Interdisciplinary Arts and Media Commons^™

Structura Lux, Anton Pleshka

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In the evocative realm of installation art, my creative research

navigates the nuanced interplay between light and space, with the

ambitious goal of transforming the viewer’s perceptions through

immersive environments. This venture is more than a creative journey;

it is a phenomenological exploration that emphasizes the primacy

of lived experience in artistic expression. My installations, through

manipulation of light and form, evolve into conversations between my

intentions as an artist and the experiences of the audience, crafting

moments that intentionally elicit a wide spectrum of responses and

challenge the traditional confines of visual storytelling.

Recollection, Shelby Ann Theis-Lukenbill

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

My work is inspired by life's transient nature and objects' enduring capacity to house memories. The delicate sculptures I create combine second-hand objects with paper to capture the essence of moments and possessions that define personal histories. The objects I use represent more than their form or chemistry; they are imbued with fragments of history and memory that I am driven to preserve. In this work, the sentimental nature and purpose of my belongings hold an equal or greater value than the physical nature and purpose of those belongings. I illuminate an object’s sentimentality by combining its form with painted …

Return To Soil, Lindsay Jo Mccarty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document outlines my artistic research on building a symbiotic relationship with land throughout life and death, eco-philosophy, and the significance of natural decomposition. It explores green burial practices in Western society, delves into the history of basketry, and draws inspiration from the mutualistic effort of returning our organic energy to the Earth. The recontextualization of what “death” is and reciprocal outlooks are central to this work. My aim is to honor this cycle through creations that incorporate plant matter in hopes that, one day, I can create artwork with completely compostable materials.

My art embodies these themes and is …

"Where Did Your Christ Come From?", Kamara V. Townes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This written document is the accompanying thesis for my Master of Fine Arts Exhibition, “WHERE DID YOUR CHRIST COME FROM?”, shown at Gallery 937 in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (displayed April 5th-June 9th, 2024). Through painting, sculpture, and installation, I rely on an intuitive artmaking practice to create work that makes commentary on race, gender and identity. This thesis documents my research on contemporary influences, experimentation with materials and my point of view in conversation with intersectional feminism while navigating institutional racism.

Conceptually the work of my thesis is deeply influenced by womanism and Black culture, which informs my exploration …

Multitudes, Madison Otter

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Identity is a fluid and layered experience enriched by contradictions, the power of interpersonal relationships, and continuous growth. Recognizing oneself as a blend of opposing traits—strong and tender, contemplative and restless—reveals that humanity is anything but black and white. With each passing day, we evolve, bringing new perspectives and insights with us. As Walt Whitman wrote, "[we] contain multitudes.''

Although no single artistic medium can fully capture this for me, using multiple modes of expression allows me to explore and approximate it. This realization was the origin of my thesis.

The process of creation itself, whether quick or deliberate, is …

The Favela Blossoms: Voices Of Favelas In São Paulo, Brazil, Vasti Cruz

Scripps Senior Theses

This project spotlights improvised housing in the peripheral areas of São Paulo, Brazil, better known as favelas. For over a century, the favela has been known as a place of death, violence, crime, and oppression. Paradoxically, the first favelas in Rio de Janeiro were named after a plant that produces flowers. However, today, these communities are rarely compared to their beautiful, symbolic-of-life namesake. Instead, this prejudgement is rampant not only globally, but also within the proper city– which perpetuates social division. When favelas are discussed in the media, they often reference those in Rio de Janeiro; however, favelas are present …

Interdisciplinary Learning: How Different Ways Of Thinking Can Fuel Passion And Expand Understanding., Allison Amy Peschek

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This Capstone project was created to show the profound experience resulting from an extended range of interdisciplinary learning, and how different methods, when paired together, can enhance a learning experience. This was a personal project of exploration into those different angles, and primarily focused on avenues of logical and creating learning, respectively. These methods have been implemented by this author often in the past, but this capstone will explore this concept further, as there is a lot of potential in combining these different methods and biases in learning, to both further passion and understanding as a learner, but to also …

Conflict Profiles And Team Outcomes In Cross-Disciplinary Teams: An Integrated Latent Profile Analysis And Natural Language Processing Approach, Francisco Cima, Pilar Pazos

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Team conflict is a naturally emerging phenomenon resulting from individuals' interactions during project execution. Cross-disciplinary teams can experience higher levels of conflict than single-discipline teams because of the increased diversity of knowledge and perspectives. Research has shown that team conflict can emerge from different types of disagreements (cognitive and interpersonal), which have different implications for team functioning. Past empirical research has focused on the impact of both conflict types independent from each other while overlooking their combined effects. This work examines the conflict profiles resulting from the combined levels of interpersonal and cognitive disagreements and their association with team outcomes. …

How To Forget, Jesse D. Hoyle

Theses and Dissertations

How To Forget was born from a need to give tangible form to the psychic residue left behind by a life lived. Through the use of silk-screening of red clay mud onto ink-jet photographs, archival textiles, and site-specific installations, I attempt to tie and/or divorce myself from my own and my family's extended history and examine the function of memory within the dynamics of the archive. How To Forget takes a non-linear, non-chronological approach to this examination, compressing decades of time and space through the manipulation of the archive and my own self-portraiture, designed specifically to deny myself from its …

Views Around The Ring, Patrick Wilson

CMC Senior Theses

My thesis shows the visuals and sound aesthetics of the video game series Halo. For my thesis, I created a 7-and-a-half-minute abstract video containing cutscenes in-game visuals over music from the different games, with an accompanying essay talking about the game and my video. I created this thesis because Halo was and still is a game that has been with me most of my life and I wanted to capture what I thought was important to the game. I achieved this through mixing soundtracks and editing in-game footage and cutscenes together. I learned that creating an abstract video takes a …

Anamnesis, Kristian Thacker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

My work examines the duality of living in Appalachia and cherishing its picturesque environment; while being complicit in its ongoing destruction via industry and resource extraction. Composed of my own photographs and selections from the Farm Security Administration archives, this body of work presents a vision of the region that’s purpose extends beyond value judgments. Rather, it considers the manmade and natural environments of Appalachia holistically, each one integral to the experience and understanding of the other. Following the same aesthetic choices I make in my professional practice as a photojournalist, I blur the boundary between art and documentation. In …

Envisioning Futures: A Photovoice Study On How An Urban Afterschool Program Empowers Caregivers To Be Agents Of Change In Their Community, Ellen Mays

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As part of comprehensive whole-family out-of-school-time programming, parent engagement and education play an important role in addressing achievement and opportunity gaps in low-income neighborhoods. Parent groups have the potential to be a unique space of social justice work by creating supportive, innovative spaces to build social capital and organize around common action goals. This photovoice study looks specifically at “Parent University,” a parent out-of-school-time meeting group that focuses on empowerment education by providing opportunities for parents to meet, engage in rich consciousness raising dialogue, identify areas in need of change, and create and implement action for social change. This study …

The Development Of An Interactive Multimedia E-Learning Module For Functional Cognition, Mckenzie R. Behrendt, Stacy Smallfield

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The rise in technology, social media, and video has led to the desire for short, interactive, and visually appealing instructional materials. Modern learners want flexibility, repeatability, accessibility, and low-stakes knowledge checks. A multimedia e-learning module may meet the learner’s desires. This article describes the conception, development, and implementation of a free, interactive, multimedia e-learning module designed to enhance understanding and application of occupational therapy (OT) theoretical approaches to address functional cognition. We discuss the considerations for choosing a multimedia e-learning module as an instructional tool, drawing from existing research demonstrating its effectiveness. Particularly, a multimedia e-learning module potentially benefits addressing …

Zine And Collage-Making As An Engine For Queer Self-Making: Cutting, Pasting, And Seeing What Sticks, Robin Lao

Postgraduate

The purpose of this project aims to explore the potential of graphic design as a means of discovering and expressing queer identity on both a personal level and as a form of public engagement- to connect the individual to community and discover new knowledge of the self.

This project aims to add to the conversation and representation of queer identity so that both current and future generations can exist comfortably in their bodies and the spaces they occupy in the world. The necessity of more queer, more diverse and nuanced perspectives within studies of queer identity is more important than …

Expect: A Speculative Documentary Filmed In Vr Utilizing The Role-Playing Method To Explore Disabilities And Ableism In Science Fiction, Leilei Xia

Theses and Dissertations

Expect is a speculative documentary filmed in Virtual Reality (VR) that features Chinese actors with disabilities to explore, challenge and reimagine the conventional ableist Sci-Fi tropes and the transhumanistic tendency to “fix” or eradicate disabilities through technological enhancement. I invited people with disabilities who are interested in Sci-Fi to do a Role-Playing with me in Virtual Reality (VR), in which they imagine themselves to be living in a future civilization, an alien planet, or an alternate universe. The participants came up with their own fictional characters and built their own world views. I interacted with them by asking questions and …

Beyond The Veil: Hijabi Superheroes And The Power Of Representation, Moom Thahinah Ms

Theses and Dissertations

As a Hijabi woman, I am often misrepresented by stereotypical narratives in Western media that obscure my individuality and agency. My thesis addresses the misrepresentation of Hijabi women, challenges audience perceptions, and empowers Hijabi women to confront these narratives.

Informed by design and media discourse, I developed a narrative and a Hijabi superhero character appropriating tropes of Western comic books. The resulting research combines two outcomes: a print-based narrative and a transformative garment. Print media is used to address the lack of Hijabi representation in Western comics while showcasing the character’s ability to combat discrimination. Derived from the comic format, …

In Shame I Will Find Paradise, Taehee Whang

Theses and Dissertations

As a Korean American non-binary digital artist and designer, my recent explorations have focused on using voice as a medium to articulate nuanced feelings of displacement and the intricate relationships between language, identity, and expression. This journey expands beyond my personal experiences with gender dysphoria, delving into the lives of non-binary and transgender individuals undergoing gender-affirming voice therapy. Through my thesis research, I have developed interactive multimedia installations inspired by dialogues with individuals such as Umico Niwa, who traveled to Korea for voice feminization surgery, and Jeong Yoon Lee from Hyperlink Press, a four-year participant in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). …

Zaytouna: Rooted Histories In Uprooted Memories, Naima M. Almajdobah

Theses and Dissertations

Palestinians, whether living under occupation or—like myself—in the diaspora, experience a complex journey of displacement and dispossession stemming from the Nakba of 1948. This reality shapes our collective identity, rooted in our connection to our homeland.

Zaytouna explores an under-researched topic: the relationship between the olive tree and uprooted Palestinians. It reveals a rich tapestry of narratives that encompass the quintessential and everlasting relationship between a land and its people. The resulting interactive archival installation consists of two parts: audio recordings from Palestinians in the diaspora, which capture their memories and voices; and visuals, which represent the storytellers’ places of …

Tchu Tcha Tcha: The Transformative Role Of Funk, Adriane De Souza

Theses and Dissertations

Cultural disconnection and homesickness are part of expatriate life. My research investigates the transformative power of Brazilian funk, which, for me, evokes restorative memories of home and life in Rio de Janeiro.

Originating in North America, funk made an exciting leap and found a new home in Brazil, particularly in Rio de Janeiro. Over time, it has become firmly established and thoroughly Brazilianized, infused with local instruments and influences, leading to the emergence of a new genre of music known as Brazilian funk.

Transplanted again, to Qatar, this work celebrates the migration of funk through a combination of still images, …

Capiz Reborn: Preserving And Enhancing Traditional Philippine Shellcraft, Destarte A. Prieto

Theses and Dissertations

The capiz shell is a thin, translucent exoskeleton of a mollusk found in the Philippine Sea. Traditionally, capiz shells were made into window panes and home decor, used so widely they became an iconic part of Philippine identity. Today, the influx of cheap, mass-produced merchandise threatens the capiz shell industry. To encourage renewed interest and sustainable revival of this long-standing industry, my research demonstrates new possibilities for the capiz shell.

In reconstituting cast-off bits and shell trimmings to form a new capiz biomaterial, my work is informed by the three traditional techniques used by Philippine capiz artisans—sewing, welding and bonding. …