Digital Commons Network^™

"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 …

Croatian Seagrass Meadows: Time Change Detection Of Loss Due To Anchoring Damage, Eliza J. Hammari, Gabe Mills, Ruth Kerry, Steve Schill

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Posidonia oceanica in the Croatian seascape is an important seagrass species for carbon sequestration and habitat stability. One of the largest threats to seagrass is boat anchoring. In this study we used satellite imagery to detect changes in seagrass in anchoring hotspots over a seven-year period.

Tracking The Russian Invasion Of Utah Wheat Fields, Eliza J. Hammari, Ruth Kerry

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Russian thistle (tumbleweed) is one of the most economically damaging weeds for agricultural fields. Using remote sensing methods, thistle presence in Utah wheat fields was measured and spatial patterns were analyzed to examine how weed infestation corresponds with soil water content and wheat yield harvests.

Blessing Or Burden?: Parental Religiosity And Lgbtq Adolescent Well-Being, Emma S. Griffitts, Lindsey Maner, Adam Rogers

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study investigated the associations between parent religiosity and their LGBTQ teen's psychological risk and resilience factors. LGBTQ youth showed higher risk factors, but parent religiosity also predicted greater resilience, mediated by child religiosity. These effects were stronger among LGBTQ teens than non-LGBTQ teens, suggesting that their internalized faith may lead to increased coping and well-being in minority contexts.

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.

Babies And Borders: Political Determinants Of Population Policies In The European Union, Lauren A. Mchenry

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This research examines the political conditions under which pronatalist policy and restrictive immigration policy are implemented. Using the Nationalism Populism Database and World Population Review data, I classify different countries based on levels of populism and nationalism and determine countries’ levels of immigration restriction and pronatalism. I use a Most Similar Systems Design case study to compare the different policy outcomes of Spain and Italy. I find that populism is predictive of immigration restriction, while nationalism is predictive of pronatalist policy.

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 …

Critical Minerals In A Critical Time, Parker J. Peterson, Sophia Budge, Brooks Miner

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study evaluates U.S. positioning in rare earth mineral (REM) supply chains by analyzing global mine concentrations and trade alignments. While the U.S. ranks second in production, its critical vulnerability lies in processing, where China controls 60–80% of global capacity. Strategic investment and allied partnerships are essential for long-term supply chain resilience.

Where's Our Water? Invasive Saltcedar's Thirsty Trek Across The Shoreline Of Lake Mead, Mia R. Morgan, Joseph Penrod, Ruth Kerry

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

The prolonged megadrought in Southern Nevada has exposed thousands of acres of former lakebed at Lake Mead, creating an expanding frontier for the invasive shrub Tamarix ramosissima, commonly known as saltcedar. This hardy, non-native species rapidly colonizes the receding shoreline, siphoning up to 200 gallons of water per plant daily and outcompeting native vegetation. Utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery from 2020 and 2025, this research found that saltcedar coverage within a 5 km radius of the lake increased by approximately 76.7%.

Analysis of the spatial data indicates that while the total area of infestation has exploded, the average distance of …

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.

Budgets Vs. Bullets: Divergent Effects Of Economic And Security Threats On Nationalism, Mary Moody

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Existing literature argues that the presence of threats increase levels of (patriotic) nationalism. However, there are different kinds of threats, whose presence may instead reduce nationalist and isolationist attitudes. We argue that economic threats will raise levels of nationalism, while security threats will decrease nationalism and increase internationalism. We find that, across Europe, those who were more concerned about economics as a result of the Ukraine War were more Eurosceptic and nationalist, whereas those who were more concerned about security had an increased desire for European cooperation. In an original survey experiment in Poland, we find that a treatment priming …

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 …

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 …

Maps Behind Bars: A Spatial Study Into Wrongful Convictions And Social Equality, Bailee Kinghorn, Emma Milne, Camille Heaton

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Wrongful convictions are representative of errors in the criminal justice system. Often reflecting broad patterns of social inequality, prior research suggests that structural factors may influence the likelihood of conviction and access to legal resources. This project investigates how these social equality indicators correlate with wrongful convictions at the county level across the United States. Using data from the National Institute of Health and the National Registry of Exonerations, we aggregate measures of education, poverty, and non-English-speaking populations normalized by population density and combine them with exoneration records to create a series of comparative maps. Through spatial analysis in ArcGIS, …

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 …

The Inapplicability Of Government Speech Doctrine In School Libraries, Dallyn Edmunds

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Since 2021, the number of books removed from school libraries has risen dramatically. These removals have led to lawsuits and questions surrounding the control a state may exercise over the school library. In almost every current case, the government has argued these cases should be dismissed because of the government speech doctrine. A fairly recent creation, the government speech doctrine is the understanding that the government, in order to accomplish its purposes, may at times exercise viewpoint discrimination and regulate speech in ways that perhaps seem prohibited by the First Amendment. Evaluation in government speech cases has typically undergone a …

The Implication Of Permanence: Indigenous Water Rights In The State Of Arizona V. Navajo Nation, Collin Powell

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In the State of Arizona v. Navajo Nation, the Supreme Court asked the Navajo to accept a contradiction. In light of disagreements over water rights between Arizona and the Navajo Tribe, members of the Navajo pointed to the Treaty of Bosque Redondo. The Treaty was a compromise between the Navajo and US Officials to reparate the Navajo after “The Long Walk”: a series of forced relocations against the Natives that resulted in over 2,500 deaths. Among these reparations was the guarantee of a “permanent home” on US federal lands. For over a century, case law defined a “permanent home” to …

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Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

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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 …

Thinking Ahead: Ranking Substantive Canons To Protect Loper Bright, Tanner Macdonald

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

After forty-two years, the Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in their decision Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024). The decision suggested a rising inclination towards legal formalism in cases of statutory interpretation. This Note argues that if the Court intends statutes to be interpreted in accordance with formalism, clarification is needed. Loper Bright was not sufficient to clear up the inconsistencies in statutory interpretation that the Court used to overrule Chevron. Without a strong prescription, Loper Bright will eventually collapse on itself. A formal ranking of substantive canons is one type of structure that would support Loper Bright and enable …

Rethinking Antitrust In The Age Of Fintech, Quaid Knell, Olivia Mossman

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In cases involving large technology firms, current antitrust laws are proving difficult to enforce when applied through the traditional framework of price-centered metrics. Financial technology (fintech) companies are firms that integrate digital technology into financial services and operate through multi-sided platforms, and they are growing in number. This increased number of firms introduces the next challenge for antitrust enforcement, as traditional definitions of market dominance and monopolistic behavior are ill-suited to the realities of the digital landscape. Although there are no current antitrust lawsuits against major fintech firms, their existing structures and business models, if left unexamined, allow these firms …

“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 …

Regulating Ai, Jacob Leavitt

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Artificial intelligence, a new phenomena embedding itself in every aspect of public life, is advancing at unprecedented rates with potentially catastrophic consequences. While fragmented and reaction regulation frameworks are currently in place, based primarily on tort cases, this paper calls for a hybrid regulatory solution that combines federal administrative law and streamlined international policy. This paper assesses proposed regulatory solutions - tort law, an industry-drafted “AI Constitution,” a Communications Decency Act-style immunity framework, a domestic federal agency, and an international regulatory body. Based on these frameworks, the authors have developed five criteria for an effective solution - expertise, enforceability, obligation, …