Digital Commons Network^™

A Semester Abroad Discussion Of The Film, Tatianna M. Rice

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

What does a French and Digital Media Production double major do when they study abroad in Paris, France? Create a film, of course. A Semester Abroad follows my various travels during the Fall 2023 semester. In this discussion of my film, I break down the process from my initial research on French cinema, which focused on filmmakers during the French New Wave film movement of the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, to the process of creating this film. Inspired by the vignettes of Dreams directed by Akira Kurosawa, a film I first watched in my Global Cinema course, I created …

Written In The Stars, Kaycee Johnson

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The Integration Of Certified Therapy Dog Teams Into Special Education: Insights Of Volunteer Handlers, Rana Aabed

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study was to better understand how certified volunteer dog therapy handlers can be integrated into special education settings. Although the pet therapy discourse confirms the overall impact dog therapy has on youth’s psychological health (e.g., Groenewoud et al., 2023), research that could elucidate how volunteer handlers modify the way they have their dogs interact with special education populations is a present-day need that has otherwise not appeared in the literature. In response, this study involved a qualitative multiple-case investigation about the role of volunteer certified handlers and the dog therapy provisions they offer special education populations. …

Black Women In Hip-Hop: Rap Resistance, Alexxus G. Watson

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Hip-hop has emerged as a cultural and artistic movement that transcends time and geographical locations. The 50th anniversary of hip-hop has prompted widespread reflection and appreciation of the art form with particular notice to how hip-hop has contributed to the overall culture. Popular cultures of hip-hop are mixed; the most popular narrative is that it is a form of music that often has problematic lyrics and ideas that degrade mainly women and promote negative tropes and stereotypes of Black and brown people. I, and other scholars who truly appreciate the art form, have a different understanding of the impact of …

The Effect Of Body Size On Mate Choice By Ambystoma Laterale Breeding With Unisexual Salamanders, Cole Christian Duvall

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Within the genus Ambystoma exists a complex of unisexual (all female) polyploid salamanders, which can breed with males of five sexual species of salamander. Unisexuals face intense sexual selection from diploid males, who prefer to mate with females of their own species. At the Edwin S. George Reserve (ESGR), it has been observed that LLJ unisexuals with large body sizes migrate to breeding ponds earlier than small unisexuals. A possible explanation for this behavior is that large LLJ unisexuals are sexually selected against, when compared to small unisexuals. We hypothesized that A. laterale males would prefer smaller LLJ unisexuals, when …

Characterizing Uhrf1 And Uhrf2 Interactions With Tail Peptides And Nucleosomes, Matthew Kostoff

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

UHRF1 and UHRF2 proteins are multi-domain epigenetic proteins. They share many similarities in sequence and structure. The proteins have specific domains used to bind histone tails and nucleosomes. The purpose of our study is to determine if H4K20me3 is a true binding partner for them. To do so, we measured UHRF1 and UHRF2 protein interactions with histone tail peptides and nucleosomes containing H3unmod, H3K9me3, or H4K40me3. These experiments were conducted using peptide fluorescence polarization (FP) assays and nucleosome pull-downs. Both proteins bound H3K9me3 and H4K20me3 peptides well by FP. However, these proteins did not bind tightly to H4K20me3 and H3unmod …

Assessing The Impact Of The Great Recession On The Rust Belt States: A Policy Analysis, Cederick Charles

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This research examines at the wide-ranging effects of the Great Recession, which struck the Rust Belt states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin between 2007 and 2009. The study uses historical economic data and state-level policy responses from 2005 to 2015, including GDP and unemployment, and examines the various policies implemented to combat this substantial economic slump. These policies include investments in infrastructure, job creation programs, industrial support, and aid for vulnerable populations. Beyond immediate responses, the research takes into account the region's long-term recovery trajectory. By evaluating different policy choices and the …

The Covenant As Formula: Expressing The Noahide And Abrahamic Covenants Through Mathematical Models, Olivia Marr Robinson

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Music From Rumble Strips: Developing An Experiment For Undergraduates, Hannah Popofski

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Rumble strips are parallel, evenly spaced grooves that have been ground into pavement, often with a trough-to-trough spacing of 12 inches. They are typically found along the shoulders of limited access highways and are designed to produce steering wheel vibrations to warn drivers that they have drifted off the road. One model for sound production by cars moving across rumble strips is that the fundamental frequency is determined by the number of troughs driven over each second. Assuming 12-inch spacing, the sound produced would have a frequency, in Hertz, that has the same numerical value as the speed of the …

Patrician Women In Renaissance Florence: Daughters, Wives, Mothers And Nuns, Elise Nehasil

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The society, economy, and political institutions of Renaissance Florence between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries were dominated by powerful merchant, patrician families. These families continually worked to maintain their positions at the apex of Florentine society. The women in these patrician families, as daughters, wives, mothers, nuns, played an integral role in their struggle to remain atop the social, economic, and political spheres. In examining the lives of these females we need to ask, to what extent were the lives, roles, and power of patrician women in Renaissance Florence shaped by the needs and desires of their families and the …

Predictors Of International Students' Acculturation Processes In The United States, Somaya Eissa

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

International students have unique acculturation experiences. There are several factors that can play a role in their acculturation process. This topic has not been widely investigated in midwestern middle sized universities in the United States. This study had four specific hypotheses. The first was that the assimilation model is going to be correlated to a stricter upbringing of the individual. The second was that the separation model is going to be correlated with higher religiosity. The third was that the integration model will be correlated with higher

levels of outgoingness. Lastly, that marginalization will be correlated with lower levels of …

The Time War: Comparatively Analyzing The Process Of Settler Colonialism & The Importance Of Personal Record, Naomi Hardin

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In this work, I argue for the necessity of framing settler colonialism as an ongoing process of exploitation and genocide, rather than an event of the past. Understanding settler colonialism as ongoing allows us to recognize how white supremacy utilizes direct and indirect forms of violence to not just occupy land but extract resources, build infrastructure that ensures its survival, and displace indigenous peoples. I offer first a sketch of settler colonialism as it is happening in Palestine, Algeria, and the Americas. I engage with books and research essays to think comparatively about these phenomena & further reveal the legacies …

Financial Regulation In The Age Of Ai, Jack Leitao

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Artificial intelligence has been playing an increasingly important role in the function of financial markets since the 1980s and the inception of program trading. The technology has evolved and has reached a more adolescent phase of development. As the technology has evolved, the risks introduced by massive algorithms keeping the markets humming have become more evident. The relationship between market volatility and trading volume adds risk as the speed and size of the trading activity has increased. High-frequency trading algorithms, while developed and refined by highly sophisticated institutions, still are at risk of succumbing to human error. Overall, algorithmic trading …

Loan Debt Burden, Student Experiences, And Livelihood: A Study Examining Relationships Between Students’ Education Costs, Financial Viability, And Life Impact, Christa A. Reid

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the complex connections among loan debt burden, student experiences, and post-bachelor’s outcomes, situated within the framework of systemic disparities in educational funding and opportunities. It identifies declines in state funding across educational levels as a systemic and politicized issue, disproportionately affecting students in underserved and underresourced school districts. The study emphasizes the impact of systemic racism and policymaking in perpetuating poverty through higher education, emphasizing the need for equitable policy establishment. Economic downturns and reduced higher education funding necessitate the exploration of alternative revenue streams, such as endowed funds and fundraising efforts, to prevent increased tuition costs …

Centering The Needs Of Language Learners Within Educators’ Professional Learning And Development: An Investigation Of Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences In Meeting The Needs Of Language Learners, Kimberly Tsukiyama

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study explores K-12 classroom teachers' perceptions and experiences in meeting the needs of language learners, specifically English language learners (ELLs) and dual-language learners (DLLs). Addressing two main research questions, it investigated how teachers' preservice learning and development prepared them for instructing language learners and identified preparatory experiences and professional learning considered beneficial and critical to their development in this area. Through surveys, teacher interviews, and classroom observations, the study highlighted challenges faced by teachers in settings with diverse language populations, including native Japanese, Spanish, and Arabic speakers, as well as native English speakers learning a second language. It …

Herbicide Management Alters Fungal Biomass And Community Composition In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Erica Danae Lathers

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Wetlands provide many ecosystem services, and invasive species and their management can alter these services. Plant responses to wetland management actions are typically monitored, but less is known about how soils respond. Phragmites australis, an invasive wetland plant, can alter soil conditions, potentially impacting soil microbial structure and function. We sampled soil communities in Great Lakes coastal wetlands in southeastern Michigan dominated by Phragmites and sites that had been previously invaded by Phragmites then treated with herbicide from 2011-2017, to understand how herbicide management alters soil fungal communities. We assessed microbial and fungal biomass, fungal community composition, greenhouse gas emissions, …

Looking For Love On A Chilly Night: The Colorado Brown Tarantula Mating Season, Dallas Haselhuhn

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Aphonopelma hentzi is the most widespread and abundant tarantula species in the United States. While a distinct mating season is observed, it has not been well studied and the environmental drivers for the mating season are unknown. By conducting daily surveys on a peripheral population within Southeast Colorado, between August and November 2022, I found that after the first significant temperature drop, the number of mate-seeking males was significantly higher than prior to this temperature event. Mate-seeking males were significantly correlated with a drop in the water vapor pressure gradient, a rarely used biological metric for assessing potential water loss …

Investigating Early Childhood Education Through A Systemic Lens: What Impact Does Early Childhood Education Have On District Level Leadership, Edward John Manuszak Ii

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Public School educational leaders from around the United States are confronted with choices inhow to invest resources that can create the greatest impact for students. An often-overlooked area of investment is early childhood education. As defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), this is the period of development between birth through age 8 for any child. If a district were allowed to self-assess their own early learning readiness, will the leadership of that district be equipped and prepared to deliberate and make appropriately measured decisions based on current practices and utilized resources? This study seeks …

African American Adolescent Suicidality And Prevention From An Urban School Counselor Perspective, Shannon Franklin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

African American adolescent suicidality has become more prevalent, and urban school counselors are positioned uniquely to intervene. This research studied the overarching societal factors in the sociocultural, economic, and political spheres that influence increased suicidality behaviors in African American adolescents from the perspective of urban school counselors. The focus of this research was to hear the lived experiences of urban school counselors regarding the impact of racial discrimination on African American adolescent suicidality. The two theoretical frameworks that were used to support this study are the world-systems analysis theory and critical race theory. This study took a qualitative phenomenological approach …

Identifying The Origins Of Business’ Data Breaches Utilizing Covert Timing Channels, Gayle L. Frisbie

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Cybersecurity events and data breaches are on the rise and are very costly to businesses. Businesses rely on connectivity and information systems to conduct business, yet those same information systems can be breached and the organization's data exposed. Today, there is a heavy reliance of organizations upon network connections to connect the entire organization in order to conduct business efficiently and from multiple locations. Covert timing channels are a cybersecurity attack method in which malicious actors embed privileged information into normal network traffic without authorization. Malicious actors, by carefully manipulating timing patterns in covert timing channels, can create a hidden …

Correlation Of Alcohol Use, Depression, And Social Roles In Young Adults, Eleise Oyster

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Past research suggests that the presence of depression is related to an increase in risky alcohol use. Additionally, existing studies have also found that social roles may increase or decrease an individual’s alcohol use. In this research, the intent is to develop a better understanding of the connection between alcohol use, depression, and social roles. It is hypothesized that elevated alcohol use is positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated to social roles. Fifty-two participants (healthy graduate and undergraduate students) were recruited from the EMU campus through the SONA system. Using data from the self-report questionnaire where participants reported on …

Horizontal Garage Door, Kara Bishop, Rayenna Sutton

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Garage doors are a common component to a suburban lifestyle, and this mundane concept is reimagined to fit an unusual type of outdoor garage. The project is provided by a private construction company for a pre-constructed house in San Francisco, California. The location is difficult to access, and the pre-standing structure cannot accommodate a standard garage door. To fulfill the requirements of this bid, a custom single car horizontal garage door is designed, tested, and a physical prototype is constructed for validity. The design employs a friction wheel system used to open and close the doors along a track embedded …

The Role Of Bicultural Identity Integration In The Relationship Between Discrimination And Well-Being, Jasmine Chananna

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research indicates that experiencing discrimination from dominant group members and having a less integrated bicultural identity are associated with negative psychological outcomes for bicultural individuals. Further, bicultural identity integration (BII) has also been found to mediate the relationship between discrimination from dominant group members and well-being. However, there is insufficient research exploring the impact of discrimination from one’s heritage group members. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of in-group discrimination on psychological adjustment and self-concept clarity. This study also aimed to explore BII as a mediator between in-group or out-group discrimination and psychological outcomes. Correlational analyses supported …

日本における世代間での言葉の違い, イアン ガブリエル クルーズ

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

今後、言語は進化して変化していく。これは若い話者と高齢者の話者が母国語でコミュニケー ションをとる方法の違いだからだ。この研究は3つの世代のグループの日本語母語話者の言語 の違いについて考察する。この研究のデータは２０２３年の秋に、日本の滋賀県彦根市で、収 集した。この研究は日本語の一人称代名詞と語彙の使用の違いについてだ。

Intergenerational Linguistic Differences In Japan, Ian Gabriel Cruz

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

As time passes, languages evolve and change. This is evident through the differences in how younger speakers vs. older speakers communicate in their native language. This study focuses on the linguistic changes in the Japanese language over three generations of native Japanese speakers. The data for this study was collected in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan in Fall 2023. The study focuses on the use of Japanese first-person personal pronouns and synonymous lexical differences.

Synthesis Of Dihydro-Β-Carbolines By Tandem C-H Activation And Aza-Michael Reaction In The Presence Of Rh(Ii)/Squaramide Catalysis: Investigation Of The Mechanism Via Computational Methods, Syed Wasiuddin

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

N-heterocycles are the major component of various bioactive natural products, pharmaceuticals, and their precursors. In particularly, β-carbolines are examples of substituted indole and its derivatives that serve as the basic structures of diverse, therapeutically important molecules with broad pharmacological properties. Rajasekar and Anbarasan have suggested a novel one-pot synthesis for dihydro-β-carbolines involving more than one catalytic system: a rhodium acetate dimer for C-H insertion on the indole and a basic organo-catalyst for the subsequent aza-Michael addition. The product can be obtained enantioselectively by using a chiral squaramide as the organo-catalyst. Since the mechanism of this reaction, including the rate determining …

Classroom Management In Michigan Second Grade Classrooms, Alyssa Peterson

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

An important topic in elementary education today is classroom management. I explored this topic through interviews and surveys with second-grade teachers around Michigan in order to learn more about the question, “What classroom management systems and strategies are being used in Michigan second-grade classrooms today and are they effective at creating a supportive learning environment?” I obtained an in-depth picture of seven different classrooms and the differing methods the teachers use to manage their classrooms. Emphasized elements in the majority of classrooms include flexibility, relationships with students, expectations and routines, and communication with families.

Sense Of Belonging And Accommodations In Students With Disabilities In Higher Education, Francesca Licari

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study was to look at how students with disabilities' sense of belonging can be affected by the support they receive in higher education. The study included a survey sent out via email to Eastern Michigan's DRC in the fall of 2022. The support students receive can be from faculty, staff or peers at the institution. A student's sense of belonging can affect many different aspects of their life and having people to support them can help them to feel more included and valued. This study also investigated the effects students felt Covid-19 had on their academic …

A Profitability Analysis Of Products And Services In The Biotechnology Industry, Olivia Halverson

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This paper will discuss the various ways to address profitability within firms and compare the profitability of three firms within the same industry. It will also touch upon rebranding within firms, the differences between brand and reputation, and how companies decide to use these leverages. Within, the paper dives into one successful account of a rebranding and its positive or negative effects in the long run. This will mainly be reflected in the literary review. In the profitability review, I will review three comparable companies within the biotechnology industry, including two public companies and one owned by a private equity …

Assessing College Students' Knowledge Of Applied Behavior Analysis And Evaluating The Effects Of A Fact Sheet To Address Misconceptions, Hannah Goike

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Previous research has indicated that college students consistently endorse misconceptions about behavior analysis (e.g., use of physical punishment, Applied Behavior Analysis [ABA] is only intended for people with autism). This study aims to assess college students’ knowledge of behavior analysis and identify the extent to which participants are likely to endorse common misconceptions. This study replicated Artzen et al. (2010) and extended it by adding questions related to the recent trends and reported misunderstandings in the field of ABA that stem from public misconceptions. The current study also evaluated the effects of a brief intervention for improving participant knowledge of …