Digital Commons Network^™

Full Issue

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

Exploring Teacher Perspectives Of Literacy Instruction For Students With Behavioral Needs, Lauren Dalton Astle

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of elementary teachers who have implemented effective literacy instruction strategies to enhance the reading skills of students with significant behavioral challenges in general education classrooms. Recognizing that students with behavioral issues often face amplified academic and social difficulties, the study highlights the necessity of robust literacy instruction to foster academic success. Nineteen teachers, whose students achieved at least 85% student progress in reading as assessed by the Acadience Learning assessments, were interviewed to gather their perceptions of effective instructional practices. The findings identified four critical themes: teacher efficacy, instructional design, an intentional learning environment, and …

Latest Research (Academic Summaries): Partnerships And Collaboration, Erica Bassett, Lakell Archer, Sumaya Ali, Emma Indart

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This section focuses on summarizing the latest research in partnerships and collaboration in the nonprofit sector. This section can be considered a literature review of the latest studies.

Full Issue: Joni March 2025, Partnerships And Collaboration, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Leading Nonprofit Success Through Collaboration And Partnerships, Lakell Archer, Erica Bassett

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Abstract

Nonprofit organizations play a crucial role in addressing societal challenges, yet they often operate in a competitive environment with limited resources. To maximize impact and long-term sustainability, strategic partnerships and cross-sector collaborations have emerged as essential approaches. This paper explores the benefits of nonprofit collaboration, emphasizing its role in creating strategic advantages, improving service delivery, fostering innovation, and ensuring long-term resilience. The discussion highlights how collaborative leadership is key to overcoming barriers such as competition for funding, misaligned objectives, and trust deficits among partners. By examining real-world examples, the paper illustrates how effective partnerships enhance resource sharing, streamline operations, …

Poor Cancer Prevention And Detection In Zimbabwe, Kenyon C. Chipman

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Abstract

In the aftermath of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Zimbabwe, has witnessed a surge in noncommunicable diseases such as cancer. Despite the decline in HIV/AIDS and other cancer-associated illnesses like HPV, these diseases have set the stage for a growing cancer epidemic. Key contributing factors to this rise include a lack of knowledge about cancer among both patients and health professionals, the prevalence of cancer-associated communicable diseases, and limited accessibility to early detection and prevention services and resources. These factors have led to late diagnoses, increased burden on the healthcare system, and adverse effects on individuals and families. …

Sustainability Reporting On Nonprofit Organizations: A Perception Study On The Level Of Indicator’S Adequacy In Social Action Entities, Ainhoa Saitua Iribar, Javier Corral Lage, Noemi Peña Miguel, Izaskun Ipiñazar Petralanda

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

The information reported by Nonprofit Organizations (NPO) is a fundamental signal to obtain financing of donors and also legitimacy of its activities in a stakeholder approach. But nowadays, companies and other types of entities are more obliged to provide information on their sustainability performance and risks. By means of a survey in a region of Spain, the purpose of this study is to select the main indicators that apply to Social Action Entities from the Third Sector (SAETS) to hold them accountable for the impact of their activity in social, environmental, and good governance terms. The results will contribute to …

Becoming A Network Of Networks: G20 Interfaith Forum, Marianna Richardson

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

"Very Important Stuff For The Ladies": Examining Gender Differences In Celebrity Journalism, Payton E. Pingree

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores gender differences in celebrity journalism by analyzing 44 YouTube video interviews from the Oscars red carpet between 2014 and 2024. Using framing theory and feminist theory, the study examines how interviewers interact with male and female celebrities, focusing on four key behaviors: infantilizing, ambivalence, sexualization, and heteronormativity. Through qualitative thematic analysis of interview transcripts, the research reveals that female celebrities are often sexualized through questions about their appearance and subjected to heteronormative expectations when discussing their fashion choices and familial roles. These patterns suggest persistent sexism in celebrity journalism, potentially influencing public perceptions of women in the …

Imu-Mechanized Discrete Error-State Kalman Filtering With Lie-Group Pose Representations, Daniel P. Koch

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates methodologies for consistent Kalman filtering with Lie-group based representations of the vehicle pose. Early results are centered around the relative navigation framework, which maintains filter observability and consistency by only tracking the state relative to the latest keyframe of an odometry system such as visual odometry or laser scan matching. A detailed derivation of a relative multiplicative extended Kalman filter, using a quaternion parameterization of the attitude state, is presented for application to multirotor vehicles. The remainder of the dissertation focuses on Kalman filtering using a Lie-group SE(3) pose representation, which improves filter consistency by correctly modeling …

The Effectiveness Of Dialogic Reading Workshops For Parents Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Jessica Driskill

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of dialogic reading workshops in improving at-home reading behaviors of both parents and their preschool-aged children. A focus of the study is to understand the dialogic reading experiences of parents with children who have developmental disabilities. Thirteen parents of children at a local preschool participated in one or more phases of the study. Phases included completing a pre-survey, attending the workshop, completing a post-survey, and participating in an interview. Five parents of typically developing children and four parents of children with developmental disabilities participated in the interviews. Participants noted an …

The Confidence Trap In Pr Academia: Barriers And Solutions For Female Professors, Kailey R. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the career barriers female public relations professors face through the lens of Brubaker et al.'s (2025) theoretical model of "The Confidence Trap." While existing research has explored gender disparities in the PR industry, limited scholarship has investigated the challenges faced by women in PR academia. This qualitative study utilizes in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 22 female public relations professors currently on the tenure track or who have earned tenure at R1 and R2 research institutions in the United States. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed that traditional barriers--such as the glass ceiling, sticky floors, maternal walls, and sexism--manifest …

Benefits Of Keeping A Learning Journal, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

This document provides a list of the merits of Learning Journal. By discussing these points among the learners, they can deepen their understanding of these merits and they can support one another to improve their learning.

A Century Of Depicting Characters With Disabilities In Newbery Award And Honor Books, Merna Kay Raines

Theses and Dissertations

A Century of Depicting Characters With Disabilities in Newbery Award and Honor Books Merna Kay Raines Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, BYU Educational Specialist Between 1922 and 2021, 426 books received the Newbery Award, with 64 books featuring characters with disabilities. However, it was not until 1931 that the Newbery Honor Award was given to recognize the author of a book featuring a character with disabilities. Newbery Award-winning books are considered quality literature and are found in most libraries and classrooms. Understanding the portrayal of characters with disabilities is important because students easily access these books. This content …

Do Esgs Do Any Good? The Problem Of Aggregation In Corporate Social Responsibility Literature, Gloriana Guillermo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings are used to evaluate corporate social responsibility performance for years. This review is looking to see if ESG ratings’ “do any good” meaning have an impact beyond the financials. This review investigates the impacts and effects of ESG ratings by evaluating literature based on the level of aggregation used in each study as aggregation can hide differences in the data. I evaluated these papers and sorted them based on a theoretical framework into four distinct positions based on the level of aggregation used for the ESG rating and the dependent variable. I also looked …

“It Is Now In Flames, But It Will Never Burn Down”: A Conservation Of Resources Perspective On Resilience In The Yugoslav Wars, Sarah Denton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The genocides, sieges, and brutal longevity of the Yugoslav Wars profoundly affected the lives of millions of people across the Balkans. Here, the theory of Conservation of Resources (COR) has been applied to contextualize the trauma and regrowth of survivors of these wars. COR theory suggests that people work to protect, maintain, and expand their resources, such as material assets, desirable personality traits, and religion. The threatening or actual loss of these resources induces stress. In environments that threaten or deplete many resources—such as war—other resources become essential for survival and healing. Applying this theory to the memoirs and oral …

Regulation Of Cell Cycle Proteins At The Extremes Of Copy Number Variation In Cancer, Hannah Tran

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Copy number variation is one of the main forms of genomic alteration in cancer genomes. The amplification of oncogenes or deletion of tumor suppressors commonly drives tumor formation. Average copy number variation events vary across cancer types; ovarian cancer has the highest average number of copy number changes, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has the least. With the copy number differences between cancer types, it is likely that different mechanisms of producing copy number changes exist. We propose that a possible mechanism is cell cycle reversal, which was recently shown to potentially occur during the G2 phase of the cell cycle …

From Static To Dynamic: Redesigning Byu Online High School's Learning Library Learning Aids And Tools Section, Brady Allred

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

From Static to Dynamic: Redesigning the Learning Aids and Tools Section (LATS) for BYU Online High School is an innovative project that reimagines traditional static learning resources into an interactive, student-centered platform. This project addresses the critical need for a dynamic digital environment that fosters academic soft skills, including test preparation, time management, critical thinking, and problem-solving. By integrating interactive elements and user-friendly design, the redesigned LATS engages learners in real-time and asynchronous activities that encourage self-directed study and reflection.

The project leverages instructional design principles, such as Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction, to ensure that each interactive module is …

Hoping For A Better World: Utopian Performatives In Jez Butterworth's "The Hills Of California", Lily Jensen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Jez Butterworth’s 2024 play, The Hills of California, tells the story of the Webb sisters—Joan, Gloria, Ruby, Jillian—and their mother, Veronica, in 1950s and 1970s Blackpool, England. In 1976, it is the hottest summer on record in Blackpool, and Veronica is dying of cancer. Jillian, Gloria, and Ruby have gathered together to wait for her to die, with the hope that Joan (who has supposedly been living a fabulous life in America for 20 years) will come back to say a last goodbye to their mother. The play flips back and forth between the 70s and the 50s. We …

Seeing The Storm: Leveraging Multimodal Llms For Disaster Social Media Video Filtering, Holden Clark

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Emergency management relies on the rapid triage of information to respond appropriately to disaster events. Social media platforms can provide emergency managers with ground-level insights, and videos, in particular, offer an immersive medium for understanding public responses and on-the-ground conditions. However, the overwhelming volume of irrelevant or redundant videos complicates their use for emergency response. This paper investigates the use of multimodal large language models (MLLMs)–specifically the Gemini 1.5 flash model–to automate the identification of relevant videos shared on X (formerly Twitter) during hurricanes. We develop and evaluate a framework to test the accuracy of different prompting styles and question …

Connecther: Connecting Women In The Byu Marriott School To The Workplace And To Each Other’S Success (With A Ten-Step Job Search Guide), Hope Detweiler

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis addresses two research questions: 1) Given the existence of gender bias in the broader culture, what particular challenges do women in business face in the job search process? 2) How can female business students (or young professionals) specifically address these challenges? This document provides actionable guidance and timely instructions in the form of presentations and lists. Accordingly, it adheres to the “creative works” format for honors theses. Specifically, this paper focuses on women in the BYU Marriott School of Business who are majoring in or graduating from any of the business majors and seeking employment in professional services …

Mirrors For Pacific Islander Children: Teaching Resilience Through Culturally Adapted Bibliotherapy, Isabel Medina Hull, Elizabeth Cutrer, Paul H. Ricks, G. E. Kawika Allen, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, Lorena Seu, Kristopher J. Urbina, Melia Fonoimoana Garrett

Faculty Publications

Pacific Islander youth face disproportionately high rates of suicide and mental health challenges, yet culturally appropriate interventions remain scarce. This study investigated whether culturally adapted bibliotherapy could effectively promote resilience in American Samoan children by incorporating culturally relevant stories and coping strategies. Through collaboration with on-island Samoan cultural brokers, we developed and implemented culturally adapted stories and lessons designed to resonate with the experiences of children in American Samoa. The study employed a mixed-methods approach with 34 American Samoan children aged 5–13 years, using observations, adapted card sorts, and forced-choice procedures to measure responses to the intervention. The results demonstrated …

The Effects Of Social Learning On Second Language Acquisition And Memory: An Fnirs Study, Siena Christensen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis addresses the question of what effect social learning has on successful second language acquisition behaviorally and neurologically. Participants were taught novel L2 words in a social learning condition and a non-social translation condition. They were then tested with a social testing condition and a non-social translation condition right after learning and at a later date, either 1 week, 4 weeks, or 2 months after learning. Brain activity was measured by comparing oxygenated hemoglobin levels with an fNIRS device. A significant positive effect of sociality was found for response accuracy, as words learned in the social condition performed better …

Environmental Justice: Healing Environmental And Societal Wounds In The Overstory And Torto Arado, Marcia Tagg

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the approaches of two contemporary novels, The Overstory and Torto Arado, in providing pathways to environmental justice. The Overstory by Richard Powers is an American novel that provides a post-secular perspective on trees and their ability to provide answers on how to heal a wounded world. This wisdom works in the lives of individuals, and it alludes to how society at large could be impacted by the adoption of a more tree-like perspective, especially in how they view time. Torto Arado by Itamar Vieira Junior is a Brazilian novel that shows the importance of Afrodiasporic religious …

Supporting Student Mothers: A Study Of Well-Being, Challenges, And Resource Accessibility At Brigham Young University, Sophia Claire Cranney

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Student mothers may face unique challenges in balancing their educational and parental responsibilities, yet their experiences remain underexplored in academic research. This study examines the well-being, challenges, and resource accessibility of student mothers at Brigham Young University (BYU). Using survey data from 20 student mothers, this research evaluates their perceived school support, mental well-being, and awareness of available campus resources. Participants reported moderate levels of perceived school support and overall mental well-being, with lower scores on measures of relaxation, social connectedness, and energy levels. While no significant correlation was found between resource availability and well-being, qualitative responses revealed critical gaps …

Adjudicating Utah Public Records Requests: A Textual Analysis Of Relevant Appellate And Supreme Court Decisions, Zoe Cook

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to identify the boundaries that have been established by the Utah courts between disclosure and non-disclosure of government records. This analysis focused on the legal theory of balancing public interest in disclosure vs. the rationale for some government records being retained as confidential.

Enhancement Of The Edtech Books Editing Tool, Natalie Larson

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

As EdTech Books (ETB) expanded to a broader user base, its editing platform required an overhaul to better accommodate authors, particularly those with diverse technical backgrounds. This project focused on redesigning the ETB editing tool to be more intuitive, efficient, and aligned with familiar digital editing conventions. By incorporating principles such as wayfinding, usability heuristics, and cognitive load reduction, the new tool streamlines workflows and enhances usability. Stakeholder collaboration and iterative testing guided refinements. The result is a platform that remains intuitive for novice users while retaining flexibility for advanced editors. While the transition introduced a learning curve for existing …

Enhancing Mucus Flow And Clearance By Grafting Zwitterionic Hydrogel Films To Luminal Surfaces, Ryan Horne, Caleb Escudero, Morgan Ellerman, C. Allan Guymon, Marlan Hansen

Faculty Publications

Objective

To determine the effects of zwitterionic hydrogel films on mucus contact angles, flow, and stasis with respect to medical polymer surfaces, both flat and tubular.

Methods

A zwitterionic hydrogel thin film was photografted onto medical rubber surfaces and compared against non-zwitterionic hydrogel thin films and untreated surfaces to determine its impact on mucus contact angles, mucus flow on sheets and tubes, and mucus plugging.

Results

Zwitterionic and conventional hydrogel films significantly reduce the mucus contact angles and the tilt required to initiate mucus flow on sheets and in tubular systems. Preliminary experiments show that these films may also shorten …

What Counselors Say Matters For Supporting High School Newcomer Multilingual Learners As They Work Toward Graduation, Sonia Lucrecia Molina Openshaw

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how high school (HS) counselors describe their work with newcomer multilingual learners (MLs). Using the lens of Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework to identify asset perspectives in their work with these students. They suggest specific supports and barriers impacting these students' academic and social success in school. Findings reveal that counselors often focus on addressing the immediate needs of HS newcomer MLs, such as language acquisition and academic readiness, but less frequently recognize the cultural, linguistic, and social assets students bring to their educational journey. Counselors highlight the importance of systemic supports, including onboarding processes, …

Post-Irradiation Fault Injection For Complex Fpga Designs, Nathan G. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Fault injection is a common technique for estimating the impact of single-event upsets (SEUs) within the configuration memory (CRAM) of an FPGA design. Fault injection is typically conducted prior to a radiation test to evaluate the effectiveness of SEU mitigation techniques, estimate the FPGA design's behavior at the radiation test, and prepare the radiation test infrastructure. This thesis explores how fault injection can be used after radiation testing to reveal additional insight into an FPGA's behavior during a radiation test. A unique methodology, referred to as post-irradiation fault injection (PIRFI), was developed in which the locations and timestamps of CRAM …