equity of Care in America
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Jeff Mullis

Elena Todorova 2015

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Three Types, Three Cities, Three Dimensions: A Study of the Spread of Alternative Schooling in America
  • Honors Adviser: Dr Rick Rubinson

Kristin Tuggle 2015

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Forging Ahead: A Study of Socioeconomic Satus as It Relates to the College Transitions of Emory University Undergraduate Students
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy L. Scott

Zhe Wu 2015

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: The Unspoken Truth: How Different Are We? A Comparative Analysis on International Student Identity and Student Work Values.
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Alexander Hicks

Jeffeline Ermilus 2014

  • Honors
  • Thesis Title: Voter Suppression in a Post-Racial Society: Examining Allegations of Voter Disfranchisement
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Alexander Hicks

Skylar C. Kalin 2014

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: A New Take on an Age-Old Dilemma: A Study of Gender as it Applies to the Work Aspirations of Emory University Undergraduate Students
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Alexis P. Pritchett 2014

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: What's in a Name? Depression in College and Modern Labeling Theory
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Jeff Mullis

Faith L. Proper 2014

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Against the Current: The Role of Cultural Capital, Habitus, and Institutional Background for Community College Transfer Students and Oxford Continuees at Emory University
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Rick Rubinson

Lucy J. Rabinowitz 2014

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: The Economics of Emotion: How Social Capital Affects Mental Well-Being
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Ellen Idler

Jenni K. Seale 2014

  • Highest Honors
  • Thesis Title: Influential Experiences in the Undergraduate Premedical Track
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Seanette Ting 2014

  • High Honors
  • Thesis Title: Exploring the CSI Effect: A Qualitative Study of the Effects and Impact of Television Crime Shows in the Courtroom
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Katrina L. Worsham 2014

  • Honors
  • Thesis Title: Victimless Crimes: Shifting Views and Demographic Indicators
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Jeff Mullis

Maral G. Cavner 2013

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Shura: How The American New Media Reports on Islam and Its Impacts on Muslim Americans in the United States.
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Sam Cherribi

Lindsey M. Coyle 2013

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Environmental Justice Evaluations Among Black Students
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Karen Hegtvedt

Ariella T. Faitelson 2013

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Female Athletes in a Dual-World: How they Manage, Negotiate and Tread the Waters of Conflicting Notions of Body Types
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Susanna H. Kim 2012

  • High
  • Thesis Title: Religion amp Mental Health: An Exploratory Study on the Role of Korean Church on the Perceptions of Mental Health Among the Korean American Undergraduate Population
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Spencer D. Ramsey 2012

  • High
  • Thesis Title: Putting Out the Epidemic: Factors Affecting Ratification Speed of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. John Boli

Jordan M. Stein 2012

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: The Pieces of a Changing Social Puzzle: Socio-Demographic Influences on Attitude Toward Gay Marriage
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Jeff Mullis

Jana H. Taylor 2012

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Married by Association: Coping with the Stigma of a Loved One's Mental Illness
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Elizabeth S. Ahn 2011

  • High
  • Thesis Title: A Study of Risk Factors, Protective Factors, and Resilience among College Students
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Corey Keyes

Sungeun Bae 2011

  • High
  • Thesis Title: "No Roller Coasters in China:" Asian Women's Relationships with White Men
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Amanda Lewis

Kristen A. C. Clayton 2011

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Biracial Identity and the College Social Environment: A Comparison of Black-White Biracial Students at Predominantly White and Historically Black Institutions
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Irene Browne

Emily A. Gardner 2011

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Student Experiences in Abstinence-Only Sex Education: A Qualitative Exploration
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Rick Rubinson

Betsie K. Garner 2011

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: The Career Ladder and the Baby Cradle: College Seniors, Gender, and Work-Family Issues
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Roger E. Gregush 2011

  • High
  • Thesis Title: Anabolic Steroid Use and Violence among Athletes and across Gender
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Robert Agnew

Shivani Jain 2011

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Holiness and Hygiene in the Household: The Intersection of Religion and Gender in Influencing Water Sanitation Practices and Hygiene Beliefs in Urban Accra, Ghana
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Ellen Idler

Rebecca Leibowitz 2011

  • High
  • Thesis Title: Social Class Background, Health Lifestyle, and the College Experience
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Ariel H. Leitner-Zieff 2011

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Getting Ahead: The Effects of Parental Education, Income, and Occupation on Children's Skills at Kindergarten Entry
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Dennis Condron

Umika Pidaparthy 2011

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: LGBT Portrayal in College Newspapers: Content Analysis and Comparison of The George-Anne and The Emory Wheel Coverage of LGBT Issues (2002-2010)
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Timothy J. Dowd

Juliet D. Sheridan 2011

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Patient Satisfaction and the Brazilian Family Health Program: The Role of Education and Income
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott

Shruthi Subramanyam 2011

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Students' Environmental Behavior in Higher Education: What Do Administrator's Have To Do With It?
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Karen Hegtvedt

Sara R. Berney 2010

  • High
  • Thesis Title: HIV/AIDS Education Program Effectiveness: A Case Study in Rural Uganda
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Irene Browne

Max C. Blau 2010

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: "These Go To Eleven!" An Exploratory Analysis of the "Loudness War" within Audio Recordings
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Timothy J. Dowd

Danielle E. Skolnik 2010

  • Highest
  • Thesis Title: Manifestations of the Production of Culture Perspective in Online Social Networks for Musicians
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Timothy J. Dowd

Anitra K. Vrabel 2010

  • High
  • Thesis Title: The New Face of Presentation: Enacting Gender Roles on Facebook
  • Honors Adviser: Dr. Tracy Scott