Digital Commons Network^™

Conditioned Synthesis Of Spectra Using Matrix Decomposition For Spectral Library Augmentation, Anna Catherine Rollans

Theses and Dissertations

In hyperspectral imaging, identification and detection tasks are often done by comparing the spectrum of an unknown material to labeled spectra in a spectral library. However, it is intractable to populate a spectral library with measurements of all possible materials in all possible conditions. We propose modeling the weights resulting from matrix decomposition as functions of material condition(s) to generate synthetic spectra at unmeasured conditions to augment spectral libraries. Matrix decompositions considered here include principal component analysis (PCA), non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), and independent component analysis (ICA).We demonstrate this method by generating (1) synthetic long-wave infrared (LWIR) emissivity spectra of …

Motivating And Empowering Language Learners: Increasing Wtc Through Project-Based Open Badges, Käri Tanner

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

This design project investigates the use of project-based Open Badges to increase secondary students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in a second language. Drawing on research identifying motivation and confidence as key predictors of communicative competence, the project integrates Project-Based Learning (PBL) with digital badging to support meaningful language use.

The intervention was piloted in a 9th-grade Spanish classroom in Davis School District, Utah. Six badges were developed across two instructional units, requiring students to complete authentic, performance-based tasks such as interpersonal conversations and presentational speaking. Students submitted evidence and reflections through a Canvas-integrated badging platform.

The design emphasized learner autonomy, …

Evaluation Of Polyester Polymer Concrete Overlays On Bridge Decks In Utah, Landon Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to evaluate the condition of polyester polymer concrete (PPC) overlays placed on both new and in-service concrete bridge decks in Utah. The procedures for this research included a desktop review of 80 bridges with PPC deck overlays; scanning of nine decks using rapid automated sounding and advanced deck imaging technologies to document delamination, cracking, spalling, and patching; and additional testing of two decks. This research involved evaluations of PPC overlays that were 2 to 8 years old and bridges that were 4 to 40 years old at the time of testing. The primary distresses …

Implementing The Safe System Approach For Speed Management In Utah, Kezia Isabelle Tripp

Theses and Dissertations

Speed management is central to reducing fatal and serious injury crashes. The Safe System Approach, an emerging roadway safety paradigm in the United States, recognizes human error and vulnerability and focuses on minimizing crash severity through coordinated policy, design, and operational strategies. This thesis examines how Safe System Approach principles can be applied to speed management, with a focus on identifying practical countermeasures and implementation strategies relevant to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). A compendium of practice was conducted to evaluate speed management countermeasures and document how cities and state Departments of Transportation are implementing Safe System Approach-based strategies. …

Sonic Booms From Rockets: Measurements And Modeling, Mark Charles Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Rocket sonic booms are produced when launch vehicles or boosters travel faster than the local speed of sound in the atmosphere, generating systems of conical shock waves. The purpose of this dissertation is to perform high-fidelity measurements of rocket sonic booms and to explain the physics behind the unique phenomena observed. After a thorough literature review on sonic booms produced during spaceflight operations, Part I of this dissertation deals with measurement and analysis challenges. One challenge is reducing contaminating noise effects on sonic boom perception metrics, addressed using a low-pass filtering method tied to the noise floor. A second challenge …

Unlocking Inexpensive Training Through Overcoming Weaknesses In Dataset Distillation, Connor Wilhelm

Theses and Dissertations

Dataset distillation is a nascent technique that promises accelerated neural network training. In particular, distillation produces a highly compressed dataset that can train a neural network in as little as a single optimization step. However, distillation has not been adopted for real-world use cases due to weaknesses, such as poor approximation of the original task, unclear interpretability, high costs of the initial distillation, and poorly elaborated use cases. Here, we present five papers that advance task distillation towards real-world adoption. The papers focus on: distilling reinforcement learning environments, interpreting distillation-produced datasets, improving distillation performance using ensembling, examining distillation's generalization to …

Physics-Based And Data-Driven Low-Order Modeling Of Centrifugal Compressors, Chase Oliphant

Theses and Dissertations

Centrifugal compressors serve as critical components across many applications, yet their design and performance prediction present significant challenges. While computational fluid dynamics provides high-fidelity predictions of compressor behavior, its prohibitive computational cost renders it impractical for preliminary design phases where rapid exploration of the geometric and operating space is essential. Conversely, existing low-order models have enabled efficient performance estimation but suffer from limited accuracy and poor interpretability, particularly when applied to novel geometries or off-design operating conditions. This dissertation addresses these limitations through three complementary contributions that bridge the gap between high-fidelity CFD and preliminary design tools. The first contribution …

Nature Nearby: Use Of Green Spaces Mediating The Relationship Between Access To Green Spaces And Health, Sydney P. Goodson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Access to green spaces has been consistently linked to improved physical and mental health, yet the mechanisms driving this relationship remain underexplored, particularly in the United States. Using data from the 2018 General Social Survey (N = 1,045), this study examines whether time spent in natural environments mediates the relationship between access to green spaces and self‑rated physical and mental health. Linear regression models with robust standard errors reveal that time spent in natural environments mediates the relationship between access to green spaces and both health outcomes. These findings suggest that proximity to green spaces alone is insufficient to produce …

Family Processes As A Protective Factor Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adolescent Delinquency, Tessa Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores whether family processes (i.e., parental attachment and parental discipline/monitoring) serve as protective factors between the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent delinquency. Prior research has established an association between ACEs and many negative life outcomes, including delinquent behavior, while strong parental attachment and parental discipline/monitoring are linked to lower rates of delinquency. However, the interplay of these three factors has been understudied. Drawing on data from the 2024 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) (N=22,016), this study examines the relationship between ACEs, family processes, and delinquency using negative binomial regression models. Results indicate that parental …

Understanding The Role Of Tiktok As A Source Of Support For Cyberbullying Victims, Saba Iqbal

Theses and Dissertations

Cyberbullying poses a significant threat to teenagers and young adults, who often seek support and advice online. Little is known about the support and advice shared online for victims of cyberbullying and whether it is helpful. In this study, we used qualitative thematic analysis to examine a sample of 150 TikTok videos that give support or advice for cyberbullying victims. We identify 33 unique pieces of support and advice across 5 categories, with differences in tone and delivery among different types of videos. We then evaluated the quality of 33 unique pieces of cyberbullying advice in a user study with …

Democratizing National Water Model Streamflow Forecasts Through Cross-Platform Mobile Application Development, Jerson J. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The National Water Model (NWM) provides operational streamflow forecasts for 2.7 million stream reaches across the continental United States, yet technical barriers prevent widespread public access to this hydrological infrastructure. This paper presents RIVR (River Information Visualization and Risk), a cross-platform mobile application that transforms National Water Model forecasts into an accessible interface for non-technical users. Built with Flutter, the application deploys to iOS and Android from a single codebase and integrates NOAA forecast APIs, CIROH return-period thresholds, and interactive vector-tile mapping. Performance evaluation across six metrics: application size, startup time, memory consumption, rendering frame rates, API response times, and …

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Fingerprinting: Techniques For Attacker-In-The-Middle Proxy Detection, Evasion, And Counter-Evasion, Jensen George Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Attacker-in-the-middle (AitM) phishing toolkits have emerged as a critical threat to enterprise and individual security by enabling adversaries to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) and compromise cloud-based accounts at scale. Traditional detection techniques--such as IP blocklists or content-based detection methods--are often ineffective against these increasingly sophisticated attacks. We propose a novel method that detects malicious proxies by identifying artifacts they introduce into HTTP request headers. To evaluate our approach, we systematically analyze traffic passed through several open-source AitM toolkits and proxies, identifying distinct modifications to header structures and content, then formalize these features as YARA rules for automated use. To validate …

Path Planning And Control For Vertical Takeoff And Landing Aircraft, Dean Benjamin Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

One of the challenging problems of unmanned aerial vehicles (uav) is controlling vertical takeoff and landing (vtol) aircraft. Vtol aircraft can take off and land without landing strips while retain the efficiency of fixed-wing airplanes for long range flight. Unfortunately, the transition from takeoff and forward flight, and from forward flight to landing, is an extremely difficult control problem. Most current controllers for transition switch between flight regimes based solely on airspeed. The trajectory for such switching transitions is a straight vertical ascension followed by a straight forward startup flight; it does not allow for the development of more complex …

Real-Time Data Collection System For Low-Cost Diesel Emissions Monitoring, Zachary Driskill

Theses and Dissertations

Diesel trucks are a major source of pollutants, including particulate matter (PM) and NO$_x$. Roadside emissions monitoring can identify high-emitting diesel vehicles, but conventional sensing systems rely on expensive, complex sensing instruments that limit widespread deployment. Low-cost sensors offer increased scalability due to their small size, low cost, and low power consumption, but they have lower accuracy and slower response time. This thesis presents the design and evaluation of a low-cost roadside emissions monitoring system, establishing the foundation for a scalable and widely deployable alternative. We apply machine learning calibration to roadside emission monitoring to improve the usability of low-cost …

Implementation And Evaluation Of Alternative Methods For Simulation Of Sidescan Sonar, Blake Paul Romrell

Theses and Dissertations

The original sonar implementation for the HoloOcean simulator was built upon a cached octree representation of the world. On first runs, building the cache was prohibitively slow, and the cache had a major memory footprint. This work presents alternative implementations for the sidescan sonar using direct raytracing on the CPU and rendering on the GPU. To evaluate and compare the implementations, timing tests on comparable parameters, as well as sweeps on resolution and range parameters, were performed. The render-based GPU implementation outperformed the others in the timing tests.

Advancing Cyclic Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry For Structural Characterization, Isomer Discrimination And Gas-Phase Ion Chemistry, Sudam Shivaji Mane

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the development and application of high-resolution ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) methodologies for gas-phase separation and structural characterization of small molecules, with particular emphasis on epimers, positional isomers, and protomers. In addition to structural separations, this work investigates fundamental aspects of gas-phase ion chemistry using IMS-MS in combination with collision-induced ion activation and dissociation techniques. Advanced separations were performed using cyclic traveling-wave ion mobility spectrometry (cyclic TWIMS), implemented in a commercial cyclic ion mobility-mass spectrometry (cIMS) platform, to systematically evaluate both the capabilities and limitations of high-resolution IMS in resolving subtle structural differences. Initial studies demonstrated that, …

Cebuano For Missionaries - Missionary Training Center Grammar Book, Jaden Sigua

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

This project presents the design and development of Cebuano for Missionaries, a grammar resource created to support language instruction at the Missionary Training Center (MTC). The purpose of the project was to align grammar instruction with communicative missionary tasks and support learners in achieving Intermediate-Low proficiency on the ACTFL scale. The resource was developed using an iterative design process informed by stakeholder interviews, task analysis, and pilot testing. Key design features include simplified grammar explanations, visual reference charts, and task-based study activities to support classroom instruction, tutoring, and independent study. The project also outlines implementation plans, evaluation strategies, and …

"Deep In The Trenches": A Multi-Perspective Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Student Mothers Navigating The Hidden Realities Of Postpartum Anxiety, Rhonda Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Despite availability of effective treatments women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) commonly go untreated because of barriers to care. Student mothers are a particularly vulnerable subgroup of women as they tend to be younger, are less likely to be married, and have lower incomes than non-student mothers. As anxiety rates in college women are higher than the general population and higher than college men, student mothers are at high risk of the adverse effects of untreated PPA. There is a paucity of existing literature about student mothers and mental health. The aim of the current study is to understand the help-seeking …

Beyond Displacement: Ai-Related Job Loss And Time To Re-Employment, Megan E. Williams, Eric Dahlin

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study examines whether workers who lose jobs to AI experience longer unemployment than those displaced for other reasons. Using OLS regression with demographic and occupational controls, results show that, on average, AI-displaced workers find new employment slightly faster. Although these differences are not statistically significant, they suggest AI-related job loss may not uniquely affect reemployment.

Community Religious Adherence Is A Poor Predictor Of Poverty Rates– Except In Utah And Idaho, Connor B. Biser

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Fourth Place Becoming BYU - BYU 150 category, Mary Lou Fulton Mentored Student Research Conference 2026

Previous research has shown variable correlations between religious adherence and socioeconomic standing at the family and individual scales. Utah and Idaho are predominantly LDS—a faith which emphasizes and enables education and self-sufficiency through educational and material resources made available to the membership. We assessed the correlation between poverty rates and religious adherence rates at the county-level and compared national trends to those present in Utah and Idaho. We found a weak positive correlation between poverty and religious adherence rates nationally, but a moderate negative …

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.

Sidestepping Implicit Bias Through Website Design, Bethany Sycamore

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

This design project redesigned the website for a private medical practice with the intention of improving user experience and decreasing the impacts of implicit bias against one of the practice's physicians.

Transcriptomic Analysis Of Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group C Skin Samples, Austen N. Gleave

Theses and Dissertations

Xeroderma Pigmentosum is a rare genetic disorder caused by defective DNA damage repair enzymes. This condition results in an increased risk of developing skin cancer and other symptoms in those affected. In this thesis, we examined the effects of Xeroderma Pigmentosum on gene expression in patient skin biopsy samples. To accomplish this, we utilized statistical analysis of spatial transcriptomic and single-cell RNA sequencing techniques to discover differences between patient and heterozygous carrier skin samples. We found that the skin samples from Xeroderma Pigmentosum patients showed elevated levels of inflammation, immune activation, and cellular stress, while the carrier skin samples leaned …

The Impact Of Principal Preparation Program Components On Self-Efficacy Development In Aspiring School Leaders, Michelle Price

Theses and Dissertations

Leaders with high self-efficacy demonstrate greater persistence when facing adversity, implement organizational change more readily, and establish higher goals for themselves and their organizations. This qualitative study examines which components of principal preparation programs most strongly contribute to self-efficacy development among aspiring school leaders in Utah, specifically in instructional leadership and management for learning. Through semi-structured interviews with 19 recent graduates from three Utah universities, the research explores how program components influence candidates' confidence to lead schools effectively. Grounded in Bandura's self-efficacy theory, the findings reveal that while cohort-based models and faculty characteristics provide foundational support for overall efficacy development, …

Redesigning Dbl Training Materials, Paula M. Espinoza Cardenas

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

This project focused on redesigning Decision-based Learning (DBL) training materials in Spanish to make them easier to understand and use for university educators. The materials were improved over several iterations based on feedback collected during workshops and open-ended surveys completed by educators and trainers. The feedback was organized into themes to identify common challenges.

The results showed that unclear instructions, long documents, navigation problems, and translation issues made it harder for educators to use the materials and feel confident using the DBL software. In response, the materials were revised to be shorter, more structured, and visually clearer. Additional resources were …

A Place To Breathe: High School Students’ Perceptions Of A School-Based Wellness Center, Devan Clayton, Elizabeth Cutrer, Paul Caldarella, Michael Richardson, Jared Warren

Faculty Publications

Adolescents face significant academic and emotional stressors, underscoring the need for accessible school-based mental health support. This qualitative study examined high school students’ (N = 17) perceptions of a school-based wellness center, including both users and non-users. Four focus groups were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore experiences, perceived benefits, and barriers to use. Students described the center as a calming, supportive space that aided emotional regulation, short-term recovery, and readiness to return to class. Users emphasized relational connection, belonging, and managing stress and anxiety in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. Students also viewed the center as fostering early …

No Principal Left Alone: Exploring Elementary Principals' Relationships With Their Full-Time Assistant Principals, Shauna Worthington

Theses and Dissertations

Elementary school principals are often the only administrator in their building; therefore they are left to face the adverse circumstances of their job without the support of an administrative colleague at their school. However, U.S. nationwide data suggests that school districts are more frequently hiring elementary assistant principals. This paper explores perceptions of elementary principals about the nature and dynamic of their relationships with their full-time assistant principals, including accompanying benefits and challenges. This qualitative inquiry utilizes an exploratory, descriptive, phenomenological approach and features the results of in-depth interviews with 20 elementary school principals in two large suburban public school …

Fallow Ground, Eli Kerns

Theses and Dissertations

Fallow Ground refers to the agricultural practice of intentionally leaving a field unseeded for a year or more in order to restore fertility and interrupt cycles of depletion. Although fallowing is a beneficial and necessary practice, the term has also come to signify waste or a lack of productivity. This double meaning is central to the work, reflecting a central contradiction: that withdrawal can be as vital as effort, and that rest, like labor, can function as a deliberate and sustaining act. The question I explore in this work is how to organize, understand, and live with these contradictions. Through …

Data Siloing As A Solution To Google’S Illegal Monopoly, Derek Polson, Victoria Wood

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

While the court-issued remedies prescribed in United States of America v. Google LLC (2024) aim to curb Google’s use of anticompetitive practices, they fail to address the structural mechanisms that sustain its monopoly. Antitrust remedies in the U.S. traditionally seek to (1) end anticompetitive practices and (2) reopen competitive market conditions. The court’s approach in this case does neither. By leaving intact Google’s ability to leverage significant barriers to entry and its unparalleled big data advantage, the court’s remedies preserve the very conditions that entrench Google’s dominance in the digital advertising and search engine markets. This note argues that data …

Reconsidering The Take It Down Act, Cate Thorpe

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In the past decade, there has been an increase in digital forgeries leading to the phenomena many have called “revenge porn.” This form of Nonconsensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) has been facilitated by AI-models that allow users to create false images or videos of someone’s likeness, often referred to as deepfakes. In an attempt to combat the dissemination of such forged NCIIs, Congress enacted the TAKE IT DOWN Act. The Act institutes a notice-and-removal procedure for victims to request the removal of  NCIIs depicting their likeness on covered platforms. While the TAKE IT DOWN Act sufficiently addresses some concerns, certain aspects …