Digital Commons Network^™

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.

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, …

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 …

Entwurzelt, Melanie Fischer

Theses and Dissertations

Entwurzelt (Uprooted) is an installation that explores the emotional landscape of displacement-trauma, grief, and the search for belonging in the aftermath of war and unrest. The vessels in this installation evoke the presence of a forest--each one a symbolic tree, rooted in memory and shaped by personal and collective histories. Being torn from the familiar means leaving behind everything except memories and carrying a void that may never be fully filled. Yet, in unfamiliar places, fragments of comfort can be found--echoes of what once was. For me, the forest is more than a memory--it is a bridge between past and …

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 …

Full Issue

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

Mobility Without Retention: Reforming The Compact Of Free Association To Address Human Capital Flight, Ellery Miller, Porter O'Reilly

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In the aftermath of United States nuclear testing in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), which rendered several atolls uninhabitable, the country now confronts a different threat: sustained human capital flight. To compensate the RMI for nuclear damages, the United States signed into law the Compact of Free Association (COFA), a treaty structured around three core commitments: (1) defense and security, (2) economic assistance, and (3) unrestricted migration rights. Under COFA, Marshallese citizens may live and work in the United States without a visa, which has resulted in large-scale outmigration of the working-age and educated population. This Note argues …

“Loophole Of The Century”: Routine Use And The Privacy Act Of 1974, Joslynn Jensen

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

This Note examines structural weaknesses in the Privacy Act of 1974 and argues that the statute no longer provides meaningful safeguards for personal information held by federal agencies. Enacted in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, the Act was designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and individual control over government recordkeeping systems. However, two core features—the routine-use exception and the Act’s narrow remedial structure—have undermined these protections. The routine-use provision permits agencies to disclose personal records without individualized consent so long as the disclosure is deemed “compatible” with the purpose of collection and published in the Federal Register, a form of …

Front Matter

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

The River Of Life In Flannery O'Connor's "The River", Abbi L. Peo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the role of the River in “The River” by Flannery O’Connor.  O’Connor’s fiction consistently explores the workings of grace and “The River” is no exception. In the story, the River functions as a metaphor for Christ’s grace. Most literary critics focus on the disconcerting drowning of the young protagonist, Harry Ashfield, an example of O’Connor’s signature use of the grotesque to facilitate her characters’ encounters with grace. However, this emphasis on Harry often obscures the broader role of the River within the narrative. When the story’s analysis is limited to Harry’s death, critics overlook how the River …

Does Concurrent Completion Of A Computer Task Interfere With Talking? Comparing Younger And Older Adults, Emma Simpson Hymas

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of a computer-based divided attention task on spoken language and compares the impact between younger (18–30 years) and older (55–82 years) adults. Sixty adults participated in a speaking task and two computer tasks which varied in difficulty. The Level 1 computer task involved highlighting each instance of the word “the” and the Level 2 computer task involved highlighting each instance of the word “the” while also underlining each instance of the word “a”. Each task was completed alone and then two computer tasks with different levels of difficulty were completed concurrently with a procedural discourse …

The Fungi Behind The Forest: How Mycorrhizal Diversity Changes In Great Basin Bristlecone Pine In Response To Tree Age And Resource Availability, Zeb M. Mendenhall, Otto W. Groff, Austin J. Housley, Steven L. Petersen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

2nd Place - Open House Presentation

Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva, hereafter bristlecone) is one of the longest living organisms on the planet1 (Fig.1).

Bristlecone form symbiotic relationships with Ectomycorrhiza (ECM) to gain important resources in dry, nutrient poor soils2 (Fig. 2).

Very little research exists on the relationship between bristlecone and ECM, limiting our understanding of how these trees survive.

This project investigates how ECM diversity changes in bristlecone with age and different resource availabilities.

Nest-Site Selection Of Chukar (Alectoris Chukar) In Western Utah, Julyn S. Robinson, Jacob T. Barnes, Heather L. Talley, Randy T. Larsen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Fitness for species in arid systems is strongly influenced by reproductive success, particularly in ground nesting birds. Chukar (Alectoris chukar), an introduced and popular game bird throughout the west, provide recreational hunting and ecological value, yet the habitat features influencing their nest placement and nesting success remain poorly understood.

Genetic And Morphological Comparison Between Introduced And Native Populations Of Aspidocelis Neomexicanus, Sadie Hale, Jordan Kirk, Arianna Moore, Perry Van Wagoner, Vicente Fernández Lara, Angelina Romero, Dallin Matthews, Álvaro Osuna Jiménez, Reagan Mckee, Randy Klabacka

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

The introduction of non-native species to novel ecosystems can have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and human health.

Understanding the processes driving patterns in dispersion, establishment, and expansion of introduced species can illuminate strategies to reduce the occurrence of introduction and mitigate its effects.

The New Mexico Whiptail (Aspidoscelis neomexicanus) is a parthenogenetic (asexually-reproducing) species of lizard in the family Teiidae.

Enhancing Metabolic Fitness Of Car T-Cells By Removing Cd6, Nate Neyman, Alka Guar, Annie Joy-Larson, Collin Mickelson, Scott Weber

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Honorable Mention - Poster Design

CAR T-cell therapy is a highly effective cancer treatment involving engineering the patient’s T-cells to recognize and kill cancerous cells. This therapy has shown great success for blood cancers but has faced many challenges against solid tumors.

Surrounding tumor cells there is a lack of essential nutrients (oxygen, glucose) for T-cells to metabolize efficiency. Additionally, there is a buildup of excess waste products that directly impair T-cell function (1). To overcome these obstacles, scientists are working on developing longer lasting T-cells with improved metabolism to improve efficacy against cancer cells.

Derivation And Validation Of Age-Associated Prognostic Gene Signatures Across Breast Cancer Subtypes, John Speers, Adrienne Parsons, Elizabeth Feliciano, Sandra Mcallister, Lindsey Hale

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Relatively little research has been done investigating the effects of linear age on breast-cancer specific mortality . The development of age-associated gene signatures may reveal interesting gene-set patterns with therapeautic potential. We hypothesize that the separation of patients into age categories will yield more predictive gene-signatures than an age-agnostic approach.

Colorful Proteins: Engineering A Palette Of Novel Chromoprotein Variants, Blake Olson, Anna Bowman, Kyler Fullmer, Joel Griffitts

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

2nd Place - Poster Design

• Chromoproteins (CP) are naturally occurring proteins originating from corals or other marine invertebrates that exhibit colors determined by their chromophore region.1
• CPs have applications as biosensors, teaching tools, and agar art; therefore, there is a need for a wide variety of CPs.2
• Hypothesis: Editing amino acid residues around the chromophore will change the chromophore’s conformation, leading to a change in color.

C-Fms Expresses In Early Progenitor Cells & Myeloid-Lineage Leukocytes Based On Analyzing Lineage Markers And Mapping On Ly6c X Cd31 Plots In Bone Marrow, Jane Lundgren, Kelly Amsden, Evan Boesl, Victoria Hall, Emily Shakespear, Pam Van Ry, Sandra Hope

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

The Mafia mouse model expresses the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in cells that utilize the macrophage-specific c-fms promoter. The c-fms promoter controls expression of receptor for Colony Stimulating Factor 1. We hypothesize that this promotor may be utilized in bone marrow progenitor cells in addition to the mature cell expression already known in macrophage lineage cells. For this study, bone marrow cells were analyzed by flow cytometry for the expression of c-fms, early progenitor markers, and lineage-specific markers. Expression was also mapped on a Ly6CxCD31 plot, which has been used to distinguish cells based on developmental stage and lineage. This …

The 'Thing Itself': Virginia Woolf's Materialism, Kathryn Andronowitz

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Cover And Front Matter

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The Faith Crisis As Death: Grief In Gerard Manley Hopkins's "Terrible Sonnets", Kaden Nelson

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The "Family Of Things": Mary Oliver, Anthropomorphism, And Conflicting Approaches To Spirituality In Nature, Sophie West

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The Bower Of Bliss As An Allegory For Ireland, Katherine Ries

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Music-Based Intervention For Stress And Sleep In Substance Use Recovery, Olivia A. Coleman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Aim: Sleep difficulties and elevated stress are common among individuals recovering from substance use disorders (SUDs), often persisting long after initial detoxification. Music-based interventions offer a low-risk, nonpharmacological option that may support sleep and stress regulation. This study examined whether a Structured Music Listening Protocol (SMLP) could improve sleep quality and reduce perceived stress within a residential SUD treatment program.

Methods: Fifty eligible patients were enrolled in the Intervention Group (SMLP – Structured Music Listening Protocol) and fifty in the Control Group (Standardized Therapy) from a residential treatment center for SUDs. Both groups received standard therapy from the center. The …

Full Issue

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The Metamodern Aesthetic As Reconciliatory Theology In Gilead, Henry Purser

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Electrochemical Sensors And Processes In Molten Salts: Chlorine Production, Electroanalytical Chemistry, And Thin-Layer Electrodes, Tyler Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Molten salt electrochemistry has historically played a substantial role in the metallurgical industry, and this trend is only accelerating in areas of green steel, direct ore processing, and rare-earth processing. In addition, the recent surge of interest in molten salt nuclear reactors has provided an additional application for molten salt electrochemical processes, including the reprocessing of used nuclear fuels and the development of electrochemical sensors for nuclear applications. In this work, the development of a chloride volatility separation process for used nuclear fuel is advanced; electroanalytical methods are improved for identifying and quantifying unknown analytes with and without the presence …

Scarcity Rewritten: Revenue Tracking As A Catalyst For Growth Mindset And Financial Control, Christian M. Pearson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

While revenue tracking is a widely recognized “best practice” for businesses in developed economies, it is far from a universal practice. In Cambodia and other emerging markets, many small business owners do not track revenue or expenses, which may limit their ability to make sound financial decisions and reinforce psychological responses consistent with chronic resource scarcity. This article examines the effects of a business support intervention in which Cambodian business owners participated in an 8-week program designed to help them calculate profits by tracking revenue, variable costs, and fixed costs. Findings from a randomized field experiment show that business owners …