Digital Commons Network^™

Women’S Stories Of/In Athens, Greece: Reflections For Future Cities, Christina Marouli

Journal of International Women's Studies

In a continuously urbanizing world, developing cities that support a good and full life for women—an issue with implications for families and communities at large—should be a concern in the planning of human settlements. This is particularly important for the transition to sustainable cities, which is a priority in most contemporary societies. This study focuses on women’s everyday lives in Athens, Greece, particularly the suburb of Nea Smyrni. It builds on the stories of five women shared through in-depth interviews that were conducted between spring 2023 and winter 2024. These stories have been selected because they represent women of diverse …

Female Embodiment And Corporeality In Sanskrit Prognostication: A Study Of The Bṛhatpārāśarahorā Śāstra, Tara Sheemar

Journal of International Women's Studies

The connection between traditional Indian knowledge systems of astrology, medicine, and drama has been noted by scholars. Of particular concern for gender analysis is the reading of lakṣaṇas (bodily marks) that developed in astrology. The coded knowledge of astrology—the sharing of fundamental meanings with other Sanskrit knowledge systems—became a significant tool for gendered prognostication, which buttressed normative gender roles for men and women. In this paper, I attempt to unravel the code of lakṣaṇas given in the Bṛhatpārāśarahorā Śāstra, a text composed between the 7th and 9th centuries CE. The focus will be on the sections of the text …

Rewriting Histories: The Experiences Of Pioneering Egyptian Women Architects In The Socio-Political Context Of The Nasser Era, Mai M. Aboul-Dahab, Yasser M. Moustafa, Yasser M. Mansour

Journal of International Women's Studies

The history of modern architecture has particularly emphasized the roles of male architects with little mention of women architects. Since women’s contributions have often been overlooked, feminist scholars worldwide have aimed to showcase women’s history in the architectural profession over the past several years. However, there is still a lack of scholarship on the historical experiences and contributions of women architects in the Middle East, particularly Egypt. This research aims to address this gap in historiography by focusing on the first women architects in Egypt during the Nasser era. As such, the study utilizes archival sources and examines various architecture …

Code-Switching: A Study On College Students’ Languaging Practices, Neyda Perez

Honors Theses

My linguistic background is composed of many contrasting elements. I grew up speaking Spanish and English in rural Texas, and I have an accent. Words would have a southern drawl, and when saying words that were similar in English and Spanish, I would pronounce them with a Spanish accent. In contrast, many of my language arts teachers prior to high school put great value on Standard English. My accent was often corrected and dismissed, and while it wouldn’t affect my ability to navigate a classroom, I would hold it back in class nonetheless. Due to all these components, I had …

The Life Of Marie Curie And Her Impact On Feminism In The Sciences, Jamie Chin

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Chemist Marie Curie had an incredible impact on the field of chemistry by discovering radium and polonium and being the first person to win two Nobel Prizes - one in physics and one in chemistry. Despite the extreme sexism that she faced as a female scientist, she still made a lasting impact in the chemistry and feminism through her accomplishments. Today, women make about half of the United States’ workforce and 57 percent of college graduates, yet they remain underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. For this project, we investigated the influence of Marie Curie’s life on feminism …

Digital And Physical Spaces: All At Once, Addyson Hoey

MFA in Visual Art

In this thesis, I explore our experience of digital and physical spaces in the ever-increasing presence of technology. By investigating the intersections of these spaces, I focus on how our experiences in the physical world are processed through the digital space, to re-merge in lived spaces. Through digital collage paintings, I explore how assisted chance and machine destruction can be productive in the formation of space that is not possible on the screen. By using the drop shadow as primary content, my work takes on the arrangements of surface and space—rather than the requirements of the physical world. In addition, …

Transmutation, Sam Berger

MFA in Visual Art

My artistic practice is about change itself. I am inspired by the doubling and layering effects that came out of Surrealist Photography. Scale, fracture, and doubling are intentional components of my process. I combine those methods to create complex works of art, focusing on the untamable light that I hope to capture when making my images, which often are self portraits. Poetry is an integral element of this thesis text as well as my art making process. Through my poetic work I hope to offer my audience a glimpse into how I see and experience the world. This thesis text …

Go Cry About It!, Grace C. Ryder

MFA in Visual Art

I have always been a crier. I have always felt deeply and intensely. Goodbyes, heartbreak, joy, and empathy—I’m grateful to feel it all, even when it hurts. My artwork often investigates vulnerable topics through making the personal public using self archival and diaristic elements. Inspired by my familial and romantic relationships, I explore my connections to other people and how I memorialize and honor them. My painted works often depict ephemeral objects, establishing their value through the use of oil paints while my sculptures are often exaggerated, oversize forms, emphasizing the passage of time.

From January 1st to December 31st …

An Empirical Analysis Of The Microfoundation Of Demand For Money Theory In Nigeria, Kenneth Ofori-Boateng, Perekunah B. Eregha

Journal of African Policy Studies

The study examines the microfoundations of money demand function specifically the Sidrauski model of money in the utility function was adopted for Nigeria. Data for the study were extracted from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical and Economic Review Bulletin (various issues) and used Error Correction Specification which tied the short run to the long run relationships. The result of the study confirms the Sidrauski conclusion that consumption expenditure has positive impact on money demand. The study then concludes by recommending that for a developing country like Nigeria monetary policy requires careful examination of the microfoundations behavior underpinning monetary economics …

Information, Public Policy Analysis And Sustainable Development In Nigeria, Joseph E. Imhanlahimi, M. O. Ikeanyibe

Journal of African Policy Studies

Information and public policy analysis are critical factors in adequate public policy formulation, implementation and evaluation if the public good is to be achieved in Nigeria. This paper has carried out a critical examination of the interface between information and the public policy process and the effect on public policy analysis and has found that there is a crucial interrelationship among them in order to promote sustainable development. The paper found that the interrelationship is however, seriously interfered with or obstructed by a variety of dominant constraints. The constraints include inadequate human capital, financial resources, large-scale secrecy in government business, …

Performative Biomechanics : Evolving Buildings Into Inhabitable Organisms, Josh Lopez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

There has always been a connection between biology and architecture. Michael Pawlyn, in Biomimicry in Architecture, coined “biomechanical designs” to describe structural techniques derived from creatures. This study investigates chitin-based creatures. Crustaceans, insects, and microscopic organisms all have exoskeletons in nature. With a focus on crabs, other crustaceans and bugs, this study examines and evaluates the formal characteristics of chitin-based organisms. The architectural creations of OXMAN, NOX, which was founded by Lars Spuybroek; and Lebbeus Woods are among those that are analyzed and studied due to their inspiration from living things. They follow functional effectiveness in nature, which is why …

On Appreciating Evidence, Auke Alesander Montesano Montessori

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this dissertation is the kind of understanding or grasping necessary for successfully using something as evidence. I call this kind of grasp “appreciation”. Take the case of a fossil. Intuitively, you can only successfully use a fossil as evidence for the existence of dinosaurs if you appreciate the epistemic link between the fossil and dinosaurs. If you fail to grasp the relevance of the fossil and you think it is just a rock with a funny pattern, you would not be justified to form the belief that dinosaurs once existed based on that fossil. However, what it …

Chinese Students, Jim Crow Schools: Navigating Education In A Black-And-White Society, Amanda Young

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Previous research on the history of education in the Jim Crow South has largely focused on the effects of legal segregation on Black communities. However, there existed another group: the Chinese. In the seemingly bifurcated system, their intermediate status was particularly discernible in the school. After Lum v. Rice (1927) stipulated that Chinese people, as members of the “colored” race, should be excluded from white schools, Chinese families sought other forms of education, including private tutors and church-sponsored mission schools. Still, they remained steadfast in their commitment to accessing white public education. The Chinese reproduced, acquiesced to, and in some …

What Model For Language Planning In Education And Development?, Raymond Mopoho

Journal of African Policy Studies

The implementation of language policies by African countries after independence was very similar to what prevailed in the colonial era in that its centerpiece was the promotion of European languages, to the exclusion of native languages. The official rationale for such policies was political and economic in nature: In a multiethnic context, imposing a foreign language would promote national unity and foster the acquisition of the technical know-how necessary for development. Such a policy was characterized by several weaknesses. In its implementation, for many years, the school system seemed content with being a graduate generating machine, with little attention being …

The Technological Dimension Of Africa's Crsis Of Development: An Agenda For The 21st Century, Osita Agbu

Journal of African Policy Studies

This article critically examined the ways that technological underdevelopment had contributed to the deepening crises of Africa's technological backwardness. Adopting a holistic and historical approach, it tried to show how technological underdevelopment and the dearth of technologically driven approaches to addressing developmental questions had adversely affected the continent.

The article opines that beyond the technological is the fundamental understanding that the problem which Africa is facing is not just a technical one, but involves also a polical dimension which must not be ignored. It sought to explicate the question of whose technology for what, and in whose interest? It maintained …

Patterns And Determinants Of Fertility In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1974-1998, Asfaw Yitna

Journal of African Policy Studies

Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, reported a surprisingly low TFR level of 1.8 births per woman in the year 1994. Such a low level has never been experienced by any other large African city. In this paper, we attempt to confirm the adjusted level fertility of 2.1 births per woman and thus the fertility decline reported by the Central Statistical Authority (CSA), and to explore the important demographics, socio-economic and proximate determinants of fertility decline of Addis Ababa from 1974 to 1998.

We use data from fertility surveys of 1990 and 1995, conducted in Addis Ababa by CSA, …

Preparing To Bridge The Deaf Math Gap: Exploring Preparation Materials For Asl Interpreters In Math Education, Taylor Victor

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

The gap in performance between hearing students and their mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) peers who use ASL interpreters expands throughout various grade levels and is not a new issue, especially in mathematics. This delay in mathematical development has been prevalent for many decades, and it is still being determined at what level it begins and what the causes are. D/HH students' academic success is often connected to high-quality academic sign language interpreting (Jones, 2017). However, there are still many college-level American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting programs that are not focused on educational interpreting. This lack of focus …

05.05.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Research Showcase Photos

Showcase Raffle Winners

Chancellor's Award for Research and Creative Scholarship

Video of the ORED website

Modeling Literary Connections: Exploring Transregional Resistance In Dalit Poetry, Antara Bhattacharyay

Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science Honors Projects

Structuring socio-political identities, the caste system (a graded form of hierarchy) remains entrenched in contemporary Indian society. Dalits, marginalized by the caste system, have expressed their resistance through literature, envisioning substantive equality and social change. In this thesis, I draw on digital humanities methods to examine regional variation in translated Dalit poetry from Bengali, Hindi/Urdu, Marathi, and Tamil languages. I utilize topic modeling—a machine learning algorithm that detects latent semantic structures in a text—as a point of departure for poetry analysis. I observe how topic modeling enables newer readings of the poems, revealing regionally resonant and broader Dalit themes.

Interaction-Required Suggestions For Control, Ownership, And Awareness In Human-Ai Co-Writing, Kenneth C. Arnold, Jiho Kim, Jason G. Chew, Jooha Yoo, Juyeong Kim, Ray Flanagan, Heonjae Kwon

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This paper explores interaction designs for gen-
erative AI interfaces that necessitate human in-
volvement throughout the generation process.
We argue that such interfaces can promote
cognitive engagement, agency, and thoughtful
decision-making. Through a case study in text
revision, we present and analyze two interac-
tion techniques: (1) using a predictive-text in-
teraction to type the assistant’s response to a
revision request, and (2) highlighting potential
edit opportunities in a document. Our imple-
mentations demonstrate how these approaches
reveal the landscape of writing possibilities and
enable fine-grained control. We discuss impli-
cations for human-AI writing partnerships and
future interaction design …

Make Some Noise: The Intersection Of Music Therapy And Classroom Management, Erica Ewell

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review defines and explores the themes at the intersection of music therapy and mental health counseling techniques and general education practices for classroom management. This work explores how general education teachers, who are not therapists or musicians, might use music to engage students so that their classrooms feel safe (physically and emotionally), productive, and ideally, fun. From recent and relevant literature in music therapy, psychology, and education journals as well as classroom management guidebooks grounded in trauma-informed theory, five major themes emerged: (1) Student Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation, (2) Student-Teacher Relationships (3) Social/Emotional Learning, (4) Psychological Safety/Well-Being in School, and …

Schools, Those Uncertain Tools Of Social Change: The Case Of Morocco’S Female Graduates, Latifa Jouhir

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The Media In Fostering Democracy In Southern Africa, Sam A. Mchombo

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

The Shortcomings Of Institutional Evaluations In Africa: The Case Of Madagascar, Remi Clignet

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Volume 11 Full Text, Bjur Staff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Displaced Nostalgia, Nava Derakhshani

Theses and Dissertations

Exploring themes of identity, displacement, gender, and belonging, this paper examines the artist's work and her approach to her art. She covers the many influences that she has access to while unable to visit her ancestral homelands. Acknowledging the translation that comes from this removal, her art is in conversation with other diasporic, exiled, marginalised groups. She makes art with various materials such as clay, shadow, light, and paint, to work on the themes that she is pursuing.

Paintings And Paintings, Anna T. Gregor

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues for a renewed distinction between mere paintings and capital-P Paintings, contending that meaning arises through sustained, reciprocal engagement between viewer and artwork. Amid "postmodern" disorientation, it proposes a reorientation toward individual works as sites of immanent logic and shared perception, rather than relying on external narratives or historical clichés.

4 In 10 Tiktok Users Find Their ‘For You’ Page Extremely Or Very Interesting, Aashish Gadani

Theses and Dissertations

Using video supercuts, sculptural forms, and digital prints on textiles in my work, I explore how images/videos can be used to reflect on cultural and personal trends. In this paper, I discuss how the structure of software recommendation systems combines with ideas of the post-internet image and creates unintended cultural consequences.

Final Master's Portfolio, Sophia Michalski

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This portfolio explores research in technical writing revolving around digital products and literary practices such as Post-Structuralism as literary theory and the methodology Docile Bodies within literary texts. While half the portfolio includes analytical essays which examine how these themes intersect and arise in literary landscape, the other half aims to investigate how the current digital marketplace prioritizes cloud-based products and what limitations are placed through extensive research.

The Demise Of Fossil Cycad National Monument As A Consequence Of Paleontological Resource Mismanagement, Nathaniel Valentine, Vincent Santucci, Justin Tweet, Aubrey Bond

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota (Figure 1), Fossil Cycad National Monument boasted well-preserved specimens of cycadeoid fossils from the Cretaceous and concentrations of these fossil plants were greatest at the site’s location (Santucci and Hughes, 1998). I studied historical records to estimate the number of fossils removed by paleontologists at the site between 1890-1957.