Honors in the Major

Honors in the Major Project: “The Armored American,” Spencer Molenaar and Dr. Katherine Mooney

Who would not want to work on superheroes? To look at their lives and exploits in a world of fast-paced adventures and moral absolutes. This is what Spencer Molenaar has decided to work on in his Honors in the Major project (HITM) for History.

Honors in the Major Project: “Daily Life and the Conditions at Lowell Correctional Institution from 1956 to Today," Christina Portuallo and Dr. Paul Renfro

Christina Portuallo was introduced to the Lowell Correctional Institution and its questionable history in Dr. McTighe’s undergraduate class on mass incarceration. This marked the beginning of her long journey of research on the history of women’s prisons in the United States.

Honors in the Major Project: “The Legacy of World War II Defense Bonds on Post-War Saving," Jacob Bloch and Dr. Kurt Piehler

We’ve all missed out on something due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. A family vacation, a summer job, but what about the chance to study at Harvard over the summer? Jake was supposed to spend a couple weeks this past Summer poring over the archives of the Harvard Business School to do research for his History Honors in the Major (HITM) project.

Honors in the Major Project: “Melodies of Mirages: Exoticism, Folklore, and 'Performing' Santeria”, Elias Larralde and Dr. Robinson A. Herrera

The idea behind Elias Larralde’s Honors in the Major thesis was already germinating in his mind before he started at FSU. The topic, the mapping of an Afro-Cuban religious song using geographic information systems, would eventually serve as the basis for his research topic.

American Internees at Baguio, Philippines, during World War II

Gillian Morton, who majored in History and International Affairs, successfully defended her honors thesis, “Surviving and Striving for Normalcy: The Endurance of the Americans of Baguio Interned by the Japanese in the Philippines during World War II” in the Fall 2018 semester.