Honors Thesis and Sustainability
The Honors thesis is an opportunity for students to work on an independent research project or creative endeavor that caps their undergraduate academic experience. Working with a faculty advisor and a thesis committee, students design and carry out a project that is meaningful to them and their career trajectory. The thesis process also entails creating a reading list made up of twelve to fifteen “texts” (including books, articles, music, visual art, media, experiences, etc.) that have played a significant role in the student’s intellectual, academic, and personal development throughout their undergraduate career. The culminating experience is the thesis defense which is divided into two parts: 1) students present their thesis and answer questions from their committee about their research, and 2) a discussion of the reading list.
The University of Maine has been a longtime proponent of sustainable action and has supported many research and community projects related to various facets of sustainability. Students from diverse majors have chosen to create projects related to sustainability. For examples, see below. More information about the Honors thesis process can be found on the Honors College site.
Examples of Honors Theses Related to Sustainability
“Sustainability’s Inconvenient Discourse ” by Christine Gilbert (umaine.edu)