Digital Commons Network^™

Deepfakes On Trial: Developing A High-Accuracy, Court-Admissible Ai Pipeline For Deepfake Detection In Corporate Fraud Litigation, Aiden J. Green

Honors College Theses

As deepfake technology advances, cybercriminals are increasingly using AI-generated videos and audios to impersonate executives and carry out sophisticated CEO fraud schemes. These synthetic forgeries target human trust and corporate communication systems, creating an urgent need for forensic tools capable of authenticating digital evidence with legal accuracy. This thesis presents a forensic-grade AI deepfake detection pipeline designed for this purpose, emphasizing courtroom admissibility, reproducibility, and evidentiary integrity. Built entirely with free, opensource tools, the framework combines metadata analysis, AI-powered spectrogram analysis, neural artifact detection, and facial manipulation recognition into a transparent workflow that accurately identifies synthetic media. It was trained …

Enhancing The Eden Alternative Model With Well Standards: A Case Study Analysis, Mariah Stoner

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

This thesis investigates the potential for improving the Eden Alternative Model, a person-centered approach to elder care that emphasizes creating a homelike environment and meaningful relationships, using WELL Standards, a building certification system focused on enhancing human health and well-being through improvements in environmental quality. Through a mixed-methods approach involving quantitative data analysis and qualitative case studies, this research examines how WELL Standards, which cover aspects such as air quality, water quality, lighting, and thermal comfort, can improve environmental quality and resident satisfaction within the Eden Alternative Model. This research introduces a tailored approach to elder care by combining these …

Heat Induced Diagenesis And Osteometrics: An Experimental Approach To Assessing Thermal Alterations To Forensic Anthropological Data On Dry Bone, Audrey Holbeck

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Fire appears in forensic casework in instances of arson, vehicle fire, house fire, to conceal evidence, or, in increasing contemporary frequency, wildfire, as a result of climate change. Thermal alteration is a destructive process to osseous material and can impact the accuracy of identification methods and trauma analysis by alteration of the structure, appearance, and morphology of human remains. This study seeks to validate previous research on the metric and morphological changes bone undergoes when exposed to extreme heat, and how that may impede estimation of metric features such as stature. Three long bones, a humerus, femur, and tibia, from …

Comparative Analysis Of Gunshot Trauma And Decomposition In Southeast Nebraska, Alexandra C. Tieken

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Accurately identifying gunshot trauma (GST) in forensic anthropology remains a significant challenge, particularly in distinguishing the effects it has on decomposition. This study investigates how different types of gunshot trauma influence the rate and characteristics of decomposition in a humid continental climate, specifically southeastern Nebraska. Utilizing Sus scrofa domesticus (domestic pigs) as human proxies, four pigs were euthanized by professionals and subjected to controlled conditions at the Reller Prairie Field Station. Three pigs were inflicted postmortem with close-range gunshot trauma using a 9mm handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, and an AR-15 rifle, while a fourth served as a trauma-free control. For …

Wildfire And Decomposition: A Taphonomic Analysis Of Thermal Alterations And Decomposition, Ashley Novak

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Within the field of forensic anthropology, practitioners may be faced with remains that have been thermally altered by thermal alterations caused by wildfire. Within the field, very little research has been conducted examining how these thermal events impact rates of decomposition. While research has been conducted generally on the effects of thermal alteration on decomposition, these studies do not look through this lens and provide answers to the question of how do thermal alterations caused by wildfires affect rates of decomposition? This research examines the effects of thermal alteration caused by wildfire on the rate of decomposition. A decompositional study …

Trends In Dna Aanalysis To Determine Postmortem Interval: A Systematic Lilterature Review, Victoria S. Kashkin

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Forensic taphonomy is a recently popular field within forensic anthropology with limited research in the Central Great Plains. Given decomposition varies by region, more studies must be done to understand aspects of decomposition in this region. However, it is one of the most important subfields of forensic anthropology since determining postmortem interval (PMI) is extremely important to successfully identifying a missing individual if other indications of who the individual is are nonexistent. In this study, a systematic literature review was conducted to answer what trends are seen in research being done for using DNA to determine PMI, and what methods …

Empowering Diversity: A Comprehensvie Approach To Minority Risk Management Education, Jahqethea Johnson

Applied Science Program: Theses

Federal programs are pivotal to the foundation of the United States agricultural sector. Program payments impact the economic well-being of agricultural producers, yet accessibility, outreach and education disparities remain prevalent among socially disadvantaged producer and agriculturists. From 2020-2024, an average of $21.7 billion dollars in federal agricultural payments have been paid to producers. Although federal funding historically supports commodity crops, livestock producers also depend on a distinct set of federal risk management programs, which are often less visible but pertinent for operational sustainability. There is a growing focus on the need for addressing disparities faced by socially disadvantaged producers and …

Voluntary Intermittent Access To Combined Alcohol And Nicotine In Mice—Consumption And Withdrawal Effects, Alyssa M. Potts

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The prevalence of alcohol and nicotine use is widely known, though the co-abuse of the two is often understudied. Studies have shown that nicotine dependence and daily nicotine consumption increase with higher levels of alcohol consumption1. Nicotine use has been shown to decrease the subjective effects of alcohol and increase alcohol craving. Previous studies using the intermittent access (IA) paradigm in C57BL/6J (B6) mice have shown that B6 mice readily increase or escalate consumption of alcohol in this paradigm. Still, there is little information on alcohol and nicotine co-consumption and withdrawal using the IA paradigm. The goal of this study …

Who Gets To Have Fun? The Alternative Earmarking Of A Memecoin Marketplace, Mia Tanner

Sociology Honors Projects

Past research on cryptocurrency has highlighted its sociotechnical aspects, framing crypto projects as community-grounded movements disrupting traditional state and market structures through technological advancements. What happens when these disruptive promises are absent or only playfully invoked? Cryptocurrencies known as “memecoins” have grown their own followings without pledging future legitimacy that would seriously challenge existing institutions, instead linking their value to the meme they brand themselves with and vague democratic promises. That new scheme of valuation is especially evident in coins launched on the site pump.fun, which has lowered the barriers to crypto-coin creation. The platform's accessibility provides a new dimension …

Commodification And Objectification Of The Black Male Athlete In The Nfl, Jalen A. Terrell

All Theses

The black male body has often been viewed as a commodity in Western culture since the commodification of the black male body in the historical slave auction. Albeit slave owning ended in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation, it was not until 1946 that the National Football League (NFL) became integrated, and the commodification of black bodies became prevalent once again. As such, this study looks to understand how the X population from the data set for this study demonstrates the commodification of the black male body, the general discourse around the black and white male athletes, and explores the language …

Living Heritage Along The Ganges: Building Resilient Communities In Varanasi And Kolkata, India, Ritu G. Deshmukh

Full-Text Theses & Dissertations

This doctoral research proposes an integrative theoretical framework for understanding and managing living heritage in riverine contexts, specifically focusing on the historic cities of Varanasi and Kolkata along the Ganges River in India. The study develops a new paradigm for living heritage conservation that embraces the fluid, dynamic nature of cultural landscapes through what the author terms the “Adaptive Fluid Living Heritage Continuum” (A.F.L.H.C).

Traditional approaches to heritage management often treat cultural landscapes and living heritage as static entities requiring preservation rather than living systems capable of adaptation. This research challenges this perspective by examining how communities along the Ganges …

“Translating Blackness In 19th-Century Afro-Brazilian Literature: Unsilencing The Archive”, Apoliana Da Conceição Dos Santos

ELIN Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Use Cases For Art Therapy Intervention In Clinical Psychedelic Praxis, Kaitlin Maud

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Psychedelic medicine has existed for thousands of years as a traditional, sacred practice and is now in varying stages of legalization for clinical application in the United States. Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy uses specific psychoactive substances to facilitate altered states of consciousness in which clients have access to unconscious material and there is a greater cognitive openness to new perspectives and possibilities. Art Therapy is a modality of psychotherapy with decades of data to support its clinical efficacy in treating mental illness and other chronic conditions. A review of the literature shows a range of use cases for art in the context …

Championing Sustainable Development In Academic Libraries: Insights From East Africa, Arnold Mwanzu, Joseph Mwangi

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Sustainable development has become a global priority. The United Nations (UN) member states have endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to transform the world by 2030 into a sustainable society. This chapter reports on academic libraries’ initiatives in East Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, which were explored through interviews and focus groups with librarians from East African university libraries. Library efforts can be assigned to the five priority action areas: advancing policy, transforming learning environments, building the capacity of educators, empowering and mobilising youth, and accelerating local-level action, as envisioned under UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework …

Echoes Of Radicalization: The Political Right And The Internet Through The Lens Of Moral Panic, Gabrielle Renee Mathus

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In the past decade, the prevalence of social media has become a part of everyday life. Alongside this, these issues have gained a unique venue for discussing identity-based political issues that were not previously given mainstream attention and, ultimately, contribute to panic among portions of the American public. In this study, I conducted a digital ethnographic content analysis to explore how Reddit and X act as venues for discussions of transgender issues, immigration, and racial discrimination and how these issues have manifested in mainstream discourse. Using Stanley Cohen’s moral panic theory and grounded theory practices, I found that these spaces …

The Effects Of Dystopia On Political Thought, Kate Marie Rashevich

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The popularization of dystopian fiction throughout the 20th and 21st centuries make it vital to consider how this media has affected entertainment consumers. Authors such as George Orwell and Suzanne Collins invigorated the genre and spurred public interest such that dystopia emerged throughout film and television as well. The recent, widespread popularity of dystopian media has made it crucial to examine its impact on entertainment consumers. Through my research I aim to answer whether the popularization of dystopian media, particularly literature and film, has influenced the political beliefs of its consumers and hypothesize that individuals who have consumed dystopian media …

Medusa: The Monster, Myth, And Feminist Icon, Olivia Joanne Sarjent

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The myth of Medusa is one that has been around since 7c BCE through the writings of authors such as Hesiod and Ovid. While originally a monstrous villain of antiquity in the 21st century Medusa has become an icon of feminism, very different to how she was once portrayed. Through classic art to film and TV, Medusa has integrated herself into the modern pop culture spotlight. Medusa started out in myth as a creature of horror that would bring the demise of men and this theme was carried out in medieval art with pieces like Medusa by Caravaggio, Perseus with …

The “Deviant” Dead: (De)Constructing Personhood In Mycenaean Mortuary Landscapes, Aidan J. Gregg

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Despite increasing standardization in mortuary practice during the Mycenaean palatial period, there remains a significant degree of variation in burials. This project seeks to elucidate the reasons for the wide variability in the Mycenaean mortuary program with theories of anthropological personhood as a guiding framework. I focus on the palatial period, from LHIII A2 - LHIIIB2 (1410-1190) because of the pervasiveness of Mycenaean culture throughout the Aegean, but especially in Greece’s northeastern Peloponnese, during that time. I use mortuary data from 12 cemeteries in the Argolid and Korinthia to trace trends in burial practice, in the hope of establishing a …

Growing Confidence: Women Forest Landowner Workshops In Georgia, Neil R. Dingley Jr., Nicholas E. Fuhrman, Kris Irwin, Elizabeth Mccarty

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The number of female forest landowners (FFLs) has been growing throughout the United States. This growth demands educational outreach for a demographic that is often behind their male counterparts in experience and education. The purpose of this exploratory study was to design and host educational workshops geared towards FFLs and to answer the following questions using quantitative and qualitative methods: (1) Are the workshops changing FFLs’ confidence in land management? (2) What are FFLs’ intentions after attending workshops? (3) Does confidence or participants’ intentions with their land vary with demographics? (4) Are workshops providing a platform to start FFL social …

From The Bleachers To The Browser: Redefining Fan Experience With Ar And Ai In Smaller Teams, Jennifer Lee Wunder

Theses

This project documents the creation and deployment of HootyHoo, an interactive augmented reality (AR) mascot experience designed for the O’Fallon Hoots, a small-scale collegiate summer baseball team. Built using accessible, open-source tools such as WebXR, Mixamo, Meshy, Botpress, Claude and ChatGPT, this prototype merges AI-driven conversation with animated 3D avatar interaction—redefining how fans engage with sports organizations digitally. Unlike enterprise-level applications used by professional franchises, HootyHoo is entirely browser-based, eliminating the need for app downloads and ensuring maximum accessibility for families and new fans with smartphones. The experience centers on Hooty, the team mascot, who answers questions about baseball and …

The Origin Of Community As Experienced By Intercollegiate Athletes At Benedictine Institutions Of Higher Education: A Hermeneutical, Phenomenological Hybrid Study, Barbara Rezac

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

This study focuses on the phenomenon of community experienced at Benedictine colleges and universities and its impact on the faith, character, and human development of recent alumni who participated in intercollegiate athletics on campus. Benedictine education, based on the 1,500-year-old Rule of Saint Benedict, is guided by ten hallmarks which seek to build wisdom cultivated in community. This study specifically examines the extent of the lived experience of community through the lens of former intercollegiate athletes (alumni from the past ten years) and the perceived influence of the hallmarks on their post-graduate lives. I contacted mission leaders, athletic directors, and …

Bibliography For "Vacation Reads Display: Exploring Places To Travel And Hobbies To Take Up This Summer", Isabella Piechota, Arianna Tillman, Annikah Carpio

Library Displays and Bibliographies

A bibliography created to support a display about vacation reads, travel, and hobbies in summer 2025 at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University.

"A Miniature Replica Of Life": Reality, Critique, And The Burden Of Representation In Oscar Micheaux's Body And Soul, Maria Lagomarsino

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

With the release of his controversial silent film Body and Soul (1925), filmmaker Oscar Micheaux elicited strong reactions from censors, critics, and audience members alike. While some praised the work as a triumph of Black filmmaking, others were horrified by Micheaux’s corrupt preacher storyline and supposedly negative characterizations. The creation of this film occurred during a particularly fraught period of history, which saw some Harlem Renaissance figures argue that only positive depictions deserved a place in the public discourse. With Body and Soul, however, Micheaux refused to be limited by this undue burden of representation. In this thesis, I further …

Improving Brain Health: Exercise As A Tool For Enhancing Executive Function And Reducing Stress In Older African Americans, Destiny Ellise Ramos

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Older African American (AA) adults face disproportionately higher risk of stress and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) compared to other racial and ethnic groups, yet they remain underrepresented in intervention-based research. Previous research has suggested aerobic exercise may reduce stress and benefit executive functioning, which is among the first cognitive domains to be affected in ADRD; however, no studies to date have directly tested the impact of aerobic vs. non-aerobic exercise in older AAs at high risk for developing ADRD. The current study evaluated the effects of a group-based cardio dance fitness (CDF) exercise intervention versus a strength, flexibility, …

Nahua Wrap-Skirt From Acatlán, Guerrero, Mexico, Brianda Gonzalez

Department of Anthropology

This piece discusses the techniques used to create an embroidered Nahua wrap-skirt, specifically from Acatlán, Guerrero, Mexico, and the function that is typically attributed to it. In addition to discussing the function and technique, this piece also discusses three main contextual points about the textile, including the role of gender, labor/ class/economy, and globalization. The goal of this piece is to provide researchers with a better understanding of not only the technical process behind creating this skirt, but also to provide an overview of different points that are relevant to the skirt's function and its journey through both time, and …

Becoming Sephardic: Historical Consciousness And Emergent Ethnoreligious Identification In New Mexico, Sarah Leiter

Anthropology ETDs

In recent years, an increasing number of Hispanic Catholic New Mexicans have discovered that they descend from Iberian Jewish victims of the Spanish Inquisition. For some, this new information has prompted them to identify as Jewish in various ways. However, many have faced considerable difficulty in gaining recognition of their newfound ethnoreligious ancestry among family members, normative Jewish communities, and the Spanish and Portuguese governments that offered reparative citizenship to Sephardic (Iberian Jewish) descendants. In this ethnographic context, this dissertation explores how shifting understandings of religious identity and ancestral pasts affect identification practices in the present. Drawing on theoretical analyses …

Association Between Food Insecurity And Chronic Eye Disease In The National Institutes Of Health's All Of Us Research Program, Ramin Talebi, Fei Yu, Victoria L. Tseng, Anne L. Coleman

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Purpose

Design

Participants

Methods

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Sexism In Syntax: Language And Its Relationship With Female Leadership, Kyle Rains

Honors Theses

Despite a global trend towards more equal gender representation, not every country has improved at the same pace or to the same level. This study investigates language as a potential tool for better understanding the differences between countries regarding the presence of female managers. By using language as a tool, I arrive at two primary results: (i) pronoun drop is significantly and inversely associated with the presence of female managers, but gendered language structures have little association, and (ii) a gender intensity index can produce misleading results. These results suggest that language structures, such as pronoun drop, which are associated …

Reinforcement Learning, Modeling Markets, And Professional Basketball Free Agency, Jacob Cohn

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

This dissertation presents a reinforcement learning-based approach to modeling and optimizing decision-making in professional basketball free agency and related economic environments. A Markov Decision Process (MDP) framework is introduced to capture the strategic interactions of NBA teams bidding for free agents under budgetary and roster constraints. To address computational scalability challenges, a reinforcement learning (RL) environment is developed, leveraging Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) to approximate optimal policies for team decision-making.

Empirical results demonstrate that the RL agent successfully learns strategic bidding behavior that aligns with dynamic programming benchmarks in simplified settings while scaling effectively to larger, intractable environments. The study …

Exploring Mimicry And Visual Communication In Woodpeckers: A Field Study Utilizing 3d-Printed Models, Lauren M. Smith

Biology Theses

The evolution of similar phenotypes poses an interesting challenge in evolutionary biology. While divergent ecologies may drive differing morphology, physiology, or behavior, similar phenotypes are often due to similar ecology or selection for mimicry. One prominent case of mimetic phenotypes is found in hairy and downy woodpeckers. While several hypotheses might explain the hairy-downy mimicry complex, I aimed to assess the idea that downy woodpeckers benefit from resembling hairy woodpeckers. To test this hypothesis, I used 3D-printed models of various woodpecker species in the field. These models were painted with colors that resemble woodpecker species. The experimental conditions were 3D …