My name is Adriana Becerra and I am a student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. In hoping to combine my two passions of journalism and film, for my Honors Undergraduate Thesis project I created my own film review website. My website is a complete review of the films that were nominated for the 2015 Oscars in the following categories: Best Picture, Animated Feature, Documentary Feature, Foreign Language, and Short Film Live Action. In all, I watched and reviewed a total of twenty-eight films based on acting, lighting, music, cinematography, costume/makeup/set design, writing, and visual effects. Over the course of nine months, I have watched, reviewed, and talked extensively about each film that I have reviewed. Though tedious at times, I thoroughly enjoyed completing my Undergraduate Thesis Project. I hope to continue critically looking at films, and possibly even incorporating film in my journalistic career.

Voices of the Past, Voice of the Future is project created by Christopher Silavong. This is a personal story where I delve into my parents' past and a country of which I knew nothing. As a child, I never learned about my parents' country, nor did I ask about their childhood and what Laos was like. I'm sure they spoke about their past in passing, but I didn't pay attention or asked further questions. I was young and time seemed forever. And then in 2012, the realization that one day they'll die became real. My father suffered a stroke nine days before my birthday. I wanted to know who my parents were and what brought them to America. My parents' stories will be incomplete. They've lived in America much longer than they'd lived in Laos, and it's difficult for them to remember what happened to them at 10 years old, especially for my father. It also doesn't help that I don't know how to speak Lao. This is a working project, and I'll continue asking them about their lives until I no longer can. But for now, here's what I've pieced together.

A thorough understanding of how to evaluate website credibility is a crucial tool for journalists. This study examines how journalism students conduct the online newsgathering process and seeks to understand the decisions they make involving credibility assessment. The findings that resulted from a content analysis and interviews suggest that while journalism students exhibit some level of understanding about the importance of verification, they rely strongly on search engines and trust the credibility of search-engine results.

Generation Green is a multimedia website illustrating sustainability for the Millennial generation. This is a creative thesis project for Arizona State University's Barrett, The Honors College. Within the site, there are resources, photo stories, videos, a mini-documentary, a stop-motion story and infographics that feature Millennials who are living greener lives. Generation Green brings understanding and clarity to sustainability through the voices of today's generation. Visit the website at: generation-green.com/thesis_website or generation-green.com

The unemployment rate for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) sits between 88 and 95 percent. With the prevalence of ASDs growing by the year, the transition into adulthood is a problem this country will increasingly face. To shed light on this issue and spread awareness, the method was to create a documentary 26 minutes in length about the transition adults with ASDs face after graduating high school. The result was "Breaking the Spectrum," which includes testimony from adults with ASDs who have jobs, attend skills programs or go to college, experts in the field and founders of organizations who seek to decrease the unemployment rate.

This study looked at college-age students' ability to comprehend and retain information learned from news articles depending on what platform they read from. Fifteen participants read three local New York Times articles on each of the platforms provided: iPad, laptop, and paper. They took one test immediately after to test comprehension and another two weeks later to test their retention. Participants were also asked if they found the articles interesting, enjoyable, clear, etc. Results showed that participants' views on each format had little, if any, affect on their number of correct responses. The most consistent results on the participants' perceptions of the formats came from the laptop and paper, whereas the iPad received a bimodal pattern of responses. Participants were also asked to share their news habits while taking the test by selecting how frequently they gain news from various sources such as social media or television. These habits also seemed to have very little effect on their scores.

This study looked at college-age students' ability to comprehend and retain information learned from news articles depending on what platform they read from. Fifteen participants read three local New York Times articles on each of the platforms provided: iPad, laptop, and paper. They took one test immediately after to test comprehension and another two weeks later to test their retention. Participants were also asked if they found the articles interesting, enjoyable, clear, etc. Results showed that participants' views on each format had little, if any, affect on their number of correct responses. The most consistent results on the participants' perceptions of the formats came from the laptop and paper, whereas the iPad received a bimodal pattern of responses. Participants were also asked to share their news habits while taking the test by selecting how frequently they gain news from various sources such as social media or television. These habits also seemed to have very little effect on their scores.

In the 1950s-60s, the United States performed nuclear testing 60 miles north of Las Vegas. The prevailing winds carried radiation from those tests across the United States. It didn't take long for groups of people to begin developing cancer, possibly as a side effect of the testing. In 1990, Congress established a program to compensate downwind victims of the test site. But one portion of one county in Arizona was never compensated, despite the impact cancer had in the area. This documentary is their story. (Documentary and website accessible at downwinddocumentary.com)

Usually a medical website has a description, or overview, of the condition. Then there are different sections informing the viewer about the signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. There are some resource links for families to explore, but there it provides more information rather than narration. What is lacking is a patient account or perspective on the given topic. This project suggests an added resource for parents and patients with its storytelling element that is irreplaceable. An example is also available using my own story growing up with hemifacial microsomia.