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An Interdisciplinary, Case Study-Based Approach To Teaching The Un's Sustainable Development Goals, Allison Bellaire, Meghan Mcdonough, Becky Tugman, Julia Sherry, Claire Dancz, Jim Strickland

Land-Grant Press — Teaching Section

Collaborative learning across disciplines can be advantageous. A Creative Inquiry (CI) course paired Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Public Health Sciences students to compete in a Global Solution Competition. This CI challenged the student pairs to develop solutions toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a low-income nation. Course participants reported a deeper understanding of SDGs through collaborating with non-discipline peers, as reflected in survey and focus group findings.

Livestock Poultry Health Committee Minutes, Clemson University Board Of Trustees, 2026 April 28, Clemson University Board Of Trustees, Clemson University Board Of Trustees

Minutes

No abstract provided.

Hungary For More? Russian Storm-1516 Narratives And Engagement Tactics Targeting Hungary’S 2026 Parliamentary Election., Ella Murray, Darren Linvill, Patrick Warren

Media Forensics Hub Reports

This report identifies and analyzes a coordinated influence operation aligned with the Russian Storm-1516 ecosystem and targeting Hungary’s 2026 election. The campaign leverages a network of inauthentic social media accounts to disseminate fabricated narratives, amplify political attacks, and undermine trust in Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar and the TISZA party. The campaign reflects a broader evolution in Russian influence operations, combining established narrative laundering techniques with new amplification strategies. These include the use of fabricated media outlets, paid influencers, and a network of commercial marketing accounts with links to Africa. The campaign leverages likely compensated influencer accounts as well as …

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.

Unpacking Developmental Programming: A Conceptual And Historical Analysis In The Context Of Dohad, Andrea Gretchev, Heide S. Temples, Gillian England-Mason, Deborah Dewey, Sara M. Sarasua, Christopher Farrell, Vivian Haley-Zitlin

Publications

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) paradigm posits that early environmental factors may influence a child’s development and long-term health outcomes. Developmental programming (DP) is central to this paradigm, whereby specific early life exposures during critical periods of development are associated with changes to physiological and metabolic pathways, potentially predisposing individuals to disease. However, no standard definition of DP exists, and various terms have been used to describe similar processes. This analysis aimed to develop a conceptual definition for DP to inform interdisciplinary research, education, and practice. Walker and Avant’s eight-step method was employed to analyze the literature, …

Comparative Efficacy Of Oral And Cloacal Administration Of Lactobacillus Probiotics And Postbiotics Against Campylobacter Jejuni Colonization In Broiler Chickens, Shreeya Sharma, Hosni Hassan, Khaled Abdelaziz

Publications

Campylobacter jejuni remains a major cause of foodborne illness worldwide, with poultry serving as the primary reservoir. In the absence of commercial vaccines or effective feed additives, probiotics and their byproducts (postbiotics) represent a promising and sustainable approach to reducing Campylobacter colonization in poultry. This study compared the efficacy of oral and cloacal administration of probiotic lactobacilli and their postbiotics in reducing Campylobacter colonization and modulating the cecal microbiome in broiler chickens. Day-old chicks were assigned to seven treatment groups that received either probiotics (live cells of four poultry-derived Lactobacillus strains: L. reuteri P43, L. acidophilus P42, L. animalis P38, …

Freshwater Quality For Recreation, Heather Nix, Masha Bokar

Forestry and Natural Resources

South Carolina has many water resources that provide tremendous opportunities for people to enjoy water-based recreational activities, such as swimming, boating, and fishing. Participation in these activities produces significant economic benefits and supports many jobs throughout the state. However, at times, water quality may be unsafe for immersion or skin contact due to high levels of pollutants, such as bacteria or cyanotoxins. It is important for people to be aware of potential concerns and understand methods for determining if a waterbody’s current conditions are likely to be safe for primary or secondary recreation.

Launch Skills: Virtual Career Camp Connects Rural Youth To Diverse Career Pathways, Caroline Homan, Meagan Hoffman

Journal of Youth Development

Rural youth often encounter persistent barriers in career and workforce readiness, including limited access to career exploration resources, mentorship, and post-secondary exposure, challenges that are compounded by geographic isolation and higher rates of rural poverty. To address these gaps, this manuscript describes the development and implementation of Launch Skills, a virtual career camp designed to broaden rural youths’ awareness of career pathways within food, agriculture, natural resources management, and human sciences (FANH). Grounded in Positive Youth Development principles, Launch Skills was collaboratively developed by North Dakota State University Extension and South Dakota State University Extension to provide flexible, accessible, and …

The Impact Of Civic Engagement On Filipino Youth During The Pandemic: The Role Of Social Networking Sites For Social Capital Building, Ma. Glenda Wui, Katrina Yuzon, Joane Denise Alliah Axibal, Gel Christian Llames, Enrique Niño P. Leviste

Journal of Youth Development

This study examined the civic engagement of Filipino youth (N=14) volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anchored in the asset-based framework of Positive Youth Development, the study discussed the critical role of civic engagement in enhancing the well-being of youth during the pandemic. It also analyzed the role of Social Networking Sites (SNS) in building social capital for civic engagement. Through in-depth interviews, the study examined the impact of the participants’ engagement on their lives, and how they confronted challenges related to civic work. Thematic analysis of the interview data yielded four themes: personal challenges during the pandemic, coping with the …

Positive Youth Development And Connection With Nature Through Urban Agriculture, Casey Ortbahn, Marijke Hecht, Kristi Lekies

Journal of Youth Development

Youth urban agriculture programs connect youth with nature and support positive youth development. In this qualitative study, we use photovoice to amplify youth voices and explore 16 high school youths’ perceptions of how participation in a youth gardening program supported their confidence, connection, and sense of belonging. Using qualitative thematic analysis of photos, posters, and interviews, we identify several program processes that supported confidence and belonging, including meaningful relationships with peers and adults, connections with nature, and relationships with more-than-human beings. Our analysis reveals that nature is an important context for youth development and that nature is also more than …

Temporal Dynamics Of Irrigation Characteristics In South Carolina, Selvalakshmi Selvaraj, Jose O. Payero, Dana B. Turner

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Irrigation plays a vital role in stabilizing crop production under climatic variability in the southeastern United States. However, limited long-term empirical evidence exists on how irrigation practices, water sources, and energy demands have evolved in South Carolina. The aim of this study was to examine temporal changes in irrigation characteristics in South Carolina. The analysis utilized two decades (2003–2023) of data from the United States Department of Agriculture – National Agricultural Statistics Service, Irrigation and Water Management Surveys. Results showed a 65% increase in the number of irrigated farms and 260% expansion in irrigated acreage over the twenty-year period. Groundwater …

From Classroom To Field: Rural Teachers’ Integration Of Science And The Outdoors, Steph N. Dean, Julieanne A. Wenner

Publications

This study explored how rural educators in the US use outdoor environments to enhance science instruction, addressing the educational marginalization of rural students. Using rural cultural wealth as a theoretical framework, we investigated how rural teachers integrate local nature-based resources and students’ out-of-school experiences into science learning. We conducted interviews and observations with rural teachers, using reflexive thematic analysis as our qualitative approach. Three key themes emerged that highlight the ways our participants use the outdoor environment to teach science: (a) harness rural community partnerships, (b) engage students through relational teaching, and (c) design learning opportunities that honor students as …

Slow Education, Sit Spot, And Holistic Well-Being: A Narrative Case Study In Secondary Science Education, Steph Dean, Jim Lane, Paul Bocko, Albert Gilbert, Devan A. Jones

Publications

The demands of a test-dominant education system point towards the need for students to have opportunities for unhurried learning engagements, a movement known as slow education. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term influence of Sit Spot–a recurrent, structured time to reflect outdoors–on students’ holistic well-being. Using a narrative case study approach, we interviewed a secondary field ecology teacher and seven of his former students to understand the impact of high school Sit Spot experiences during a semester-long science class. Three primary outcomes emerged: (1) enduring impact on the whole person, (2) engagement with affect, and (3) …

From Forest Aversion To Pro-Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors: Impacts Of A 3-Day Culturally Informed Camp, Candace Jones, Xiangyou Shen

ACA National Camp Research Forum Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Clemson Commencement Program, December 2025, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Face Synthesis Methods And Their Influence On Human Perception, Maha Habib Almaimani

All Dissertations

Synthetic faces (e.g., computer-generated characters) have been increasingly utilized across various fields, including entertainment, healthcare, and education. Perceptual studies are often conducted to understand how synthetic faces are perceived by humans, aiming to enhance both quality and user experience in these domains. Over the years, numerous methods have been developed to create synthetic faces, ranging from traditional techniques such as image composites, Active Appearance Models, and 3D Morphable Models to more recent machine-learning-based frameworks like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Variational Autoencoders (VAEs).

Despite the growing adoption of synthetic face generation and the variety of algorithms available for their creation, …

Impact Of Rendering Wastewater Variability On Electrocoagulation - Electroflotation, Katie L. Hardison

All Theses

Rendering is a resource recovery technique commonly utilized to recover fats and proteins from unused animal parts discarded during meat processing and slaughter. Resource recovery involves converting waste products into valuable products. Rendering generates large volumes of heavily polluted wastewater. Pollutant concentrations can vary significantly, although rendering wastewater (RW) has extremely high concentrations of fats, oils, and greases (FOG). To remove pollutants, first chemicals called coagulants are added to RW to encourage pollutants to clump together to form flocs. The flocs are then floated to the surface and removed through the addition of air in a process called dissolved air …

Optimizing Endothelial Cell Specific Polymersome-Based Atheroprotective Therapies, Ally C. Brawner

All Theses

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and the world. Every year, billions of dollars are spent in the US alone for direct treatments of this disease, especially on prescription medicines like statins. However, these medications have been unable to curtail global mortality rates, partially because they do not target the entirety of atherosclerotic pathophysiology. A key area of this pathophysiology is that atheroprone arteries typically include pro-inflammatory endothelial cells that exhibit decreased levels of apoAI-mediated cholesterol efflux and an increased release of adhesion molecules, such as VCAM-1. The objective of my project …

Harnessing Irrationality, Jennifer E. Smith

All Theses

My thesis work considers the presence of objectifying gazes in representations of women in Western visual media and pop culture. I reference film, television, short form content shared on social media, and pornography to identify and repurpose tools of objectification in my large scale drawings and animated GIFs. I compare the objectifying tropes present in contemporary entertainment media and pop culture to those present in the Western art historical tradition of the reclining female nude, mythology and folklore, and pornography. Using these comparisons, I discuss objectification in terms of passive and active, consumption and appetite, and idealization and devaluation. I …

Process Optimization And Cost Reduction For Cellulose Nanocrystals For Metal Removal From Rendered Fat, Sheikh Abdur Rehman

All Theses

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) coupled with polymers featuring a high density of amine functional groups, such as polyethylenimine (PEI), exhibit significant metal-capturing capabilities. Rendered animal fat has applications in a vast number of industries, with the potential to be used as a feedstock for the biodiesel/renewable diesel industries. Nevertheless, rendered fat samples occasionally contain concentrations of metals/inorganic contaminants above the suitable threshold for use in this application. Thus, a cost-effective solution to remove light metal/inorganic contaminants from rendered fat samples is desirable.

To address this problem, a cellulose nanocrystal coupled with polyethylenimine, i.e., CNC-f-PEI, was developed by previous …

Enhancing Facial Expressiveness For Games Through Procedural Animation, Abhijit Varanasi

All Theses

Facial animation is one of the most important parts of bringing characters to life in video games and virtual experiences. This thesis explores a new approach to creating more expressive facial animations using procedural techniques and blended facial performance for more flexibility. The project uses FACS (Facial Action Coding System), which breaks down facial expressions into small, measurable muscle movements. By building a facial rig based on these muscle units, the character’s face can be animated in a way that reflects real human emotion. The animation in this work is not just pre-recorded, though it can respond in real-time to …

Plant Community Responses To Wildfire, Timber Thinning, And Bison Reintroduction On The Northern Great Plains, Ethan H. Van-Derpoel

All Theses

The Northern Great Plains (NGP) is one of the largest intact grasslands remaining in the world. These two studies examine a few of the ecological concerns on the NGP today. First, the woody encroachment of conifers into grasslands and the effects of wildfires. Second, the effects of bison (Bison bison) reintroduction on plant communities. In Chapter 1, this study aims to examine the effects of wildfire and mechanical timber thinning, using a two-by-two factorial design, on plant community responses and forage quality in the Bull Mountains area of central Montana, USA. We found that our treatments had varying …

Unloved Ecologies, Ellen Griffin

All Theses

Unloved Ecologies is an exhibition of ceramic sculptures that stage encounters between human and nonhuman bodies. Through it, I investigate the intersections of queer identity and ecology to reevaluate what society often deems “unlovable.” By working with the language of Queer Ecology, I explore the tensions between protection and vulnerability, as well as between cultivated order and wild resistance. Ceramic sculpture is my mode for examining moments of transformation, repair, and growth, and natural processes function as metaphors for the ways external pressures shape individuals. My overall goal is to explore the ecological processes of change and examine how our …

Editable 4d Gaussian Splatting: Scalable And Consistent Video Editing Via Uv-Texture Decomposition, Shuai Lyu

All Theses

Dynamic 3D videos are now widely used in VR, AR, and telepresence, where users often want to change the style or appearance of objects such as clothing over a whole sequence. However, editing such dynamic 3D content is still hard, because appearance, geometry, and motion are tightly coupled, so even a simple color change must stay consistent in all views and at all time steps. Existing editing methods based on 4D Gaussian Splatting often work in a frame-by-frame way, which is slow and makes it difficult to keep temporal and multi-view consistency.

This thesis proposes Editable-4DGS, a representation-centric framework that …

Locomotion And Balance Control In A Biped Robot With Continuum Legs And A Kangaroo-Inspired Tail, Gavin A. Platt

All Theses

This thesis work presents the design, testing, and validation of a continuum-legged biped robot equipped with a kangaroo inspired tail for enhanced stability and adaptability. Unlike traditional rigid link robots, this one expands on soft-legged robots and utilizes tendon-driven continuum robots to mimic octopus and kangaroo behavior for locomotion. The robot uses a hierarchical hybrid control framework to implement walking, obstacle avoidance, vaulting, and push recovery behaviors. To test the performance of the robot four sets of experiments were conducted to validate these systems and evaluate how they performed. The results demonstrate stable walking with rhythmic tail load transfer, effective …

Tools Of The Trade: Exploring Precision Agriculture, Social Media, And Support Services In Modern Farming, Virginia Wayt

All Theses

We need to know more about farmers’ relationships to tools that can help them, including Precision Agriculture (PA) tech from within the field, human service providers (SPs), and social media (SM). To evaluate these relationships, three research projects were conducted. Two were surveys focusing on perceptions - one was on technology and the other was on social media. The technology survey was on vegetable growers and aimed to understand how open and interested they were in PA, which are agricultural technologies that use data to make life easier. They could monitor soil or weather, steer vehicles, limit water, and more …

A Prevalence Study Of Iron Deficiency Anemia Among Children In Elbasan, Albania: Directions For Health Care Policy, Artilda Lala

All Dissertations

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most prevalent disorders worldwide, especially in children from low-income and underdeveloped countries. In Albania, anemia is a major public health concern with many unstudied regions (prefectures and rural municipalities). Childhood IDA can impair cognitive development, immunity and overall well-being, so early diagnosis and prevention of anemia is critical. This study examined the prevalence of IDA in children aged 0-10 years in the district of Elbasan, Albania. The data were additionally analyzed for relationships with demographic (age, gender, education, parental education and child academic performance) and nutrition variables.

A cross-sectional study design was …

Pathways To Leadership: How Meaningful Experiences Shape Motivation In 4-H Teen Leaders, Trang Ta, Steven Krauss

Journal of Youth Development

Youth leadership development is crucial for empowering young people to thrive and contribute to society. Research on 4-H has demonstrated significant leadership growth among program participants, with effects persisting into emerging adulthood. However, little is known about what specific experiences shape 4-H youth’s motivation to lead. This qualitative study explores meaningful experiences—vividly remembered moments with positive and enduring effects—that nurture leadership motivation among 4-H teen leaders. Seven emerging adults aged 18-21 with extensive leadership experience in Missouri 4-H programs participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Using a thematic analysis approach, we identified two categories of meaningful experiences, namely transformative moments and …

Diabetes-Induced Mitral Valve Degeneration: Tissue-Engineered Solutions And Antioxidant Therapy, Samantha Hahn

All Theses

Mitral valve (MV) fibrosis is a progressive pathological condition characterized by leaflet thickening and stiffening, ultimately compromising valve function. This process is accelerated in diabetes, where chronic hyperglycemia elevates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alters the mechanics of the extracellular matrix (ECM), collectively promoting the activation of valvular interstitial cells (VICs). Under healthy conditions, VICs maintain a quiescent, fibroblast-like phenotype responsible for sustaining ECM homeostasis. However, pathological biochemical cues or mechanical stress drive VICs toward a myofibroblast phenotype. While this transformation is essential for short-term repair, its persistence contributes to maladaptive MV remodeling and fibrosis. Diabetic stressors may be mitigated …

Mitral Annular Calcification In Diabetes: Valvular Interstitial Cells, Antioxidant Therapy, And Tissue Engineering Approaches, Raleigh J. Keenan

All Theses

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a chronic, progressive, and degenerative condition that impairs mitral valve function and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The mitral annulus is a saddle-shaped, fibrous structure that is primarily composed of collagen and elastin. The annulus also contains interspersed lipids that are involved in cellular metabolism, as well as inflammatory and osteogenic signaling. These lipids increase the annulus’ susceptibility to calcification, under conditions that increase mechanical stress (hypertension) and promote atherosclerosis (diabetes mellitus). These conditions intensify calcification by promoting the activation of valvular interstitial cells (VICs), increasing fibrosis, and inducing osteogenic differentiation. Although it is …