International Relations
In its Honors Program the International Relations program awards one level of Honors to student research projects. The projects listed below have been defended successfully, and a copy of the thesis deposited in Swem Library.
Key:
- Student, "Thesis" (Honors level)
Committee Chair + Other Committee Members
2023-2024
- Grace Alexandra Subu, "Where the Thunder Dragon Lives: The Case of Human Capital Flight in Bhutan" (Honors)
Daniel Maliniak + Paula Pickering, Kevin Vose
- Iliana Demetra Tzafolias, "Defining Greekness: The Effect of Ethnic Identity on Foreign Policy Opinions" (Honors)
Susan Peterson + Daniel Maliniak, Amy Limoncelli
2022-2023
- Giselle Figueroa, "Rethinking ‘Feminicide’: The Role of Organized Crime Groups in Increased Rates of Feminicide in Mexico" (Honors)
Fiona Shen-Bayh + Carla Buck, Mark Deming, Victoria Castillo
- Bennett Fuchida Hawley, "Threads of Continuity: Investigating the Historical Context of the China Challenge and Its Implications for Current US Grand Strategy" (Honors)
Marcus Holmes + Hiroshi Kitamura, Mike Butler, Dennis Smith, Eric Brown
- Poojitha Tanjore, "Terror Management Theory in International Relations: Vladimir Putin and Slobodan Milosevic" (Honors)
Marcus Holmes + Mark Deming, Giuseppe Paparella
- Katrine Roderburg Westgaard, "Stranded At Home: How the Absence of Men in Norwegian Whaling Communities Fostered Women's Civic Engagement" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + S.P. Harish, Ayfer Karakaya-Stump
2021-2022
- Caroline Morin, "Showing Off and Going Out: China’s Vanity Project Phenomenon" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Dennis Smith, Dan Runfola - Kaiming Chen, "Psychological Peacebuilding: When the Time is Ripe for an Election" (Honors)
Marcus Holmes + Paula Pickering, Harvey Langholtz - Margaret Manson, "Islamist Reactions to Coup D’états" (Honors)
Sharan Grewal + Rani Mullen, Kelebogile Zvobgo, Jonathan Glasser - Sania Shahid, "Behind Every Successful Diplomat is Their Spouse: The Buffer Role of Indian and Pakistani Diplomatic Spouses" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Marcus Holmes, Faraz Sheikh,
2019-2020
- Grace Amato, "Sleeping with the Television On: How Popular Culture Content Implicitly Informs Political Reality" (Honors)
Marcus Holmes + Hiroshi Kitamura, Elizabeth Losh - Samuel Desmarais, "Trade Talks and Populist Thoughts: The Rise in Populist Rhetoric Following China's Accession to the World Trade Organization" (Honors)
Maurits van der Veen + John Lopresti, Andrea Wright - Seth Fiderer, "All the News Fit to Print: Egyptian and Tunisian Media Development and Political Toleration through Arab Spring" (Honors)
Maurits van der Veen + Sharan Grewal, Paul Vierthaler - Heather Rodenberg, "Moroccan Identity in the 1980s: The Theory and Policy Implications of Studying Moroccan Identity" (Honors)
Marcus Holmes + Sharan Grewal, Stephen Sheehi - Elizabeth Rosen, "Autocratic Liberalization and Gendered Speech: Evidence from the Parliament of Singapore" (Honors)
S.P. Harish + Claire McKinney, Fiona Shen-Bayh - Elizabeth Sutterlin, "Flipping the Kill-Switch: Why Governments Shut Down the Internet" (Honors)
Phil Roessler + Dennis Smith, Elizabeth Losh - Lincoln Zaleski, "Engagement from Afar: How the Role of the Diaspora Makes or Breaks National Secession Campaigns" (Honors)
Paula Pickering + Stephen Sheehi, Clay Clemens
2018-19
- Yuxiang Hou, "Impact of China's One Belt One Road Initiative at Different Geographical Scales" (Honors)
Brian Blouet + Tun-jen Cheng, Calvin Hui - Samyuktha Mahadevan, "A Comparative Analysis of Media and Legislative Rhetoric on Gun Control"
Maurits van der Veen + Philip Waggoner, Angela King - Tyler Sagerstom, "Proliferation & Instability: How Nuclear Weapons Acquisition Alters Inter-state Relations"
Jeff Kaplow + Sue Peterson, Joshua Hubbard
2017-18
- Ava Chafin, "Islamic Rhetoric in Pakistan: A Comparison at the National and Sub-national Levels" (Honors)
Rani Mullen + Tun-Jen Cheng, Chitralekha Zutshi, Stephen Sheehi - Graeme Cranston-Cuebas, "The Role of the Air Force in the Conduct of the Coup d’Etat" (Honors)
Dennis Smith + Amy Oakes, Hiroshi Kitamura - Eric Gelles, "Setting and Success in Resistance Campaigns" (Honors)
Philip Roessler + John Parman, Lawrence Wilkerson - Yuito Ishikawa, "Maritime Governance: How State Capacity Impacts Piracy and Sea Lane Security" (Honors)
Tun-Jen Cheng + Dennis Smith, Hiroshi Kitamura - Ranjani Parthasarathy, "Diversionary Aid: Chinese Development ASsistance in Latin America" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Sue Peterson, Victoria Castillo
2016-17
- Mary Adgie, "From Invisible Children to Legal Citizens: An Analysis of Low National Birth Registration Rates and Global Efforts to Increase Registration" (Honors)
Philip Roessler + Admasu Shiferaw, Maurits van der Veen - Carolyn De Roster, "The Role of EU and NATO Conditionality on Developing Democracies: A Georgian Case Study" (Honors)
Daniel Maliniak + Paula Pickering, Frederick Corney - Matthew Ribar, "Things Fall Apart: The Role of Small Arms Acquisition in Insurgent Fragmentation" (Honors)
Jeff Kaplow + Philip Roessler, Harvey Langholtz
2015-16
- Arielle Galston, "Declaring War or Sentencing Criminals? Assessing Short-Term and Long-Term Counterterrorism Success" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Dennis Smith, Colleen Kennedy - Kristin Ritchey, "Do Birds of a Feather Really Flock Together? Ideational Homophily and Development Policy Influence" (Honors)
Sue Peterson + Brad Parks, Michael Tierney, Amy Quark
2014-15
- Tyler Bembenek, "Gentle Warlords: The Potential for Violent Non-State Actors to Provide Stability" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Dennis Smith and Robert Vinson - Isabel DoCampo, "A Rival to the West? Comparing the Effects of Chinese and World Bank Aid on Health Outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa" (Honors)
Philip Roessler + Michael Tierney and Beverly Sher - Yuhao Du, "Chinese National Identities and Understanding the Decision for War with India in 1962" (Honors)
Marcus Holmes + TJ Cheng and Kyrill Kunakhovich - Olivia Flynn, "Saudi Arabia's Dilemma: The Impact of Weapons Acquisitions on the Domestic and International Security of a State" (Honors)
Sue Peterson + David Dessler and Colleen Kennedy - Kassia Halcli, "Life That Thrives In Hostility: Indigenous Marginalization and the Development of Social Capital in Mexico's Self-Defense Forces" (Honors)
Dan Maliniak + Amy Oakes and Richard Turits - Caitlin Hartnett, "Frederick's Chessboard: Domestic Institutions and the Origins of the Seven Years' War" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Paul Mapp and Michael Butler - Lucas Leblanc, "Understanding Secession: An Analysis of the 2012-2014 Debates on Independence in Scotland and Catalonia" (Honors)
Maurits Van Der Veen + Clay Clemens and George Greenia
2013-14
- Benjamin Kenzer, "Ratification and Reliability: The Strategic Logic of Formal Treaties" (Honors)
Sue Peterson + Amy Oakes, Laurie Koloski - Dylan Kolhoff, "Good Neighbors: Trade, Culture, and Institutions in the Resolution of Territorial Disputes" (Honors)
Tun-jen Cheng + Dennis Smith, Hiroshi Kitamura - Jeff Rohde, "The Relationship between Access to Healthcare and Civil Conflict" (Honors) Sue Peterson + Philip Roessler, Alison Scott
2012-13
- Wenfan Chen, "The History Question in Sino-Japanese Relations" (Honors)
Eric Han + Leisa Meyer, Tun-jen Cheng - Elsa Voytas, "Justice and a Lack Thereof: Comparative Perspectives on Accountability in the Southern Cone" (Honors)
Maurits van der Veen + Michael Tierney, Betsy Konefal, Donald Campbell
2011-12
- Nicholas Bell, "Government Performance, Identity, and Support for Further Devolution in Europe" (Honors)
Clay Clemens + Tuska Beneš, Ron Rapoport - Andrew Bessler, "The Nuclear Taboo Paradox: Destabilizing Consequences of the Norm" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Hiroshi Kitamura, Dennis Smith - Kate Clough, "Latin America During the Cold War: The Role of U.S. Soft Power" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Jonathan Arries, Brian Blouet - John Kirn, "Visions of the Good: International Politics and the Struggle for Justice" (Honors)
David Dessler + Jacob Goodson, Stephen Hanson - Sneha Raghavan, "Trading Guns for Butter" (High Honors)
Amy Oakes + Hiroshi Kitamura, Paul Manna
2009-10
- Dina Abdel-Fattah, "The Comparative Effect of Minority Vetoes on Shared Governance in Post-Conflict Consociational Societies: Case Studies of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Lebanon"
Paula Pickering + Rani Mullen, Abdul-Karem Rafeq - Brian Doyle, "Why do the Strong Quit?: Causes of Counterinsurgent Withdrawal during Overseas Insurgencies" (Honors)
Debra Shushan + Kathrin Levitan, Brian Blouet - Richard Jordan, "Olympians" (Honors)
David Dessler + Michael Tierney, Laurie Koloski - Lewis Wilkins, "The Future of Early Warning Systems" (Honors)
Carl Moody + Sean Tarter, Arnab Basu, Tobias Hofmann
2008-09
- Pooja Gupta, "Should, Not Shall" -- How Customary International Law Increases NGO Efficacy" (Honors)
David Dessler + David Backer, Kris Lane - Rachel Walsh, "Education and Islamic Radicalization in the Arabian Peninsula" (Highest Honors)
Dennis Smith + Debra Shulman, Abdul-Karim Rafeq
2007-08
- Sadie Gardner, "Exploring Informality: An Empirical Analysis of the Informal Economy" (High Honors)
T.J. Cheng + Rani Mullen, Berhanu Abegaz - Ashley Kramer, "Institutions and Economics: The Effectiveness of Reconstruction Efforts in Bosnia" (High Honors)
Paula Pickering + Mike Tierney, Till Schreiber - Alvin Potter, "Preventive Force and Nuclear Weapons: Playing with Matches?" (Honors)
Amy Oakes + Mitchell Reiss, Mike Tierney, Todd Averett - Michael Woolslayer, "Confronting Jihad: Past Experience and Counterterrorism Since September 11" (High Honors)
Clay Clemens + Dennis Smith, Hiroshi Kitamura
2006-07
- Laura Sauls, "Green Aid Meets Grassroots Development: Explaining Environmental Aid Flows to Central America since the Rio Earth Summit" (High Honors)
Mike Tierney + Karen Frey, David Feldman - Melissa White, "The Globalization of Intellectual Property Rights and the Development Dilemma: Who Violates and Why?" (High Honors)
T.J. Cheng + Katherine Rahman, Clyde Haulman
2005-06
- Sean Fox, "Institutionalism and Neorealism in NATO Interventions" (Honors)
Greg Miller + Hiroshi Kitamura, Katherine Rahman - Emily Meredith, "China Perceived: The View of China's Peaceful Rise" (Honors)
T.J. Cheng + Sophie Hart, Ron Rosenberg - Stephanie Reed, "Greenbacks as an Indicator of Green Support: What the international environmental allocations of the United States have to say about U.S. foreign ..." (High Honors)
Maria Ivanova + Rob Hicks, Timmons Roberts, Mike Tierney - Amy Rossnagel, "Microfinance Institutions During Financial Crises" (Honors)
David Feldman + Berhanu Abegaz, Mike Tierney
2004-05
- Peter de Nesnera, "Peacekeepers for Hire: Private Military Companies and the United Nations"
Harvey Langholtz + David Dessler, Hiroshi Kitamura - Jonathan Lasken, "Getting the Message Across: A Quantitative Study on How to Deal with State Sponsors of Terrorism and the International Terrorist Groups They Harbor"
Sue Peterson + Steve Shellman, Naama Zahavi-Ely - Nicole Schroeder, "Integrating the Balkans: How Slovenia and Bulgaria are Becoming Part of the European Union"
Paula Pickering + Clay Clemens, Berhanu Abegaz
2003-04
- Jennifer Maul, "The Changing Face of Trade: American Trade Policy and Competitive Liberalization"
- Jessica Young, "The Problems with European Union Language Policy"
2002-03
- James Long, "Citizens and Their Agents: Rebel Movements and Political Violence in Africa"
- Bradley Parks, "To the Aid of the Environment? A Preliminary Exploration of Recipient-Level Factors Determining Bilateral 'Green' Aid Allocation"
- Lindsay Manning, "At the Intersection of the International System and the State: The Case of the World Health Organization in Cameroon"
