Senior Thesis

The Senior Thesis represents the culmination of a Haverford student’s academic experience, and is one of the most important and rewarding ways that Haverford realizes its educational mission. It is an opportunity to do original research at levels usually reserved for graduate students, in partnership with faculty mentors. Haverford College is one of a very few institutions in the country that includes a Senior Thesis project as part of every student’s academic program.

Students become true scholars, and come to understand at a deep and practical level what it takes to create knowledge and to seek answers to challenging questions. In turn, they become more effective and influential agents for change in whatever field they choose.

What They Learned

A series exploring the thesis work of recent graduates. Read more on the Haverblog

What They Learned: Tomas Aramburu ‘19
The chemistry major, creative writing minor, and biochemistry concentrator took on pancreatic cancer treatment for his thesis.
What They Learned: Sophie Drew ’19
The double major used both her theses in Biology and Spanish to address environmental concerns.
What They Learned: Nick Sweeney ’19
The physics major used his senior thesis to explore methods of conceptualizing dark matter.
What They Learned: Gabriel Braun ‘19
The chemistry major, biochemistry concentrator, and French and Francophone studies minor reflects on the collaborative aspects of his thesis process.
What They Learned: Max Sonin ’19
The English major informed their analysis of comedy writer P.G. Wodehouse through an incorporation of techniques common to computer science.
What They Learned: Emma Bullock ’19

For Chemistry major and German minor Emma Bullock ‘18, the thesis process was all about improvisation and re-evaluation.

Bullock’s thesis advisor was Associate Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Studies Helen White, who studies how the chemical composition of oil changes after an oil spill. Bullock’s project began as an attempt to take the mechanisms that Dr. White uses to study oil and apply them to research into honeybee health.
» Read more about: What They Learned: Emma Bullock ’19 »
What They Learned: Gabriel Halperin-Goldstein ’19
Personal experience with volunteer work became a valuable research tool for the sociology major.
What They Learned: Mairin Fitzpatrick ‘19
The mathematics major and environmental studies minor uses mathematical tools to study honeybee populations.
What They Learned: TJ von Oehsen ’18
As a Haverford House fellow, the sociology major is continuing work he started with his senior thesis: highlighting the experiences of people of color in predominantly white environments.
What They Learned: Sabea Evans ’18
The linguistics major, religion minor, and Africana studies concentrator wrote her thesis using ethnographies and interviews to explore race and language in Ghana.