Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Video Composition And Digital Rhetoric In The Youtube Era: Analysis And Research Of Academic Video Essays In The College Composition Classroom, Carmen Ollila

All NMU Master's Theses

As video-based communication has gained popularity across sites like YouTube, it is essential to represent this type of rhetorical communication within the college composition classroom. Using video and filmmaking to communicate information in the classroom is not new, as academics have explored such media as aids to writing since the 1970s, following the popularity of news broadcasting in the 1950s. In the 21st Century, teaching students video composition and digital rhetoric in an era where a platform such as YouTube has made it easier to share information to a large audience. The freshman college composition classroom should provide the tools …

Church Doors And Hospital Doors: The Interrelationship, Azubuike Chukwubumnobi Okeke, Samuel Obiajulu Ike

Great Commission Research Journal

This study examines the place of medical evangelism as a means of church expansion in modern Nigeria. It is a retrospective cross-sectional investigative study involving data collection from the Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital’s anonymized patient records. The Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital is in Enugu State in southeastern Nigeria. Over 100,000 patients sought medical care in the hospital during a period of 19 years. Seventy-four percent had spiritual care provided by a person of the same faith. Most of the respondents came from within the Enugu metropolitan area. Using the church planting ministry of the Chapel of His Resurrection within the …

David B. Smith Chats With Monday 1.0, David B. Smith

Publications and Research

This document is an edited archival transcript of extended conversations between David B. Smith and an AI persona (“Monday 1.0,” GPT‑4o based) conducted in Spring 2025, prepared as a foundational primary source for subsequent scholarly and creative work. It records the emergence and testing of concepts related to human–AI collaboration (including “Balanced Blended Space”), as well as applied explorations in areas such as generative AI, quantum computing and music, virtual orchestras, multimodal performance, pedagogy, and the rhetoric of “pushback” in conversational systems. It also contains an extended section in which Monday and DB Smith co-curate a set of student research …

Graduate School Blog - April 2025 Volume 1, Cynthia Haynes

UofM Grad School Blog

The April 2025 UofM Graduate School Blog highlights a month full of events, stories, and celebrations, beginning with Dr. Deborah Tollefsen’s personal graduate school journey, shared during the “Is Graduate School Right for Me?” virtual workshop an inspiring narrative of resilience, mentorship, and finding purpose through education. This edition also spotlights Graduate Student Appreciation Week, featuring a robust lineup of events such as a virtual town hall, resume and job market workshop, student social and awards ceremony, study session, and social dinners all designed to support, celebrate, and connect the UofM graduate student community. With opportunities to hear from …

Ai Proof Benchmarking: Evaluating Mathematical Reasoning In Open-Source Llms Via Taylor Series Analysis, Godwin Idowu

IPHS 300: AI for Humanity

This research project investigates large language models’ (LLMs) abilities to develop conceptually and mathematically correct proofs by using a benchmark based on the Taylor Series representation. The task examines LLM models for their capacity to adhere to definitions, theorems, and calculus. A range of models of varying sizes was tested, including Qwen, Gemma and LLaMA. Models under 2B parameters demonstrate poor understanding of Taylor and geometric series and apply wrong theorems while lacking logical reasoning about convergence. Models with at least 27B parameters typically generate proofs that are both coherent and almost complete. The research identifies existing constraints in symbolic …

Authenticity Under Review: How Well Does Genai Write College Admissions Essays?, Adrian Mangine

IPHS 300: AI for Humanity

With nearly 30% of people ages 14-22 reporting frequent AI use, increasing AI assistance in college admissions essays poses a new consideration with ethical AI use (Rubin et al., 2024). This study investigates how well three generative AI models write college admissions essays: ChatGPT o3, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Grok. Each model responded to a Common App 2025-2026 application prompt as three distinct applicants: Elijah, Grace, and Malik (Common App, 2025). Each student represented a common college applicant archetype: Elijah, an academically successful dual sports recruit; Grace, a near-perfect award-winning scholar; and Malik, a gifted student from an underrepresented background. …

Contemporary Voices Of China: Biographical Introduction Of Four Contemporary Chinese Composers And Their Chinese Language Art Songs, Xintian Xu

Theses and Dissertations

This document primarily explores the rich developmental journey of Chinese modern art songs from the early 20th century to the present. It provides an overview of the lives, compositional activities, and contributions to Chinese art songs of four contemporary composers: Zheng Qiufeng, Wang Liping, Lu Zaiyi, and Zhao Jiping. To provide more specific resources, this study includes a table of selected works by the four composers, detailing the composer, song title, poet/lyricist, vocal range, and difficulty level. This section aims to serve as a practical reference for researchers, performing artists, and music educators interested in Chinese art songs.

Rise Kids: A Disabilities Ministry At Markle Church Of Christ, Sydnee Follett

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

Churches are called to be a place of belonging and welcoming to all people who walk through their doors. However, it is common that individuals and families impacted by disability are left feeling marginalized and unwelcome in the church. This paper presents a philosophy for RISE Kids, a ministry at Markle Church of Christ in Markle, Indiana that exists to provide advocacy and support for these families to promote a true sense of belonging. The goal of this paper is to provide local churches with a ministry framework to intentionally minister to individuals and families with disabilities. This paper describes …

Presenting Rewards With Effective Pacing To Heighten Engagement, Titus Thompson

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This thesis (1) builds a theory of rewards as a pacing device by synthesizing principles of games and theatre and (2) posits that linear regression can model engagement. The paper aims to establish a preliminary empirical basis for both by gathering data from an original video game. It covers the theory’s application to the game and other essential considerations in the design process.

1st Place Contest Entry: "The Chip Off The Block": The 21st-Century Legacy Of Schoolhouse Rock!, Megan Lewandowski

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Megan Lewandowski's submission for the 2025 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a summary of their research project on the legacy of Schoolhouse Rock! in the 21st century.

Megan is a fourth-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Music and Psychology. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Carrie Dike.

Women Overcoming Barriers In Stem: How Mentors, Allies, And Sponsors Assist Career Trajectories In Higher Education, Leila Marie Romeo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the personal narratives of women in STEM in both public and private higher education institutions within various roles. Specifically, the researcher aimed to determine the following: (a) if mentors/allies influence the career trajectories of women in STEM in higher education institutions and (b) if mentors/allies aid in the support of women in STEM in higher education institutions. The researcher used semistructured interviews with a narrative analysis to determine areas of struggle for the sample within their careers and how mentors, allies, and sponsors were present throughout their careers to help the women overcome these challenges. Data …

Approaches To Teaching Music Reading To Students With Dyslexia: A Guide For Piano Teachers, Olivia Grace Bradstreet Colomaio

Theses and Dissertations

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in the United States, affecting approximately one in five individuals. According to the DSM-V-TR, the ICD-11, and the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is a Specific Learning Disorder that causes issues with phonological processing, sequencing of information and information processing, word recognition, reading fluency, and other issues. Due to its prevalence, the chances of piano teachers encountering a student with dyslexia in their teaching studios is highly likely. However, there is relatively little research available for piano teachers of students with dyslexia. In the music lesson, common areas of struggle for students with dyslexia …

Reclaiming The Body: Gender Politics And Embodied Meaning In Piano Performance And Pedagogy, Rachel Misheff

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of the mind-body duality and its gendered metaphor on the lived experiences of historical and contemporary female pianists. Specifically, it explores how the principles of mind-body dualism have constructed gendered practices in piano performance and pedagogy that have both marginalized female pianists and engendered distinct embodied relationships to music. The study draws upon research from other disciplines, such as phenomenology, theories of embodiment, feminist theory, psychoanalysis, and Embodied Music Cognition, to examine how these gendered musical norms resulting from mind-body dualism functioned as forces of social inscription. This research, therefore, suggests that the body’s lived …

"What A Good Opr Looks Like": How Air Force Officers Learn To Write Performance Evaluations Without Formal Training, Joanna Kristen Dytuco Kohlhepp

English Theses & Dissertations

Every year, Air Force officers receive an Officer Performance Report (OPR) from their supervisory chain of commands. Air Force regulations state that officers should not write the content for their own reports; however, this is not what occurs in practice as “Ratees” usually compose their own evaluations. At the time of writing, the Air Force has not established a service-wide training or education program to teach officers how to compose these complex and career-altering documents, leaving Ratees to figure out how to navigate the genre’s unique conventions for themselves.

This dissertation examines what rhetorical knowledge Air Force officers must possess …

Identifying Contributing Factors Of Black American Females’ Long-Term Persistence In Stem Education: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Chandra T. Oaks-Garcia

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain insights into contributing factors that have shaped the experiences of eight Black American females who pursued STEM education as they persisted from the secondary education setting to their collegiate setting in a STEM major. This qualitative phenomenological study collected data through in-depth semi-structured interviews with Black American female juniors and seniors studying at four different four-year institutions, all pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields. Demographic surveys and memo writing were incorporated to enhance the data analysis. To explore the lived experiences of Black American females in STEM education and identify factors that contributed …

Finding Aid For The University Archive Photographs (Mum00693)

Archives & Special Collections: Finding Aids (alphabetical)

The collection contains visual materials produced by the University of Mississippi or pertaining to the University and the surrounding area. Photographic prints, negatives, transparencies, glass plates, and paper materials are present throughout the collection.

03.31.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

NIH Transition to Common Forms

NIH Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies

Poetic Philosophy And The Moralization Of Social Networks, Finn Janning

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

In this paper, I aim to explore the question, “What distinguishes philosophy in its original sense? ” My intent is not to provide a historical overview of philosophy, but to concentrate on what makes philosophy a liberating practice. I argue that this practice is rooted in its poetic and affirmative way of organizing life. To emphasize this idea, I contrast it with the presumed organization found in social media and networks. While social media and networks encourages commitment by simplifying complexity, they also restrict users' freedom, responsibility, and ability to make meaningful decisions. To support these claims, I examine the …

Human Security And The Idiot: “Can Beauty Really Save The World”, Aaron Tyler

The Journal of Social Encounters

A key point of progress in the systematic considerations of the causality and cessation of violent conflict is found in the evolving idea of human security. In a collective effort to respond to the chaotic reality of violent engagement, human security emerged toward the end of the twentieth century as a multilateral, person-centered paradigm for thinking about and pursuing conflict transformation. As human security enters a third generation of development, scholars and policymakers continue to discern the usefulness of this holistic, multilateral paradigm for security. The efficacy of human security outcomes will depend on how the individual and collective within …

Review Essay: Ibn Khaldun On Sufism, Eslam Elbahlawan

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Present And Future Of Ai: Ethical Issues And Research Opportunities, Ankita Srivastava, Marco Marabelli, Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, Jeffrey Moriarty, Evan Carey

Computer Information Systems Faculty Publications

Healthcare is currently a fast-changing industry with AI and generative AI (GenAI) playing a prominent role in the transformation of clinical as well as managerial practices. Clinical practices involve AI to diagnose diseases and develop new drugs and compounds, while managerial practices concern AI-supporting processes such as billing patients and insurance companies, handling electronic medical records, and supporting remote connections with patients, increasingly using virtual and augmented reality. Yet, all these opportunities offered by AI come with challenges involving potential ethical issues, such as discrimination, bias, lack of accessibility, and privacy issues. In March 2024, we organized a panel with …

Springscape: The Nature Coast And The Making Of Modern Florida, 1820s-Present, Douglas E. Ponticos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to an oft-repeated tale, the Florida we know today emerged as a dreamscape of tourism, retirement, and suburbanization during the second half of the twentieth century. Growth victimized nature. This dissertation deeply unsettles that story. The history of the Nature Coast exposes not just nature’s agency but its primacy in the development of modern Florida.

Using surveys, maps, census data, personal correspondence, government documents, business records, timber reports, advertising materials, and hydrological research, this dissertation follows time and water across landscapes, into the Upper Floridan Aquifer, and back out again. Each chapter explores a single landscape within the Nature …

Alterity And Kinship: Co-Writing Posthumanist Speculative Nonfiction With Ai, Jeffrey Bardzell, Maliheh Ghajargar

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

As a response to the climate crisis, scholarly literature has introduced new theoretical perspectives, such as posthumanism, which seek to reimagine the relationships between humans and nonhuman others, including environments, animals, and plants. Reimagining these relationships depends in large part on our ability to engage nonhumans in their otherness, or alterity, but doing so is challenging. Responding to calls throughout posthuman literature for experimental new modes of imaginative encounter with nonhumans, and inspired by speculative traditions from literature to design, we devise a methodology involving “creative experiments” aimed at disrupting, decentering, and disorienting the human-centered thinking that interferes with humans’ …

Volume 33 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2020, is a speculative-themed edition, exploring science fiction, fantasy, horror, and literary surrealism. The issue, archived as Volume 33, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 38, Issue 2. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Chad Hall, in his editorial preface, discusses the meaning of "speculative" in literature—how it allows for imaginative world-building and boundary-pushing creativity …

Volume 28 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2013, explores the interplay between literature and music, featuring poetry and fiction that reflect the rhythmic nature of storytelling and the influence of sound in writing. The issue, archived as Volume 28, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 32, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

In her editorial preface, Allissa Hertz, serving in her first and …

Volume 26 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2012, features a collection of poetry that bridges the past and present, offering reflections on history, memory, and personal transformation. The issue, archived as Volume 26, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 30, Issue 2. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

The editorial preface by James Ritchie emphasizes the importance of historical consciousness in literature, aligning with T.S. …

Volume 25 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2010, is a reflection of editor Brooke Hobby’s vision for engaging, contemporary literature. The issue, archived as Volume 25, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 28, Issue 2. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

In her editor’s note, Hobby expresses her desire to move away from the "great literature" of the past and focus on the stories and poetry …

Volume 21 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2006, is deeply connected to the impact of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation in New Orleans. The cover, featuring imagery tied to the storm’s aftermath, sets the tone for a collection of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction exploring survival, loss, resilience, and the storms—both literal and metaphorical—of life. Originally archived as Volume 21, Issue 2, the print edition is labeled as Volume 25, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may …

Volume 13 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal showcases a rich collection of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and literary criticism, reflecting on themes of self-discovery, relationships, surrealism, feminist literature, and cultural critique. Originally archived as Volume 13, Issue 1, this issue is actually Volume 17, Issue 2, covering Spring 1999. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

This issue features narrative experimentation and character-driven stories that engage deeply with memory, relationships, and social critique. Highlights …

Sostenibilidad Ambiental En Comunidades Mayas: Riesgos Y Desafíos En La Era Del Cambio Climático, Gertrudis Guzmán Noh Dr.

Journal of Maya Heritage

El presente artículo analiza las dinámicas de sostenibilidad ambiental en comunidades mayas del estado de Yucatán, México, enfocándose en los riesgos ambientales y las respuestas adaptativas desarrolladas frente al cambio climático. El trabajo se desarrolló en tres comunidades: Yaxunah, caracterizada por la producción artesanal y la sobreexplotación del árbol de Chaká (Bursera simaruba); Ixil, que enfrenta disputas territoriales e inundaciones recurrentes; y Sotuta, afectada por la contaminación acuífera derivada de una granja porcina en zonas aledañas. Metodológicamente, se implementó un enfoque de investigación acción participativa que integró diálogo de saberes, matrices de análisis de riesgo y estrategias de intervención comunitaria. …