Digital Commons Network^™

My Four Years Of Animal Care Through Community Service, Margaret Reed '26

Senior Presentation of Learning

I joined DePauw as a Bonner Scholar with little knowledge about the program, but ready to continue my work in community service. I was unaware of the long term impacts and relationships that I would build over the course of the four years. I bounced around many service sites, but one, the Putnam County Humane Society. I began regularly volunteering at the shelter entering my second semester of freshman year. In my final semester, I am the intern and coordinate for other new volunteers like myself all those semesters ago. I also am a volunteer at the Lakeland Center, Inc., …

Living In Service: Mia's Bonner Journey, Mia Martin-Fuller '26

Senior Presentation of Learning

During my time, I have been allowed to learn a lot about myself and the communities I have had the privilege of serving. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that I do not always have the answer, and that's okay. Going into areas where individuals may think or act differently than I do, I have found it is most useful to approach with a humble attitude and an open mind.

The Effects Of Dietary Protein Manipulation On Operant Demand, Brianna R. Lilly

LSU Master's Theses

Previous work with dietary protein restriction in rodents has demonstrated that rodents fed a low protein diet exhibit physiological effects such as lower rates of weight gain and increased levels of circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Dietary protein restriction also produces behavioral effects. Compared to rodents that are not protein-restricted, rodents that are protein-restricted exhibit increased food intake and higher preference for a protein vs. carbohydrate solution. Additionally, protein-restricted rodents will respond at higher levels for a protein reinforcer than non-restricted rodents. The current study assessed the effect of dietary protein restriction on operant protein demand during and after …

The "Quiet Professionals": Oral Histories Of The United States Special Forces Veterans Of The Global War On Terror, Chase Rumbley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how United States Army Special Forces veterans of the Global War on Terror narrate the identity of the "Quiet Professional" across training, deployment, and post-service life. Drawing on oral history interviews with four retired Green Berets, as well as archival and material culture analysis, the study approaches Special Forces as a distinctive military institution shaped by narrative, institutional formation, and war. It argues that Special Forces ethos is not a fixed warrior identity, but a lived and contested achievement produced through rites of passage, embodied hardship, informal legitimacy, and collective memory. Participants describe becoming Special Forces as …

Drainage Proximity And Sinkhole Occurrence In Sivrihisar (Central Turkey): A Comparative Analysis Of Linear, Poisson, And Negative Binomial Regression Models, Bilge Bingül, Emrah Pekkan, Resul Çömert

International Journal of Speleology

This study investigates the relationship between sinkhole occurrence and distance to drainage in the Sivrihisar region (Central Turkey) and evaluates the suitability of different regression approaches for modeling clustered count data in karst terrains. A comprehensive inventory of 104 sinkholes developed within the Neogene lacustrine limestones of the Akpınar Formation was compiled using official records, remote sensing analyses, and detailed field surveys. Sinkhole occurrences were analyzed relative to a drainage network derived from a high-resolution Digital Surface Model and grouped by proximity to drainage lines. Linear Regression (LM), Poisson Regression (PR), and Negative Binomial Regression (NBR) models were comparatively applied …

The Role Of Dna Exoneration In The Bloodsworth Case, John T. Brasfield

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In the Kirk Bloodsworth case, a man was falsely convicted for the rape and murder of Dawn Hamilton. He spent eight years in prison after being convicted through witness testimony, where he learned about DNA profiling. After submitting a request to check his DNA against the DNA left at the scene, he was exonerated. Later, the DNA left at the scene was checked against a database and got a hit on a convicted rapist who had been charged shortly after Mr. Bloodsworth. If there had been the same access to DNA technology during the trial or if they had listened …

False Confessions Of A Teenage Boy: The Case Of Brian Boles And Charles Collins, Rebekah Bottner

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

On February 8, 1994, James Reid was found dead in his apartment in New York. In the days following the murder, detectives spoke to several people who lived in the building, looking for potential leads or suspects, including 17-year-old Brain Boles. Boles was initially released from questioning after he signed a statement confirming his alibi and that barely knew Reid. A month later, Boles was arrested for a separate assault and robbery. For this crime, Boles confessed, but he was then subjected to an intense and lengthy interrogation for the murder of James Reid. Eventually, Boles also confessed to the …

Mental Models Of Autonomy And Sentience Shape Reactions To Ai, Janet V.T. Pauketat, Daniel Burton Shank, Aikaterina Manoli, Jacy Reese Anthis

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Narratives about artificial intelligence (AI) entangle autonomy, the capacity to self-govern, with sentience, the capacity to sense and feel. AI agents that perform tasks autonomously and companions that recognize and express emotions may activate mental models of autonomy and sentience, respectively, provoking distinct reactions. To examine this possibility, we conducted three pilot studies (N = 374) and four preregistered vignette experiments describing an AI as autonomous, sentient, both, or neither (N = 2,702). Activating a mental model of sentience increased general mind perception (cognition and emotion) and moral consideration more than autonomy, but autonomy increased perceived threat more than sentience. …

Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks In Ai-Driven Pharmaceutical Research & Development, Dhaval Dinesh Panchal, Osama Mohd Hash Ansari, Sudha Divya Madhuri Kallam

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being utilized in pharmaceutical research and development to speed up drug discovery, enhance clinical trial design, and support regulatory decision-making. However, the increasingly rapid adoption of AI in the pharma industry has outpaced the development of consistent ethical governance, raising concerns related to data privacy, transparency, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder trust. This study explored the methods by which project managers could develop and utilize ethical decision-making frameworks to facilitate responsible AI implementation in pharmaceutical research and development. Guided by the Responsible Innovation framework, this research employed a mixed-methods design combining semi-structured interviews and quantitative surveys with …

An Occupation-Based Support Group For Underserved Adults Living With Lymphedema, Amivi Amega

Student Capstone Papers

Lymphedema is a chronic condition that can significantly impact physical function, psychosocial well-being, and participation in meaningful occupations. Although traditional management primarily focuses on physical symptom reduction, gaps remain in addressing long-term participation and quality of life, particularly among underserved populations. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop an occupation-based support group manual designed to support both the physical and psychosocial needs of adults living with lymphedema.

This project was informed by a needs assessment and expert feedback from Certified Lymphedema Therapists, enhancing clinical relevance and applicability. The manual integrates principles from the Model of Human Occupation and …

Recent Recalls Highlight Food Safety Challenges, Mary-Esther Leblanc, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 144 Iss. 4

The Role Of Political Orientation In The Relationship Between Masculinity Threat And Pain, Bethany Kronlund, Randy Corpuz Ph.D., Dr. Elizabeth Mancuso

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This experimental study aimed to explore whether political orientation might moderate the relationship between threatened masculinity and pain tolerance among 128 college men. Research has shown that the manipulation of gender stereotypes and how it affects pain tolerance in men has yielded mixed results. We administered a bogus gender knowledge test with fake feedback placing participants into either a masculinity threatening condition or masculinity affirming condition. This was followed by a pain tolerance test using a pressure algometer, where pain tolerance, pain threshold, perceived unpleasantness, and perceived painfulness were recorded. We hypothesized that men in the threatened masculinity condition would …

Cripping The Border – Acompañamiento As Access: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Transborder Youth With Disabilities, Marco O. Amaral

Dissertations

The U.S.-Mexico border is a historical, geopolitical site of intense militarization where colonial logics of "othering" converge to marginalize disabled transborder youth. While transborder studies have expanded, students with disabilities remain relegated to the "void" and contained by educational systems that prioritize surveillance over access. Grounded in Sepúlveda’s (2011) acompañamiento and Transborder DisCrit, this ethnographic case study examines the lived experiences of both students and their families who cross the border daily to attend school in the U.S. It frames these journeys not as mere commutes, but as acts of defiance within the broader disability rights movement.

As a teacher-activist, …

Exploring How Long-Term Residents Influence Environmental Policy Decisions In The Takushara Settlement In Abuja, Nigeria, Agbanusi Uchechukwu Jonathan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid urbanization of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has increasingly marginalized indigenous communities, creating a significant disconnect between top-down environmental governance and how it affects residents. Previous research has found that this land swap displaces indigenous stewards and erodes their traditional ecological knowledge, endangering local livelihoods, food security, and sustainable management of natural resources. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore how long-term residents perceive and experience their influence in environmental policy decisions through the lens of the social-ecological systems framework and the theory of resilience. This study examined the systematic exclusion of long-term residents of the …

Incorporating Local Expertise Into Environmental Research And Management, Jessica Black, Amy E. Scaroni, Stefanie L. Whitmire

Forestry and Natural Resources

This article is for researchers, government staff, land planners, and natural resource managers. In this paper, we will outline why incorporating local expertise works to scale down national or regional research to make it more useful for local communities. We will also provide examples of how a community’s knowledge about their local ecosystem, referred to as local ecological knowledge (LEK), can fill data gaps and contribute to improved land and wildlife management.

Otolith Stable Isotopes And Maaori Archaeology: Marine Paleoclimate Data For Northern Aotearoa New Zealand, Reno Nims, Caitlin Smith, Matthew Campbell

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Marine paleoclimate records for the last 1,000 years are scarce in the southwest Pacific, limiting our understanding of complex environmental changes that may have affected Ma ori seascapes and fisheries. We seek to begin filling this knowledge gap by studying stable oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopes in archaeological and modern otoliths from ta mure (Australasian snapper, Chrysophrys auratus), which provide information about water temperature, salinity, and fish diet and metabolism. Our results show that fourteenth and fifteenth century ta mure otoliths recorded environmental conditions that are comparable to twentieth century temperatures, with some evidence for anomalously warmer seas and/or …

Navigating Help In Stem: How Seeking And Receiving Help Shapes Women’S Self Perceptions And Memory, Samantha A. Mckinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research suggests that help-seeking is a social process shaped by interpersonal context, yet less is known about how help type and partner characteristics influence self-related outcomes in STEM settings. The present research examined how autonomy-oriented and dependency-oriented help, partner gender, and the alignment between requested and received help relate to women’s state self-esteem, STEM self-concept, affect, and recognition sensitivity. Across two studies, participants completed a STEM task and interacted with a simulated partner who provided help.

In Study 1 (N = 215), participants received the type of help they requested, allowing for an examination of how help type and …

Identifying Major Sources Of Leptospira Interrogans In San Juan Bay And Río Grande De Loíza Estuaries Of Puerto Rico, Logan Mccullers, Dave Bachoon

Biology Theses

This study evaluated the presence of pathogenic Leptospira interrogans, potential carriers, and environmental factors influencing their occurrence in the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) and Río Grande de Loíza (RGDL) watersheds of Puerto Rico from 2024–2025. Detection of this pathogen from water samples was performed using the lipL32 PCR assay. The likely hosts of L. interrogans were determined using fecal source tracking (FST) assays for human (HF-183), canine (BacCan-UCD), equine (HoF597), and rat mitochondrial DNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (RatMt) markers. In 2024, 91 samples were collected (March: 50; June: 41), and in 2025, 124 samples were collected …

Finding Belonging In A Religious Dominant Society: Religion Among African Migrants In Türkiye, Garrett L. Wride, Stacey A. Shaw

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

As global migration increases each year, so does the need to understand the crossroads between inclusion, wellbeing, and religion. The experience of African migrants living in Türkiye presents itself as a unique case to study migrant wellbeing. Using quantitative and qualitative analysis, this study shows that African migrants in Türkiye belonging to the religious minority have lower scores of wellbeing and social support. Findings point to the need for policy makers and mental health practitioners to ensure migrants can access their religious communities.

Organizing To Engage: A Framework For Conflict Strategy, Paul Mason Carpenter

Dissertations

Conflict strategy can be exceedingly complex. While many of the basics are simple, even the simple can be highly complicated to execute. The Schlieffen Plan in World War I appeared straight forward, but execution was a great deal more complex. It failed and the result was years of trench warfare.  In addition, leaders entering conflict may not fully appreciate the full context, its effect, and the need for a long term result--a better state of peace.

Strategy and tactics may be challenging to transform as an engagement evolves. In addition, strategists must often commit to courses of action within very …

Reday Program 2026, Bryant University

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

Program for the 2026 Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day). Program includes schedule at a glance, descriptions for panels, workshops, and presentations, along with sign-up links for specific sessions in the electronic version of the program. Printed program was in color with double-sided printing on 8 1/2" x 11" paper stapled together in the upper left corner.

Beyond Green: Re-Reading "Wicked" As Anthropological Text, Tan Gia Bao Huynh

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This paper examines "Wicked" through the lens of cultural borderlands, revealing how the musical dramatizes the creation and navigation of social boundaries. By analyzing Elphaba's journey, the research demonstrates how her green skin serves as a powerful metaphor for cultural otherness, while her experiences at Shiz University and beyond illustrate strategies of resistance, accommodation, and identity formation familiar to those navigating between dominant and marginalized spaces. Particularly significant is the paper's examination of Oz's propaganda system, which demonstrates how cultures manufacture monsters and heroes through selective storytelling and public ritual. This analysis offers fresh insights into "Wicked's" enduring appeal, suggesting …

Advancing The Study Of Politics And The Brain: Targets For Research On Neurology And Political Behavior, Glenn W. Rainey Jr.

Commonwealth Review of Political Science

In this paper I argue that advancing research on neurology is creating important opportunities for political scientists to integrate its findings into their research, particularly with regard to the effects of emotional processes on political behavior.  I provide a general background on neural anatomy, genetics, and neurobiological chemicals, and I briefly review techniques of neurological research, the findings that have been developing, and the limitations on the research. I provide an overview of selected key neural anatomy, and neurotransmitters and hormones, that play a role in neurological functions, and particularly in the development and expression of emotions.  I then suggest …

Opening Closed Doors: Supporting Undergraduate Scholars Through Open-Access Publishing, Amelia Baker, Kiara O'Neal, Mikkel Cullen, Amy Buddie, Haleigh Edmonds

All Things Open

Undergraduate publishing is often a closed door due to paywalls, publication fees, and limited access to mentorship. The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research (KJUR) uses an open-access framework to remove these barriers and expand equitable access to scholarly publishing for students at Kennesaw State University. KJUR is free to submit to and publish in, ensuring financial constraints do not prevent students from sharing their work. The journal is operated by paid and volunteer student editors, providing mentored, hands-on experience in academic publishing. Emphasizing open pedagogy, KJUR supports student authors through developmental editing and multi-semester collaboration, guiding them through …

The Unsovereign Citizen: The Reconfiguration Of Rights And Belonging In Fascist Italy, Roberta Pergher

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Modern political thought tends to associate citizenship with democracy, equality, and political participation. This article demonstrates that citizenship can be profoundly important also for authoritarian rule. In Fascist Italy, citizenship remained central to political life, not as a vehicle of democratic participation, to be sure, but as a category through which the regime redefined belonging, hierarchy, and sovereignty. Drawing on citizenship legislation, imperial ordinances, racial laws, police reports, and ministerial commentary between 1912 and 1943, this article shows how the dictatorship hollowed out liberal citizenship within the peninsula, stratified it across imperial territories, consolidated it across diasporic populations, and ultimately …

The Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Fresh Produce Distribution In Rockingham County And The City Of Harrisonburg, Lauren A. Fisher, Alisa Hart

ASPIRE 2026

Fresh produce is essential to a balanced diet; however, many families struggle to access consistent sources of it. In 2022, about 17 million households were without access to nutritionally sound food from an easy to access source (Godoy 2023). About 10% of the populations of Rockingham County (approximately 17,000 people) are considered to be food insecure with at least 1,000 of those being children (Map the Meal Gap 2016).  Many of those experiencing food insecurity rely heavily on the emergency food system (e.g. food pantries).  Highly processed foods tend to be less expensive and shelf stable than the healthier fresh, …

Implications Of Leisure Activities On Veterinarian Mental Health Outcomes, Kevin Garuccio

Undergraduate Theses

While there are many professions that are stressful enough to be linked with negative mental health outcomes, few measure up to the mental dangers of veterinary medicine, with suicide rates twice that of the dental and medical professions and four times that of the general population (Stoewen, 2015). The current study aimed to focus on veterinarians and their mental health. While there have been a few studies done about the veterinary workplace, none thus far have investigated how veterinarians are spending their leisure time outside of work and how it could be impacting their mental health. The current study was …

A Study Of The Lived Experiences And Identity Of Sexual And Gender Minority Young Adults, Hillary T. Coolbaugh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of sexual and/or gender minority young adults with autism spectrum disorder traits and borderline personality disorder features in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Guided by the Minority Stress Model, this study explored how distal and proximal stressors influence mental health, relational functioning, identity formation, and coping processes within this population. Moustakas’ modification of van Kaam’s transcendental phenomenological method guided data coding and analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data analysis followed established phenomenological procedures, including horizontalization and development of textural and structural descriptions …

Trauma Meets Trauma: A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Lived Experience Of Secondary Trauma As Told By Mental Health Professionals Working In The Substance Abuse Field Within The Washington D.C. Metropolitan Region, Paschaun S. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe mental health substance use professionals’ experiences with secondary trauma. This study aims to answer questions about how providers perceive their perceptions of secondary trauma based on their personal experiences and client caseload while exploring these providers’ willingness to remain in the field after trauma exposure. This study specifically concentrates on the experiences of mental health professionals working in the substance abuse field within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. The primary theory guiding this study is the constructivist self-development theory, which focuses on different responses (i.e., positive vs. negative) among individuals who …

Sexual Scripts In Conflict: Does Religiosity Moderate The Relationship Between Pornography Use And Permissive Sexuality?, Alex D. Castaneda

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The sexual script acquisition, activation, and application model (3AM) posits that viewing pornography leads to the internalization of the scripts implicitly and explicitly depicted. Recent research indicates that pornography viewing is associated with more permissive sexuality. Religious individuals, especially conservative Christians, report greater distress from their pornography use, and research has investigated the role of religiosity in pornography-related outcomes. Religiosity has been shown to protect against pornography exposure and buffer against the internalization of the pornographic script. Sexual script theory posits that individuals with existing scripts that are more deeply held will be less susceptible to new, contradictory scripts. This …