Enhance your College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Experience in the Oregon State University Honors College
CEOAS Faculty Member and Honors College Alum Tyler McFadden, ’15, Tackles Ecology Research
During his time as an undergraduate in the Honors College, Tyler McFadden, ’15, began exploring questions about ecology and biodiversity — questions that would shape his academic and professional path for years to come. Now an instructor and interim director of the environmental sciences undergraduate program in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University, McFadden continues to pursue interdisciplinary approaches to environmental challenges.
At Oregon State, the Honors College offers a chance to take your College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences journey even further. Including engaging classes, the opportunity to develop an original project and a prestigious degree, the Honors College helps you build skills, connections and confidence.
Here’s a few ways it can benefit you:
- Take honors courses on unique topics with deeper collaboration.
- Build your network through faculty mentorship and honors community events.
- Complete an honors thesis that showcases your original work and strengthens project development and communication skills.
- Graduate with an Honors Baccalaureate Degree — Oregon State University’s highest undergraduate distinction.
The deadline to apply to the Honors College is Feb 1, but you can apply today! Visit your Beaver Basecamp portal and fill out the Honors College application form. You can also learn more about what the Honors College offers and send questions to [email protected].
The honors thesis is an opportunity to develop an original project in an area you are passionate about.
Recent thesis topics completed by College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Honors College graduates:
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Sally Albright — Honors College and College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Class of 2020, thesis topic: Developing a Green Lab Certification for a Research‑Intensive University
- Nicholas Kusanto — Honors College and College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Class of 2014, thesis topic: Sustainable U.S. Federal Water Policy Recommendations
- Bailey Burk — Honors College and College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Class of 2020, thesis topic: Visualizing Rivers: An Interactive Map of United States Watersheds
- Jesse Chick — Honors College and College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Class of 2021, thesis topic: A General Framework for Predicting the Geospatial Distribution of Botanical Species
- Alexander Laub — Honors College and College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Class of 2022, thesis topic: Investigation of Glacier Dynamics During the Last Glacial Maximum at Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park
- Grace Holmes — Honors College and College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Class of 2024, thesis topic: Reconstruction of Sea‑Surface Temperature and Productivity Over the Last 50 Years in the San Pedro Basin Using Foraminifera Assemblages and Trace Elements
- Annika Bernhardt — Honors College and College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Class of 2025, thesis topic: Kelp Konversations: Bridging the Divide Between Art and Sciences in Conservation Communication
- Oona LaLuna Clark — Honors College and College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Class of 2025, thesis topic: Decreased Wintertime Surface Temperature Variability in the Pacific Northwest and Its Connection to 500 hPa Height Anomalies in the Mid‑High Latitudes
The thesis can include analytic research, innovation development, a business plan and more. Whatever your goals, the thesis will put you in a position to take them to the next level.
Alumni Highlight
Oona used their honors thesis to explore how changes in wintertime temperature variability across the Pacific Northwest connect to broader atmospheric patterns.
“ Coming to Oregon State and joining the Honors College opened up pathways I never imagined. I came here for the climate science program and stayed because I found a community that encourages exploration.”
Oona Clark, '25, Climate Science
