Digital Commons Network^™

Stock Market Correlations To Economic Indicators, Anthony K. Quandt

Honors Theses

For this project, I researched how representative the S&P 500 (a common index of choice to represent the market) is of the economic well-being of the US. I found that stock market data can be used an as indicator of the economic well-being of the U.S.. The results do not indicate that the stock market leads to recovery, but it does suggest that it is correlated with recovery. In my analysis, I compared the S&P 500 performance to four different economic indicators: Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), The Consumer Price Index (CPI), Average Weekly Private Wages, and Unemployment Rate. A …

Amazon.Com, Inc Strategic Audit, Ningzhi Luo

Honors Theses

Amazon.com, Inc (Amazon) was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 as an online marketplace for books but later expanded to e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. This large variety of products and innovations has contributed to Amazon as one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world (Eugene Kim, 2018). This study would specifically focus on the e-commerce area and analyze Amazon's position in this market from an external and internal perspective by using three models: Porter's Five Forces, PESTEL, and the SWOT model. The report would identify Amazon's competitive advantages and the challenges it …

Trader Joe’S: A Case Analysis Of Trader Joe's Competitive Strategy, Holden G. Adams

Honors Theses

Trader Joe’s has been wildly successful since the store was first founded largely due to their ability to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Found across the United States, Trader Joe’s offers its consumers a unique range of private-label products to their target audience. This case analysis delves into Trader Joe’s competitive strategy and how they plan to sustain their competitive edge in the years to come.

Many factors play a role in the success of Trader Joe’s over the past years. Internally, they carry highly sought after products and have a loyal consumer base. They have found a foothold in …

Loup Public Power District Fishing Pier & Parking Lot, Tyler Ruwe

Honors Theses

This project was performed in fulfillment of the Civil Engineering Senior Design class (CIVE 489H). The goal of this project was to design an ADA compliant fishing pier and parking lot for the Loup Public Power District in Columbus, Nebraska. The fishing pier and parking lot will be located near the northeast corner of Lake North. A four-member team was formed to delegate the workload to accomplish this design project. I, Tyler Ruwe, served as the team’s project manager and structural engineering lead. Other disciplines of this design project included work involved in geotechnical, water resources, environmental, and transportation engineering. …

Strategic Audit Of Optum, Connor Crow

Honors Theses

Optum is a large American-based pharmacy benefit manager, healthcare consultant, healthcare delivery service, and business analytics corporation that has dominated the industry with sister-company UnitedHealthcare underneath the umbrella UnitedHealthGroup. This report seeks to understand through internal and external analyses how Optum’s business model and strategies have allowed them to gain and sustain competitive advantages in the everchanging, volatile environment of healthcare. Specific tools used to highlight this include Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL, and SWOT analyses. Additionally, strategic recommendations are given for Optum’s next steps.

Adventuring In The Winds: An Exploration Of Water Accessibility, Keystone Species, Environmental Justice, And Forest Fires In The Wind River Range, Rhianna Giron

Honors Theses

This thesis is a braided narrative that incorporates personal experience, ecological research, and poetry to explain some of the impacts of human interaction in wild spaces and of climate change. The specific areas of study in this essay are the Wind River Range, Wyoming and Nebraska. The purpose of this paper is to discuss topics related to water availability and quality, forest fires, keystone species, and social injustices related to people and environments in the Wind River Range. It is important to learn about other places than the ones we are already familiar with as it helps to instill a …

What Makes Green Parties Successful: A Comparative Analysis Of Germany, Austria, And France, Macy Miller

Honors Theses

Starting in the 1980s, green parties began to make their debut. Their establishment was considered to be largely in response to environmental and anti-nuclear movements. Although their history has been quite brief, these parties have been making waves throughout the world. Throughout this research, a pattern arises between economic stability and quality of life, mainstream party competition, policy positions, and green voters themselves when examining the success of the green parties. In particular, they have demonstrated great success in the European Union. In an attempt to explain this success, this research explores three specific green parties: the German, the Austrian, …

Anthropogenic Change On The Distribution Of Marine Megafauna And Their Prey, Baylie Fadool

Honors Theses

Anthropogenic change is impacting the distribution and survival of marine megafauna and their prey. Humans are changing every aspect of the marine environment, with effects reaching as large as changing the composition of marine environments to directly overexploiting species through the fishing industry. The role that marine megafauna play in balancing ecosystems, including as top apex predators, leads to detrimental results in the absences and population declines of these species. Migrations and declines due to threats on marine apex predator species will alter their environments by causing mesopredator release and changes in community structure, which is often associated with reduced …

Inheritability Of Ciprofloxacin-Induced Mitochondrial Mutations From Parental To Offspring Generation Using Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction, Rose Mccoy

Honors Theses

In all eukaryotes, mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell (Siekevitz, 1957). In plants, however, their mitochondrial genome is especially strange. Plant mitochondrial genomes are extremely large and contain both linear and circular subgenomic DNA fragments. Plant mitochondrial genomes undergo a significant amount of mutations in the form of rearrangements. However, it is not known how often these rearrangements are inherited by the next generation. It is thought that plant cells that are still dividing have higher rates of DNA repair, such as double-strand break repair, to ensure the quality of that plant lineage. As follows, it is …

Designing A Week-Long Biomedical Engineering Summer Camp To Increase Young Students’ Interest And Self-Efficacy In Stem, Kayla Ney

Honors Theses

In order to combat the negative feelings many young students have towards STEM, I designed a week-long summer camp that teaches students about biomedical engineering as well as collaboration, communication, and confidence with STEM subjects. This work includes a literature review outlining what STEM is and current issues in STEM education, including disinterest in STEM and attrition in STEM degree programs. The literature review outlines current methods and ideas being utilized to combat these issues, namely, inclusive pedagogical strategies, and how some of these concepts can be applied to the summer camp. The curriculum document included outlines each activity, its …

Sex Related Differences In Skeletal Muscle Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue, Cross-Sectional Area, And Grayscale, Christina Sullivan

Honors Theses

Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of ultrasonography to assess subcutaneous adipose tissue, cross-sectional area (CSA), and grayscale for muscle. The purpose of the present study was to examine the sex-related differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue, as well as cross-sectional area and grayscale for the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL). Five recreationally trained males (mean ± SD: age= 25.6 ± 1.9 years; height= 182.29 ± 5.88 cm; body mass= 84.67 ± 9.88 kg) and five recreationally trained females (mean ± SD: age= 21 ± .71 years; height= 162.71 ± 12.41 cm; body mass= 77.02 ± 14.91 kg) visited …

The Effect Of High School Disability-Based Peer Mentoring On Perspectives Toward People With Disabilities, Caroline Jacobs

Honors Theses

Negative perspectives towards people with disabilities have been shown to lead to discrimination, prejudice, and an overall decreased quality of life. One way to possibly improve attitudes and interactions with students with disabilities could be implementing peer mentoring programs for special education students in high school. Research presented in this thesis examines the difference in perspectives toward people with disabilities between people who have or have not participated as a mentor in a disability-based peer mentoring program in high school. Data were collected through an online survey that assessed peer mentoring experiences as well as a scale to measure comfort …

The Ongoing Disparity Between Early Intervention Services And Those Who Need Them, Addison Goerl

Honors Theses

Although early intervention (EI) services have been shown to be highly effective and beneficial for young children, only 12% of those who qualify at 24 months receive services (Feinberg et al., 2011). There is a myriad of barriers that impedes access to EI services for those who need them. These barriers include myths about development and intervention, parent’s concerns being ignored, social inequalities limited access to early intervention, systemic barriers within the professional world, unperceived benefits of intervention, and limited communication flow to parents. However, there are some supports that help more families access EI services including doctors, early interventionists, …

Cold Sintering Diisopropylamonium Bromide To Form Organic Ceramic Pellets, Darren Armstrong

Honors Theses

Diisopropylamonium bromide is an organic ferroelectric compound. Standard sample preparation methods either require a powder or a single crystal. Certain measurements cannot be done on powders due to equipment limitations, and single crystals are difficult and time consuming to produce and handle. Cold sintering is a relatively new process that allows the creation of ceramics. The original cold sintering process was adapted to work for diisopropylamonium bromide. This allows the creation of ceramics with a large surface area. These pellets can achieve up to 95% of the theoretical maximum density. While the pellets are currently unsuitable for electric testing at …

The Legal Obligation Of The Us Government To Protect Asylum Seekers, Joy Karges

Honors Theses

Immigration has always been an important topic of conversation in the United States and around the globe, but the recent surge of migrants at the US southern border has centered the debate around what is often referred to as “illegal immigration”. Some scholars argue that our detention facilities treat migrants as though they were criminals while others say detention facilities are the best way to keep migrants from making the journey to the US and threatening our national security. The purpose of this study is to untangle some of the misunderstandings surrounding immigration from Central America. By assessing some of …

The Role Of University Of Nebraska-Lincoln's Biodigester On Sustainable Food Waste Reduction Within Selleck Dining Center, Jennifer Gilbert

Honors Theses

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln took a major step toward sustainability this past fall when Dining Services installed their first ever biodigester on November 8, 2019 within Selleck Dining Center. The impact this biodigester has had, thus far, is observable in the form of quantitative data collected in the amount of food waste digested by this technology. This study focuses on analyzing collected data from the LFC Cloud database, while also searching for trends and patterns that could further suggest substantial impact and efficiency of the biodigester on food waste reduction and sustainability initiatives within UNL Dining Services. Data Tables and …

Green Delivery: An Arbor Day Foundation Partnership Program, David Petersen

Honors Theses

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) will partner with online retailers to create a ‘Green-Delivery’ option wherein customers can opt to delay the shipment of their order by a day in exchange for a tree being planted in their name. Each partner would fulfill their donation obligation to the ADF by allocating a portion of the cost savings generated by shipping their orders via a slower service.

Nrc Health: Loyalty Insights, Grace Dickas, Allie Rauner, Keenan Allen, Utkarsh Hardia, Teckhong Lee

Honors Theses

One of the biggest concerns of health systems is to know how they can better serve their patients. Health systems seek to exceed patient expectations and inspire patients to return to their system for all their health needs. A patient who returns can be considered loyal to that health system. NRC Health collects patient data from over 9,000 health systems across the country. This allows it to provide data insights that inform health systems’ decisions. The ultimate goal is to increase patient loyalty for health systems by helping them understand how to serve their patients better. The team was tasked …

Green Delivery: A New Approach For The Arbor Day Foundation, Cassandra Arritt, Vincent Malene, Anthony Hare, Sarah Schilling, David Petersen, Ross Grieb

Honors Theses

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) will partner with online retailers to create a ‘Green-Delivery’ option wherein customers can opt to delay the shipment of their order by a day in exchange for a tree being planted in their name. Each partner would fulfill their donation obligation to the ADF by allocating a portion of the cost savings generated by shipping their orders via a slower service.

Nebraska Dog 4-H Learning Resources: Assessing Youth Opinions And Determining Focus Of Future Curriculum Development Efforts, Tressa Reiner

Honors Theses

The optimal method of teaching participants in the Nebraska Dog 4-H program has historically been a club led by an adult volunteer. However, participants in the program, particularly those 4-Hers without a club in their area, may benefit from additional learning resources such as online how to videos or short hands-on workshops. Online resources have been shown to be helpful in other extension related activities. In order to gain an understanding of Nebraska Dog 4-Hers’ current knowledge of existing resources and their opinions of current and potential future resources, a survey was sent to all 4-Hers enrolled in the Nebraska …

Diatom Morphology In Light Of A Changing Climate: A Focus On Aulacoseira Crenulata, Brighid Welchans

Honors Theses

Fossilized diatoms are arguably the most vital proxy record utilized in paleolimnology. Diatoms are unicellular microalgae that are the basis of countless food webs, are invaluable bioindicators, and generate nearly a quarter of global net primary productivity. Diatoms are affected by a variety of environmental factors but there is relatively little research on how environmental conditions impact diatom valve morphology, and in particular whether there is a correlation between incoming light and diatom pore morphology. This report focuses on the Amazon lowland lake Garzacocha, and analyzes the relationship between light levels and the corresponding size of Aulacoseira crenulata pores. We …

Green Delivery- Arbor Day Foundation Consulting Project, Sarah Schilling, David Peterson, Anthony Hare, Casey Arritt, Ross Grieb, Vinny Malene

Honors Theses

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) will partner with online retailers to create a ‘Green-Delivery’ option wherein customers can opt to delay the shipment of their order by a day in exchange for a tree being planted in their name. Each partner would fulfill their donation obligation to the ADF by allocating a portion of the cost savings generated by shipping their orders via a slower service.

Arbor Day Foundation, Demi Van Reeuwijk, Drew Spadaro, Frances Munro, Leigh Hanson, Trevor Lockard, Mason Smalley

Honors Theses

Over the past 4 months, our team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Business Honors Academy has been working directly with Nebraska’s own, Arbor Day Foundation, or Arbor Day, in hopes of applying our skill sets and mindsets to solve a pressing problem Arbor Day currently faces. We have been tasked with the challenge of identifying creative, scalable, and profitable new business ventures for Arbor Day that will aid the generation of new revenue sources. With these sources of revenue, Arbor Day desires to further inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees and in turn solve some of the …

The Arbor Day Foundation Employee Carbon Neutralization Program, Justin Mccall, Maya Mercer, Grant Biggs, Ray Anderson, Bret Klabunde, Colleen Doyle, Brady Conant

Honors Theses

Our College of Business Honors Academy Capstone Project aims to identify a new business opportunity for the Arbor Day Foundation that will allow ADF to further their mission while creating $1-2 million in revenue. Through research, analysis, and ideation, our team is proposing the Employee Carbon Neutralization Program (ECNP.)

Arbor Day Foundation Consultation, Frances Munro, Drew Spadaro, Trevor Lockard, Mason Smalley, Leigh Hanson, Demi Van Reeuwijk

Honors Theses

Over the past 4 months, our team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Business Honors Academy has been working directly with Nebraska’s own, Arbor Day Foundation, or Arbor Day, in hopes of applying our skill sets and mindsets to solve a pressing problem Arbor Day currently faces. We have been tasked with the challenge of identifying creative, scalable, and profitable new business ventures for Arbor Day that will aid the generation of new revenue sources. With these sources of revenue, Arbor Day desires to further inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees and in turn solve some of the …

Arbor Day Foundation Consulting Project Mngt 475l, Trevor Lockard, Demi Vanreeuwijk, Drew Spadaro, Frances Munro, Leigh Hanson, Mason Smalley

Honors Theses

Over the past 4 months, our team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Business Honors Academy has been working directly with Nebraska’s own, Arbor Day Foundation, or Arbor Day, in hopes of applying our skill sets and mindsets to solve a pressing problem Arbor Day currently faces. We have been tasked with the challenge of identifying creative, scalable, and profitable new business ventures for Arbor Day that will aid the generation of new revenue sources. With these sources of revenue, Arbor Day desires to further inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees and in turn solve some of the …

Arbor Day Foundation New Business Venture, Leigh Hanson, Frances Munro, Demi Van Reeuwijk, Drew Spadaro, Trevor Lockard, Mason Smalley

Honors Theses

Over the past 4 months, our team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Business Honors Academy has been working directly with Nebraska’s own, Arbor Day Foundation, or Arbor Day, in hopes of applying our skill sets and mindsets to solve a pressing problem Arbor Day currently faces. We have been tasked with the challenge of identifying creative, scalable, and profitable new business ventures for Arbor Day that will aid the generation of new revenue sources. With these sources of revenue, Arbor Day desires to further inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees and in turn solve some of the …

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Barriers Faced By Nursing Assistants And Medication Aides In The Care Of Dysphagia Residents, Lauren Kreuzberg

Honors Theses

Dysphagia refers to the symptom of difficulty in swallowing that accompanies several prevalent conditions in the older adult population, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease), stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, dementia, various cancers, and brain tumors (Allari, 2014). Many older adults who suffer from these conditions reside in nursing facilities, where most of their care is provided by certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and medication aides (MAs). However, the extent of these workers’ knowledge and competence in providing care to nursing home residents with dysphagia is vastly under-researched. The qualitative analysis investigates themes among interviews with fifteen CNAs and …

Green Delivery: An Arbor Day Foundation Partnership Program, Vincent Malene, Sarah Schilling, David Petersen, Anthony Hare, Cassandra Arritt, Ross Grieb

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Arbor Day Foundation, Shoilee Rahman, Caleb Krohn, Kevin Woolworth, Kathryn Shehan, Nicholas Senior, Jairo Gamboa

Honors Theses

As consultants, our team’s goals are to provide the Arbor Day Foundation with ideas for future business lines and strengthen the company’s outlook moving forward. Our proposal strongly integrates the organization’s mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. Entering the birch sap water market will accomplish this task and create a plethora of opportunities for the Arbor Day Foundation. Our recommendation to ADF is to enter the birch sap market by creating licensing deals with birch sap water producers and distributors. ADF can assist these companies by offering its strong brand value, marketing expertise, and competitive advantages.