Digital Commons Network^™

Queer Convergence: Figurative Abstraction In Contemporary Art., Vincent Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exhibition text for the exhibition of the same name held in Schneider Hall Galleries from May 15 to August 21st, 2025. This exhibition explores the work of three contemporary artists – Joshua Jenkins, Drew Scanlon, and Lalana Fedorschak – and analyzes their artwork through the lens of Queer Convergence. Queer Convergence is an exploration of abstracted images of bodies and how we can read these bodies through a queer lens, arguing that the visual language of bodily overlap, melding, and transformation shows the physical form as a site of continual change shaped by shared experience and …

Crossed Stitches: Tension And Transformation In Nineteenth-Century Embroidery Samplers., Hayley Salo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Originally designed as practice pieces, embroidery samplers have long been studied as domestic objects and part of sewing history. Interpretations of the material and textual significance of individual samplers is less common. However, recent scholarly attention has turned to using sewing practices and objects as a means for understanding individual stitchers and their contributions to public discourse. As such, a focused study of the material and textual content of embroidery samplers furthers our understanding of the genre on its own and as a wider textile practices. Crossed Stitches is interested in the production, portability, circulation, and reception of embroidery samplers …

"That’S Not A Meal, Bestie”: Humor, Identity, & Feminized Consumption In “Girl Dinner”., Claire Tudor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the viral “Girl Dinner” trend as a case study in how gendered consumption, digital identity, and feminist humor intersect in digital spaces. Using “Girl Dinner” as a rhetorical artifact, this thesis explores how women use gendered trends to navigate visibility, labor, and autonomy in online spaces. Through thematic analysis of TikTok content, media coverage, and branded adaptations, the research traces the evolution of the trend from a lighthearted joke to a site of cultural negotiation. This study reveals that while “Girl Dinner” may appear empowering and relatable on the surface, it often reinforces traditional gender expectations under …

Incarcerated Women: Gendered Rhetoric From The Outside And Reality Inside Prison Walls., Taylor Riley Geiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how formerly incarcerated women navigate and resist gendered media portrayals through digital platforms, focusing on the “mad” and “bad” woman tropes that shape public perceptions. Drawing on feminist rhetorical theory—particularly Royster and Kirsch’s methodological practices and Ratcliffe’s concept of rhetorical listening—this study combines Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of mainstream headlines with Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) of TikTok content. CDA of media coverage surrounding Lori Vallow Daybell, Casey Anthony, and Andrea Yates reveals how language, imagery, and cultural logics sustain harmful binaries that portray women who commit crimes either as depraved or as excused by madness, obscuring the …

Assessing The Accessibility Of Queer Romance Book Covers As Digital Thumbnails: An Analysis Of Color Contrast, Colorblind Safety, And Typography Legibility, Madelynn Sare

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

This research investigates the digital accessibility of queer romance book covers displayed as thumbnails online, focusing on the balance between creative freedom, genre appeal, and inclusive cover design. Using a dataset of 100 highest-rated queer romance titles from Goodreads (2020–2024), the study evaluates accessibility by examining color contrast ratios against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards, assessing colorblind safe design with Adobe Color, and measuring typography legibility through a custom-developed scale. Findings reveal that many covers fall short of WCAG color contrast requirements, yet a majority are colorblind safe, indicating that relatively minor design adjustments can significantly improve digital accessibility …

The Impact Of Black Faculty On First-Year Black Student Retention, Sense Of Belonging, And Racial Identity At Historically And Predominantly White Institutions, D'Andrea L. Williams

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The presence and engagement of Black faculty members in higher education can significantly impact Black students' college experience in their first year, especially at historically and predominantly White institutions. Emphasizing the importance of representation mentorship and relationship building, this study stresses the importance of Black faculty in fostering a sense of belonging, strengthening racial identity development, and contributing to the retention rates of Black college students during their freshmen year. On campus, Black students face the challenges of a campus climate plagued by racism, unfair expectations, mistreatment, microaggressions, and discrimination. Representation matters, and the sharing and affirming of those experiences …

Ai And Me, Stewart Justman

Global Humanities and Religions Faculty Publications

How well did AI interpret an article of mine published in the Journal of Controversial Ideas?

Research On The Use And Effects Of Freezing In Controlling Clothes Moth Infestations In A Contemporary Art Collection, Sara Thornburg

Art Conservation Master's Projects

This study investigates the efficacy and implications of low-temperature pest eradication— specifically freezing—as a method for managing clothes moth infestations in museum collections, with a focus on contemporary and composite artworks. Prompted by the evolving needs of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), this research explores current best practices, material vulnerabilities, and institutional approaches to freezing treatments. A literature review was conducted alongside a global survey of 40 museum professionals to assess how freezing protocols are implemented, what materials are considered safe, and what challenges arise in real world applications. Results show that while freezing remains a widely …

The Automation Of Aesthetics: Artificial Intelligence And Commercial Artists In North Brooklyn, Devin Sudweeks

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate elites expect generative AI to replace commercial artists but overlook their social and aesthetic expertise. This ethnographic study explores how Brooklyn-based commercial artists narrate their value amid automation, emphasizing embodied presence in cultural scenes, visual language, style, and authenticity, skills not easily mechanized but vital to aesthetic economies.

A Word From The Writing Team (August 2025), Pam Walter, Mfa

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

This issue includes:

• Publications Spotlight
• Join the Last Summer Writing Warriors Session Tomorrow
• Check out our Fall Workshops
• Two Ways to Fund Open Access Fees

Redefining Community: An Analysis Of Black Presence On Nantucket In The Late 19th And Early 20th Centuries, Laura A. Paisley

Graduate Masters Theses

In the mid-19^th century, the decline in whaling initiated massive change on Nantucket Island’s cultural landscape. The thriving, but segregated, New Guinea community that formed in the late-18^th century was also impacted by this shift. Tourism ultimately became, and still is, Nantucket’s primary source of income and has wreaked havoc on the historical narrative that is perpetuated about the island. This narrative rarely moves past Nantucket’s whaling history and does not discuss the continued Black presence on the island. This thesis uncovers the relationship between race, space, and community formation that existed on Nantucket between 1860 and 1920. …

Studies' Trends On The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Technologies In Analyzing And Directing Consumer Behavior: A Second-Level Analysis Of Published Research During The Period 2018-2024, Shaymaa Al-Said Salem

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

Companies in the era of digital communications must follow the latest technological developments to keep pace with their competitors and meet the needs and requirements of the market. Artificial intelligence has become an essential element in achieving this goal, as this technology has brought about fundamental changes in the global trade scene, and this has manifested in the form of ideas, interests, and huge investments. Therefore, many companies and business organizations in various sectors have recently resorted to using artificial intelligence techniques in the field of digital marketing and consumer behavior analysis to anticipate the customers' next purchase decision and …

The Role Of Social Media In Spreading Hearth Information During Heallth Crises, Aseel Al-Ajarmah, Faten Hamad

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

Access to information strongly contributes to the advocacy of sustainable development. Social media can facilitate availability and accessibility of information during crisis times. This research investigates the role, and difficulties of using social media to spread health information among the Jordanian society. A questionnaire was disseminated to all faculty members at health schools at The University of Jordan (N=415) of whom 380 responded (91.5% response rate). The results indicate that social media are highly recognised as a practical platform to increase public awareness during pandemics. However, there is a need for measures to limit the spread of fake news and …

Sex Differences In The Risk Of Developing Alzheimer Disease, Cognitive Trajectories, And Relationships Between Cognition And Pathological Burden, Carling G. Robinson

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Prior work suggests females may develop Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia at a higher rate than males, and that this effect may interact with apolipoprotein (APOE) ε4 genotype. However, this work has often been limited by imprecise clinical diagnoses and a lack of AD biomarkers. In addition to the frequency of dementia, there are mixed reports on whether sex impacts rates of cognitive decline. Further, females consistently exhibit greater accumulation of AD pathological biomarkers, particularly tau, than males. It has been theorized that females initially demonstrate resilience to AD pathology, maintaining cognitive functioning longer than males, but experiencing a steeper cognitive …

The Upcoming Moral Crisis In Primitive Artificial Intelligence, Justin E. Edens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As we continue to develop artificially intelligent systems, there is an increasingly high chance that we will develop a system that is both conscious and capable of suffering. Furthermore, it is likely that the development of this conscious machine will be entirely unintentional. While this machine will have moral status, identifying it will be extremely difficult, leading to it being treated the same as its inert predecessors. For these reasons I believe that a crisis in ethics is looming. This paper aims to argue that it is possible for a machine to have moral status, that the first such machine …

The Effects Of Background Child-Directed And Adult-Directed Singing On Reading Comprehension Performance, Agnes Yeboah Amfo-Adu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although music features in speech, such as those found in child-directed speech and song, are known to enhance language processing, the underlying mechanism of this benefit remains unclear. Prior research has primarily compared verbal materials presented in a musical, child-directed style to those in a less musical, adult-directed style, leaving it uncertain whether the benefit stems from the music style of verbal presentation or mere exposure to musical features. This study examined whether the language benefits of child-directed input persist when it is presented as background auditory stimuli rather than the primary focus of cognitive tasks. Experiment 1 found that …

Hormonal Modulation Of Sexual Approach And Avoidance Among Women With A History Of Sexual Trauma, Anneliis Susan Sartin-Tarm

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

A history of sexual trauma places women at a high risk for sexual dysfunction and other health sequelae, yet the influence of ovarian hormones in this population is poorly understood. This dissertation tested the theory that the effects of ovarian hormones are mediated by cognitive approach-avoidance systems to shape sexual well-being, and that this process is moderated by sexual trauma history. This was investigated across three studies examining the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptive use, and menopause. Across each chapter, I present complementary evidence demonstrating that hormones interact with the interpretation of ambiguous internal and external cues with respect to sexual …

Experiences Of Disclosure Among Transgender And Gender Diverse Sexual Assault Survivors, Merle E. Huff Ii

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Around half of TGD people have experienced sexual assault victimization (Abern et al., 2023; Clements-Nolle et al., 2006; James et al., 2016; Martin et al., 2022; Risser et al., 2005; Stotzer, 2009), which leads to higher rates of depression and PTSD (Grant et al., 2011; Grocott et al., 2023; Fernández-Rouco et al., 2017; Hawkey et al., 2021; Matsuzaka & Koch, 2019; Parr, 2020; Ussher et al., 2020). Disclosure of victimization may be important among TGD survivors. The current study was guided by minority stress theory (Meyer, 2003) and the gender minority stress and resiliency model (Testa et al., 2015) to …

Partition, Passport And The Documentary Life Of Belonging, Haimanti Roy

History Faculty Publications

As India and Pakistan emerged as two new nation-states after 1947, questions around nationality and citizenship animated official and public discourses. While there were constitutional and legal pronouncements to clarify these matters, this article suggests that particular documents governing mobility became central to how such issues were framed and understood. In particular, this article focuses on the Indian passport and similar documents of mobility control, such as the domicile certificate, permits, and so on, to examine how they worked singly and in conjunction to frame the documentary life of belonging. The article also focuses on particular mobile groups, Muslim minorities …

Right To Work Laws – The Effects On Unionization With A Theatrical Emphasis, Jade A. Randle

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

A look at the impacts that right to work laws may have on theatrical unions.

Sustainability: Buzz Word Or Future Of Fashion? Measuring The Feasibility Of Outright Sustainability Among Fast Fashion’S Biggest Agents, Ryan Miller

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

The fashion industry is currently experiencing unsustainable rates of pollution within its supply chains. The rapid increase in demand for short lead times perpetrated by large-scale retailers has led to hazardous practices negatively affecting both the environmental conditions and working conditions of producing countries. With this increased pressure, relationships between brands and suppliers have become untenable. Limited transparency and imbalanced power dynamics at the hand of the industry’s leading retailers require restructuring in order to build more sustainable and equitable supply-chain practices. Further, governmental regulation is currently limited in its capacity to enforce sustainable business practices on a global …

Interdisciplinary Studies At Grand Valley State: Brooks College At Twenty, Eric Covey

Grand Valley Reports and Histories

This study, focused chiefly on academic programs, begins with a brief outline of the history of the Cluster Colleges at Grand Valley State University and then goes on to detail how the arrival of a new provost in 2002 revived and reshaped the idea of an independent college dedicated to interdisciplinary experiments. It was written partially to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Digital Biophilia In Web Interface Design For Accessibility And User Well-Being, Bryana Michelle Peifer

Theses

This interdisciplinary study explores the intersection between horticultural therapy and web design, focusing on the impact of biophilic design principles in shaping contemporary practices within digital interface design. This exploration addresses the multifaceted relationship between humanity and the natural world, particularly how this connection serves as a source for the emergence of nature-inspired elements in digital expressions and their subsequent integration into modern web design for accessibility and well-being. As digital environments increasingly dominate daily experiences, the need for digital wellness through nature integration has become critical, especially for individuals who have physical disabilities, limited mobility, or limited access to …

Does Change In Faith Maturity Reflect Maturation? Establishing Strict Measurement Invariance For The Faith Maturity Scale Across Time, Hiroki Matsuo, Tyler Greenway, Grant B. Morgan, Sarah A. Schnitker

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Despite its early focus on religious development and faith maturation, the psychology of religion and spirituality field underutilizes longitudinal designs; work is needed to reduce barriers to the longitudinal study of the processes by which faith matures. As a first step, the present study examines the invariance structure of the Faith Maturity Scale across three time points to assess the reliability and structure of the scale over time. The confirmatory factor analytic method was used to examine data from 572 college students. Configural, metric, scalar, and residual/strict models were tested. Findings support the full strict residual longitudinal invariance model, providing …

Thematic Analyses Of Session Data With Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults Obtained During A Clinical Trial, Brenna Rose Lash

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults in the United States experience high rates of discrimination and marginalization, contributing to adverse mental health outcomes. While clinical guidelines for gender affirming care have been developed, these guidelines often lack empirical grounding or specific, actionable strategies for clinicians. Although theoretical models such as the marginalization stress model and the psychological mediation framework offer useful foundations for case conceptualization, they do not fully capture the lived experiences or the resilience mechanisms of TGD individuals in therapeutic contexts. This project aims to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice through thematic analysis of therapy …

Intergenerational Family Dynamics Among Caregivers And Children’S Social-Emotional Development In China, Weiman Xu

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The early years of a child’s life are pivotal for social-emotional development. While extensive research has explored the role of family settings in fostering children's social-emotional development (Bornstein, 2005), the impact of grandparental involvement, particularly the caregiving dynamics between generations, remains less well understood. This study aims to fill this gap by examining two critical aspects of intergenerational dynamics among caregivers (i.e. parent-grandparent coparenting and parent-grandparent relationship quality) and their associations with children’s social-emotional development (i.e. social skills and problem behaviors). Two specific aims were delineated: 1) examine the unique contribution of parent-grandparent coparenting, especially the power and authority domain …

The Career Resilience Of Women Of Color Amidst Intersectional Racism-Sexism In The Us: A Consensual Qualitative Study, Hannah Ahmad Ridzuan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Women of color have historically and presently experienced both sexism and racism on interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels (Sue et al., 2007). While discrimination based on racial-ethnic and gender identities has by far the most extensive literature base (Duffy et al., 2016), literature on the development of women of color career resilience is not as expansive. Informed by the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) (Blustein, 2006; Duffy et al., 2016), the intersectionality framework (Crenshaw, 1989; Collins et al., 2021), and critical consciousness (Freire, 1971; Quiñones-Rosado, 2020), this consensual qualitative research (CQR; Hill, 2006) explored how women of color in the …

The Tree That Would Not Fall: An Educator’S Autoethnographic Journey Of Healing Through Words, Raeanna Marie Carlson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

To say the world has changed since the 2020 COVID-19 shut down is to minimize the micro and macro social changes that infiltrated the school system. In the wake of it all, we find a landscape marred by a both rising teacher attrition and struggling student motivation. This autoethnographic dissertation explores the deeply personal experience tethered to a deeply problematic system that contributes to not only teacher burnout but what I came to know as teacher demoralization. Personal traumas of teachers profoundly impact their experience in the classroom, and as I examined my own near departure from the classroom, I …

Pedagogical Empathy As Instructor Self-Care: Struggles, Structures, And Support, Colleen J. Hart

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Building from interviews with writing instructors at an urban R1 institution, this article identifies the struggles between balancing empathetic teaching practice—a practice that seeks to understand and address another’s needs in the classroom—with practicing self-care. In proposing a feminist pedagogical empathy, this article investigates how empathetic teaching practices, such as flexibility and transparency, and empathetic course policies can offer benefits to both instructors and students. Ultimately, I argue that empathetic teaching practice can function as self-care for instructors, rather than be considered additional labor or diminished as lenient or unrigorous, upholds rigor by clearly defining expectations for students while also …

Landmarks Of Mental Health In The Prophetic Tradition, Hamza Bin Faye Ibrahim Al-Fathi

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

Indicators of Emotional Health in the Prophet’s Sunnah is a research that deals with a number of important topics: it first tackles the significance the Sunnah gives to employing human faculty, promoting reflection and contemplation, and balancing the intellectual and spiritual aspects of life. The research further addresses how the Sunnah encourages satisfying innate drives such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire; meanwhile, controlling negative human emotions, such as anger, envy, arrogance, and selfishness. It also indicates the prophetic treatments the Sunnah provides for such feelings, which positively affect the Muslim character, enabling them to enjoy the feeling of balance …