Digital Commons Network^™

“I Tell Them Generics, But Not The Specifics”: Exploring Tensions Underlying Familial Support For First-Generation Latinx Undergraduate Students, Stephany Cuevas

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Families continue to play an essential role in the experiences of first-generation Latinx undergraduate students and can serve as powerful partners to support student retention and socioemotional wellbeing. This qualitative phenomenological study uses the notion of emerging adulthood to explore how first-generation Latinx undergraduate students (n = 16) conceptualize their families’ role in their college education. Specifically, this study shows that while students describe feeling supported by their families, they also experience distinct and unique tensions tied to this support, which students associate with their first-generation student status. These tensions include (1) the family’s unfamiliarity with college culture; (2) bidirectional …

“Women And Lockean Theory: John Locke, Rachel Speght, And Egalitarian Personhood, Katherine Gillespie, Bas Van Der Vossen

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Liberal political thought affirms the moral equality of all persons. The Lockean tradition within liberalism captures this equality by endowing people with equal natural rights. However, a powerful line of criticism holds that the theory fails to live up to its egalitarian billing by treating men and women differently. This article offers a rational reconstruction of the Lockean position on gender equality, and the rights of women in particular. We propose a novel interpretative method which puts Locke into conversation with a contemporary female author, Rachel Speght. In Speght, we find an interesting argument supporting an egalitarian Lockean view, grounded …

`The Very Beautiful Principles Of Natural Philosophy': Michael Faraday, Paper Marbling And The Physics Of Natural Forms, Robert Pepperell

LASER Journal

In 1854, Michael Faraday wrote to thank the author who had sent him a book on the art of paper marbling. In the letter, Faraday referred to `the very beautiful principles of natural philosophy' involved in the process of dropping ink on thickened water. What are the `beautiful principles' that Faraday referred to, and how are they involved in the art of paper marbling? Here I consider some of the physical processes that occur in paper marbling and how the patterns that emerge represent `dissipative structures' that are governed by fundamental principles of nature, in particular the tendency for physical …

Native American And First-Nations Canadian And Physical Pfas Accumulations: A Literature Review, Laurel Liebeseller

University Honors Theses

Native communities' exposure to anthropogenic Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS: "Forever Chemicals") are not demographically or geographically evenly distributed. Those who live near or on contaminated land or water are the most likely to accumulate dangerous amounts of PFAS that may have serious health consequences (Tribal PFAS Working Group 2021). Areas that tend to be most contaminated include landfills, airports, and military bases. Often Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities are placed near these "sacrificial zones" due to historic and current policies that segregate and marginalize people and families to polluted lands creating great environmental injustices (Dixie). …

Dumping In The Global Dixie: Circle Of Poison And The Contamination Of The Global South, Amy M. Hay

History Faculty Publications

The 1981 publication of David Weir and Mark Shapiro’s exposé Circle of Poison almost ten years after the banning of DDT represented how the landscape of understandings about hazardous chemicals and their regulation had changed. The book exposed two things. One was the ways power had reconfigured itself, which in turn highlighted the ways the story Silent Spring told, which effectively moved hearts and minds to make change happen. One thing that remained hidden, however, to both Rachel Carson and Weir and Shapiro, was the degree to which the chemical industry traded at the local and regional level, conducting international …

Challenging The Master Narrative Of Holocaust Victimhood: Examining The Holocaust Through A Gendered Lens, Annabella Blowers

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women are severely unrepresented in the master narrative that has come to define what it means to be a Holocaust victim. Although men and women were subjected to different forms of victimization, women’s unique experiences of suffering have been marginalized and subsumed within the male-dominated master narrative. Examining the Holocaust through a gendered lens challenges this existing narrative of Holocaust victimhood. Conducting a gender analysis of the Holocaust is essential to fully incorporate women’s experiences into Holocaust history and the grossly inadequate narrative society uses to define Holocaust victimhood.

An analysis of fifty Holocaust fiction novels revealed that literature’s depiction …

Me And Ms Jones - The Androgyny Of Black Women, Lethokuhle Msimang

Comparative Literature M.A. Essays

Despite the progression of contemporary discourses around gender, the African woman's body remains in a categorical conundrum shaped by post-colonial legacies. This paper explores how prevailing notions of femininity and its intrinsic relationship to delicateness, exclude black women from the female category. Given the significance gender plays in participation in the occident, black women's preclusion from the female category can result in what may appear on the surface as a posturing of whiteness, but which, on further interrogation, reflects a performance of fragility. On the other extreme is the embrace of androgyny as both an internalization and a way to …

Romani American History: Historical Absences And Their Consequences, Ann Ostendorf

History Faculty Scholarship

American historians have created an historical absence by ignoring Romani people’s presence in evidence from the past. The origins of this “absence-ing” are multifaceted and interrelated, but fundamentally stem from the continued influence of out-of-date and unprofessional ways of thinking and knowing. Examining and understanding “absence-ing” requires a consideration of the nature of the discipline of history as well as a history of the missing historicization of Romani Americans. The consequences of the “absence-ing” of Romani people from American histories have negatively and distinctively influenced four different groups of people: historians of the Americas; historians of Romani people in Europe; …

Chronos Volume 12 Issue 1 - Full Issue

Chronos

No abstract provided.

The Global Context Of German Eugenics In The Nazi Period, Stefan Nielsen-Sperb

Chronos

No abstract provided.

Technology And The Human Body In The Films Of David Cronenberg, Owen Davies

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Since David Cronenberg seemingly broke from the genres of science fiction and body horror, scholarship surrounding his work has shifted away from questions of the body and technology. However, his recent return to the conventions of these genres in the film Crimes of the Future (2022) requires us to return to these questions. Through the work of Deleuze and Guattari, I analyze the ways in which technology interacts with the body as a factor of technological development, along with the ramifications of technology for the production of subjectivity and organization of sexuality. I use this to demonstrate one possible political …

Computational Analysis Of O6-Methylated Guanine And Thioguanine Complexes, Kirsten Stinson, Michael Bowman

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

DNA methylation occurring on the O⁶ position of guanine has been linked to the formation of cancer. DNA complexes with O⁶-methylated guanine have been studied experimentally, yet questions remain concerning the carcinogenic properties of O⁶-methylguanine. This present research explored the interaction between O⁶-methylguanine and its potential nucleobase pairs of cytosine and adenine in hopes of elucidating the mutagenic characteristics of O⁶-methylguanine. A variety of computational methods including Density Functional Theory (DFT), Symmetry Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT), Noncovalent Interaction (NCI) analysis, and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis were employed to comprehensively probe …

The 2024 Defence Policy Update And Its Predecessors: Why The Caf Is In A “Death Spiral”, Allan English

Canadian Military History

In March 2024 the Minister of National Defence characterised the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) inability to attract new members as a “death spiral” for the force. While the latest defence policy update, Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence, recognises the seriousness of the CAF’s personnel crisis, it provides no concrete actions to solve it. However, this defence policy update is just the latest in a series of actions used by the CAF to manage perceptions of its personnel problems rather than addressing their root causes. This article examines the latest defence policy in the …

Embracing The Irreplaceable: The Role Of Neurodiversity In Cultivating Human-Ai Symbiosis In Education, Piper Hutson

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

This study investigates the indispensable role of human skills—such as empathy, ethical judgment, and nuanced understanding—in the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) within higher education, highlighting the unique contributions of neurodivergent perspectives in creating a symbiotic human-AI relationship. Drawing upon research that evidences the superior performance of diverse teams in creativity and innovation, the paper argues for the integration of neurodiversity into AI development as a means to address the philosophy of 'fearing the Other,' thereby mitigating biases and fostering ethical AI interactions. The technology sector's adoption of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, including biopsychosocial interventions and …

06.03.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Center for Population Studies, NSF Postdoc Berg, Quinn Appointed to HEPAP, Smitherman migraine research

Half Dawn, Catherine Ashley

Masters Theses

By presenting these words on paper, I have given entry into a microcosm of recent research, questions, and creative explorations. There is potential for disconnection when trying to turn your head inside out and present it in a way that feels beautiful for other people. I’m trusting the moments of authenticity I’ve found in my wandering. Segue. Relationship. Gesture. Illusion. My musings all stem from notions of temporality. Time dances on the farthest ends of both immensity and desolation. I’ve spent stretches of time asking the people, texts, and experiments around me to define time in a way that I …

Creative Connections: Building Empathy To Foster Ecoliteracy Through Art Education, Jocelyn Salim

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the potential positive impact of fostering empathy and understanding for the natural world through art education. Through action research, this study examines various teaching approaches, such as incorporating scientific knowledge, employing literature to discuss ecological themes, and engaging in participatory storytelling activities to cultivate empathy among elementary school children. The objective of this thesis is to explore empathy as a potential pathway to encourage children to foster connections with the natural world and develop compassionate traits, attitudes, and behaviors towards nature as they grow. The findings of this study reveal that children exhibit high levels of enthusiasm …

Unfurling Blue Carpet Memories, Sara Ahli

Masters Theses

Glass is an amorphous solid, existing in a liminal space, embodying indeterminacy. Its states of transformation from viscous flow to structural solidity carry the imprints of bodily influence. With the direct intention of using glass as a conduit to explore materiality, memory, and self-awareness, I construct a language of embodiment that arises through a series of performative encounters between my physicality and glass in the hot shop.

The mediating process I employ to create and arrive at the glass artwork I make is as necessary as its final form. Motivated by the desire to claim agency over my personal narrative, …

Emotional Factory, Yukun Cui

Masters Theses

该项目设想将上海一个历史悠久的仓库改造成一个创新的、以情感为主题的联合办公空间，超越传统的办公环境。在工作环境质量深刻影响生产力和幸福感的时代，该项目旨在创造一个协调身体、心理和情绪健康的空间。该设计融合了促进健康的元素，例如健身设施、美食和丰富的绿色植物，确保居住者在整个工作日中保持动力和灵感。该项目涉及个人与其环境之间的动态互动。认识到传统的办公室布局往往会限制移动和空间感知，我们的设计引入了一个固有的动态工作空间。灵活的布局，可调节的家具和可移动的隔板使空间能够适应各种活动和需求。互动元素和视觉刺激全天变化，鼓励探索和互动，而不需要持续的身体运动。使用不同的纹理、颜色和照明方案创造了一种多感官体验，使空间充满活力和不断变化的感觉。通过结合这些元素，该项目旨在重新定义现代工作空间，创造一个不仅能提高生产力，而且能丰富人类工作体验的环境。这种创新方法旨在为全球联合办公空间设定新标准，培养社区意识、创造力和幸福感。最终，该项目旨在创造一个开创性的环境，增强人类的工作体验，展示工作空间设计在广泛影响和改善情绪和心理健康方面的潜力。

Making Room, Rachel Strompf

Masters Theses

Massachusetts is the only state in the United States with a right-to-shelter law which guarantees shelter for families with children and pregnant women.¹ As of February 2024, 3,500 homeless families with children are being sheltered in a motel or hotel with an average length of stay of 14 months, because traditional family shelters have reached capacity.^2,3 While these families are provided temporary shelter, these shelters do not allow for the development of a true sense of “home.” While a motel meets the needs of rudimentary shelter, motels were never designed as long-term accommodations and certainly not with a …

The Challenge Of Creating A Classroom Culture, Alan Bandstra

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Project Maplemon: Peeling Back The Secrets Of Queer Writing Through Stylometric Demographic Identification, Theodore D. Manning

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Project MapLemon is a corpus for stylometric demographic identification of 54,000+ words across 345 participants, originally created to obtain a baseline corpus for linguistic variation among North American English speakers. The corpus contains responses from 30 linguistic backgrounds, and 40 US states and 6+ Canadian provinces. Project MapLemon has innovated a new method for data collection for linguistic variants in the natural, digital written word. Project MapLemon utilizes a hand-drawn map and asks the participant to give directions via this map, as well as asking participants for a recipe for lemonade. In addition to its novel collection methods, MapLemon contains …

Fragmentation And Some Applications, Joseph Bendana

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is an exploration of the idea that human minds are fragmented and its implications for some ongoing debates in the philosophy of mind and epistemology. Let Fragmentation be, minimally, the view that human cognitive information access is best modeled as having a structure that permits for selective, variable-mediated access, instead of a structure that enables always-on, global access. In chapter 1, I canvass the motivation for this view, its many variants, and some of the key open questions that it raises, situating this project in the broader landscape of work on the view. In chapter 2 I argue …

Bad Becomings: Autobiographical Writing, Queer/Trans Theory, Melancholia, Jacob Elias Aplaca

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Bad Becomings surveys queer autobiographical works published over the last 30+ years to better understand the animosities and complicities of the queer and the so-called normative. While the limited scholarship on queer autobiographical writing has characterized this corpus of texts based on an edginess, a radicality, and a rejection of the liberal individual that both flies in the face of “traditional autobiography” and indulges queer theory’s persistent idealization of queer culture as radical and antinormative, this dissertation asks that we suspend our desire for so absolute a differentiation. Rather than assume that “queer” automatically makes “autobiography” radical and antinormative, I …

Framing Teacher Migration: An Analysis Of Jamaican Media Coverage From 2016–2023, Denise Wiley

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The emigration of teachers from Jamaica has attracted significant media coverage highlighting an increase in resignations and vacancies in many classrooms. This paper analyzes media framing on the topic, and how such framing might preclude the exploration of policy alternatives to address the issue. Methods A qualitative content analysis was conducted on articles published between August 1, 2016, and September 30, 2023. Relevant articles were retrieved from the Gleaner digital archive. Using a survey instrument of 13 questions, a total of 78 articles were analyzed for coding. Results Four frames emerged from the analysis: crisis – urgent attention is required …

Defying Normativity: Reclaiming A Narrative Of Queer Resistance In Young Adult Literature, Christopher Morabito

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

At the heart of this dissertation lies a single question: how Queer is Queer Young Adult Literature? As many scholars have argued, Queerness is, in many ways, a literacy, and literature is one of the greatest sponsors of Queer Literacy. While there is certainly no one comprehensive definition of what it means to be queer, it is also true that the general understanding of queerness has changed quite drastically in the last few decades. What was once used as a term to describe someone who is outside of social conventions has slowly begun to lose its sense of “otherness,” and …

The Animated Cinema Of Bruno Bozzetto, Emilia Gambardella

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The principal aim of this dissertation is to insert Italian animator Bruno Bozzetto into the established narrative of Italian cinema. Although in American and British Film Studies animation has enthusiastically been at the center of many important conversations for the last thirty years, animation has received scant attention within Italian Studies. As such, in the dissertation I discuss a selection of Bozzetto’s animations in relation and comparison to live-action Italian films of the same decades which have been discussed and written about extensively. My dissertation fills this gap in Italian cinema scholarship by drawing on interdisciplinary sources to locate Bozzetto …

Metric Schemas And Projections In Three Colombian Folk Genres, Lina S. Tabak

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores how stylistic expertise can affect metric perception, through the analysis of three Colombian folk genres—cantos de boga and currulaos from the Pacific region and joropos from the Eastern plains bordering Venezuela. Specifically, it considers the tension between metric perceptions which arise from bottom-up mechanisms for entrainment (such as projections), and those which are based on top-down mechanisms (such as schemata). This tension is at play when more and less musically enculturated listeners perceive entirely different metric structures when listening to identical music.

Taking bottom-up and top-down metric perception as a thread, this dissertation isolates three additional metric …

Lucid Dream: Embracing Uncertainty, Zhiyun Zhang

Masters Theses

Glass is a tool, a projection surface, a medium for optical phenomena. It creates a tangible link between physical space and perception, transcending the physical realm to reshape our sensory perceptions and resonate within our psyche, deepening our understanding. Inspired by cosmic and natural phenomena, my installations narrate the contemplation of the moon and the appreciation of rainbows. They reference historic optical technologies, incorporating glass, mirrors, light, darkness, and space to produce an encounter that extends beyond personal experience, resonating with our collective unconscious, uniting us in profound ways. The blurred boundaries between observer and observed, reality and illusion, sensory …

A Living Storyscape, Vivian Combariza

Masters Theses

Advocating for a transformative shift, the following proposes a new cultural setting that fosters diverse voices and dialogue, moving away from the singular narratives imposed by traditional curator-visitor dynamics. By drawing inspiration from nature's complexity and mirroring museums with ecosystems, the aim of this thesis is to emulate the adaptability and interconnectedness of natural ecosystems to develop flexible and inclusive environments, encouraging community engagement and shared learning experiences. This new design paradigm fosters a deeper connection with nature and other beings despite the physical separation. Embracing the collaboration and flexibility of nature, cultural institutions can regain relevance as vibrant centers …