Digital Commons Network^™

Do Themes Improve Visitor Outcomes In Interpretive Programs?, Amber K. Hawes

All Theses

Thematic interpretation is widely promoted as being integral to an effective interpretive program. Some studies have suggested that thematic interpretation may enhance visitor outcomes; however, park visitor demographics have changed over the last decade, and others have suggested alternative approaches. In this study, we systematically observed live interpretive programs at 330 programs at 52 National Parks across the United States, monitored the extent and characteristics of theme usage, and collected visitor surveys immediately following each program. We used these data to determine the influence of the presence and characteristics of themes and theme questions on visitor outcomes. The results suggest …

Parent Perception Of Preschool Programs: Improving Parent Knowledge Of Preschool Programs Through Targeted Recruitment, Meredith Lynn Drake

All Dissertations

Parent knowledge of preschool enrollment processes and the benefit of early education has been an issue at Mountain Elementary. Early childhood learning opportunities are a predictor of later academic success, and it is important that parents know about the available opportunities for early learning in public schools.

The purpose of this intervention is to create a targeted parent outreach program to recruit students to the four-year-old kindergarten programs at Mountain Elementary. This study attempts to answer whether targeted outreach increases enrollment numbers at Mountain Elementary.

After conducting two parent outreach events and creating two video-based social media posts, I analyzed …

Heat Storage Using High Temperature Borehole Heat Exchangers, Jack Horvath

All Theses

The use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is growing, and with it comes an increased need to store excess energy when it is generated and release it on demand. Moderate temperature thermal energy storage in the subsurface is widely used to heat buildings, but high temperatures, greater than 120℃, are required to power generators that convert stored heat to electricity. High temperature heat can be generated from solar collectors or other means and then transferred to the subsurface using borehole heat exchangers (BHE). A BHE consists of a closed-loop pipe system used to circulate a …

Small Stream Restoration In The Piedmont Of South Carolina: Comparison Of Evaluation Tools And Water Quality’S Effects On Salamanders, Camryn Lachica

All Theses

For many years, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) used the Guidelines for Preparing a Compensatory Mitigation Plan worksheets to guide pre-restoration evaluation and determine post-restoration mitigation credits in South Carolina. Recently, the USACE in South Carolina transitioned to the Stream Quantification Tool (SQT), which provides a more comprehensive assessment framework. Our first objective was to compare these assessment methodologies across different landscape types to determine what the SQT adds to mitigation calculations that were not considered in prior worksheets. We evaluated 16 streams in the Piedmont of South Carolina, with four replicates each of forested, suburban, urban, …

Life Cycle Assessment Of The Cultivation Of Lettuce In A Hydroponic System Using The Nutrient Film Technique, Raquel Jordan

All Theses

Hydroponic systems are an emerging method of soilless crop cultivation typically done inside a greenhouse where nutrients are delivered dissolved in water rather than being supplied from the soil. Potential benefits of hydroponic systems include reduced irrigation requirements, higher crop yield per area, and the ability to grow crops year-round in nontraditional areas such as urban settings, cold climates, and sites with contaminated soil. However, hydroponic systems tend to have high energy requirements for lighting and climate control, which can yield significant environmental impacts. To explore the environmental impacts of cultivating lettuce in a nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system, …

Machine Learning Based Medical Ultrasound Image Classification And Grad-Cam Interpretation, Victoria C. Hemphill

All Theses

This work takes a step in creating a diagnostic tool for the classification decision process of Achilles tendinopathy using ultrasound images. An attention-based multiple instance learning model is developed to classify the images. Typically, doctors capture multiple ultrasound images of the Achilles tendon during a study to determine a complete diagnosis. Multiple instance models adopt this behavior by providing a single label for a set of instances (images). The images are grouped into ”bags” at the study level and passed into the model. The MIL model then uses its attention property to assign an importance score to each image to …

A Generalizable And Privacy-Preserving Framework For Anomaly Detection In Heterogeneous Iot Environments, Mahshid Rezakhani

All Theses

With the rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices across various sectors, detecting anomalies in such systems has become increasingly challenging. IoT environments produce diverse and evolving data streams, often lacking labeled examples, which limits the effectiveness of traditional machine learning models. These models typically require frequent retraining and struggle to adapt to new deployment conditions. This thesis proposes a flexible, privacy-aware framework for anomaly detection in multivariate time series data generated by heterogeneous IoT systems. The approach integrates a long short-term memory variational autoencoder (LSTM-VAE) with contrastive learning and adversarial adaptation, enabling the model to generalize across domains, …

Effects Of Variation In Altitude And Temperature On The Restraining Force And Internal Gauge Pressure Of Constrained Dunnage Airbags, Charles R. Weaver

All Theses

Dunnage airbags are an increasingly popular choice for securing cargo. During transit, changes in ambient temperature and pressure can cause airbags to expand generating damaging horizontal compressive forces in the trailer or container. Previous studies have developed numerical models for the behavior of Kraft paper and woven polypropylene fabric dunnage airbags under standard conditions but do not account for the behavior of airbags under varied altitudes and temperatures. This study provides empirical data on the internal gauge pressure and restraining force dynamics of 4-ply Kraft, woven polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride airbags under simulated altitude and temperature conditions. Tensile testing characterizes …

Optimizing Park Locations While Considering Resident Behavior, Lu Liu

All Theses

Urban parks and green-spaces significantly enhance community well-being by improving physical health, mental wellness, and environmental quality. Given these extensive benefits, ensuring fair and widespread access to urban parks represents a critical priority in urban planning. Despite the advantages of parks, optimizing their location poses unique and complex challenges distinct from traditional facility location problems, such as those involving emergency services or schools. The core distinction arises from the decentralized nature of residents’ park selection behaviors. Unlike centralized allocations typically managed by public administrators, park usage decisions are driven by individual preferences and behaviors. This decentralized decision-making introduces two additional …

Certified Approximation Algorithms Of Algebraic Curves, Michael Byrd Jr.

All Dissertations

One of the fundamental problems in mathematics is to determine the set of solutions to a system of equations. In algebraic geometry, the equations studied are polynomials, and the solution set is called an algebraic variety. For single variable polynomials of degree less than five, the roots can be determined exactly using algebraic methods, but for polynomials of degree five or higher, numerical methods are required. When using numerical methods, it is important to know when the computed approximation is indeed a correct solution, which leads to the idea of a certified algorithm. An algorithm is said to be …

Low Energy Ion Irradiation Effects In Electronic Devices And Materials, David C. Mccall

All Dissertations

The physics and engineering of ion-solid interactions are governed by the ion beam characteristics (flux, charge, energy) and target(s) in question. Here I present work on two projects related to the extraction of a high flux of low charge state Argon ions from a commercial plasma source and the irradiation of an engineered target, a transistor, with high charge state Argon ions.

An end-Hall ion source that produces a a high current plasma of ions and electrons in a rough vacuum environment is characterized. Using a Langmuir probe and multiple pressure measurements, the ion and electron content of the source …

Local Adaptation In The Pinus Palustris Ground Layer, Jason Paul Joines

All Dissertations

Population survival or extirpation may be dependent on adaptation to local environmental conditions. I hypothesized that populations of species with large ranges would be locally adapted because of the variety of environments that different populations experience, that spatial patterns of local adaptation would correspond to patterns of endemism because processes driving local adaptation may also lead to speciation, and that the extent of local adaptation would be stronger in species with little gene flow among populations than in those with extensive gene flow because of the relative strength of selection necessary to overcome gene flow. I tested these hypotheses using …

Developing Guidance For The Use Of Floating Treatment Wetlands In Brackish Stormwater Ponds, Clare Escamilla

All Dissertations

Stormwater ponds are commonly used as a flood control strategy, particularly in coastal developments. Many coastal stormwater ponds are impaired with high nutrient levels that can lead to algal blooms, impacting the water quality of the pond and surrounding ecosystem. Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are one potential strategy that can be implemented in stormwater ponds to reduce high nutrient concentrations, however limited research has been done in brackish waterbodies. To determine the suitability of using FTWs in brackish stormwater ponds this research focused on (1) coastal resident perceptions of FTWs and (2) plants that can be utilized in FTWs deployed …

Experimental Evaluation And Comparison Of Football-Related Head Impacts Among Ovine, Human, And Hybrid Iii Headforms, Madysn D. Cardinal

All Dissertations

Concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a significant public health concern, especially in American football, where repeated head impacts pose long-term risks to athlete health. While current helmet testing standards rely heavily on the Hybrid III surrogate headform to evaluate protective performance, these surrogate models lack anatomical accuracy and exclude the presence of a brain component, limiting their ability to capture the true mechanics of concussion. To address this limitation, this research developed and validated a novel inverted impact testing method that allows the impact testing of a Hybrid III headform and a cadaveric specimen. Additionally, this fixture preserves …

Robustness Investigation, Detection, And Defense Of Deep Learning Models Against False Data Injection, Amirhossein Nazeri

All Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the critical challenge of adversarial robustness in deep learning systems, focusing on two fundamental domains: time-series prediction and object detection. As these AI systems become increasingly deployed in safety-critical applications from power grid management to autonomous vehicles their vulnerability to adversarial attacks poses significant risks to infrastructure and human safety.

The first contribution introduces a novel stealthy black-box False Data Injection (FDI) attack specifically designed for quasi-periodic time-series data. Unlike existing attacks that produce easily detectable anomalies, our method generates adversarial perturbations that preserve the underlying periodicity and statistical properties of the data, effectively bypassing traditional anomaly …

Secure Control And Trust Evaluation Framework For Autonomous Transportation Systems, Grace Muriithi

All Dissertations

This dissertation advances the cybersecurity of hybrid tracked vehicles (HTVs) and ship power systems (SPSs) by developing innovative cyber-attack models and corresponding defence frameworks. First, we formulate stealthy false-data-injection attacks (FDIAs) on HTV energy-management systems as a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) solved via deep reinforcement learning. A novel sniffing-based reward function guides the attacker to covertly degrade battery capacity and energy efficiency, which we evaluate using custom stealth–impact metrics and a sliding-window anomaly detector (Isolation Forest with Dynamic Time Warping). Additionally, we model sophisticated control-layer attacks in HTVs, including reinforcement-learning-optimised replay attacks and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks targeting generator-speed …

Mathematics Achievement: The Impact Of Cooperative Learning Strategies On Math Anxiety And Self-Efficacy Among Adult Basic Education Students, Lacey H. Rogers

All Dissertations

Many adult basic education (ABE) students struggle to pass the mathematics portion of the GED, limiting their access to educational and employment opportunities. This Dissertation in Practice addressed the problem of low math achievement at the New Beginnings Adult Learning Center by implementing cooperative learning strategies aimed at reducing math anxiety, increasing self-efficacy, and promoting student engagement.

Grounded in the principles of improvement science, the eight-week intervention introduced daily Think-Pair-Share routines during math instruction. The goal was to create a more supportive classroom environment where students felt encouraged to participate and build confidence in their math skills. Data were collected …

How Do Homeschool Parents In South Carolina Select Curriculum And Make Pedagogical Choices To Support Their Children’S Early Reading Development?, Lauretta O. Osho

All Dissertations

Early Childhood Education (ECE) is a period of growth and development for young children as they begin their educational journey. The need for a high-quality early childhood learning experience is necessary for the child’s holistic development, without which children may grow up with learning challenges that could negatively impact their adult life. Each child's early learning experience must begin with a good and deliberate reading foundation. Therefore, understanding the best methods of instilling strong reading skills in children from an early age sets the foundation for lifelong learning and success.

Homeschooling is the practice of educating, instructing, and tutoring children …

Data-Driven Koopman Theory For Transient Stability And Safety Analysis Of Power Systems With Renewable Penetration, Bhagyashree Umathe

All Dissertations

This dissertation presents a novel approach to analyzing and controlling nonlinear systems using the Koopman operator framework and data-driven methods. Nonlinear power systems, characterized by complex behaviors and sensitivity to initial conditions, pose significant challenges for stability and safety assessment, especially during transient events.

The first part of this work focuses on reachability analysis using the spectral properties of the Koopman operator. By leveraging eigenfunctions extracted from sampled trajectory data, the approach computes forward and backward reachable sets efficiently, even in high-dimensional nonlinear systems, without requiring dense state-space sampling. This method is validated through numerical examples, demonstrating its ability to …

Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions Of An Outdoor Learning Experience Within A Science Methods Course, Steph Dean, Summer Landreth

Publications

Given the challenges currently facing early childhood science education, this exploratory study investigates the advantages of outdoor learning as part of a teacher preparation program. A group of 49 pre-service early childhood education teachers participated in a day-long outdoor learning experience embedded within their science methods course. Guided by the theoretical lens of embodied cognition, we employed a case study approach to collect and analyze qualitative survey data, using both categorizing and connecting strategies to explore participants’ experiences. The findings reveal four key themes related to pre-service teacher perceptions, in that outdoor learning: (1) represented an engaging experience, (2) contributed …

Certified Computation Of Julia Sets Via Numerical Methods, Hannah Kaufman

All Theses

The chaotic and fractal nature of Julia sets makes them difficult to graph. This research aims to provide graphical approximations of Julia sets with known and guaranteed levels of accuracy. We implement three methods to approximate Julia sets with c values chosen from the main cardioid of the Mandelbrot set. Each method utilizes different properties of these Julia sets. The exclusion method makes use of the fact that a Julia set of this type is topologically a circle. Attracting and repelling fixed points are used to find a region on the interior of the Julia set and a region on …

Decision Field Theory For Human-Multi-Robot Collaboration: Human-Centric Decision-Making For Multi-Robot Systems, Ryan Mbagna Nanko

All Theses

At first glance, choosing between an apple and an orange appears to be a straightforward matter of personal taste; however, this seemingly simple preference opens a window into the multifaceted world of decision-making, revealing the complex interplay of cognitive processes, psychological, and behavioral-economic principles that guide our choices \cite{bandyopadhyayRoleAffectDecision2013}. By unpacking these nuanced perspectives, we uncover insights that can drive more effective human-robot interaction and collaboration.

Modeling human cognition requires understanding the evolution of choice utility and the influence of emotions. Decision Field Theory (DFT) stands out by capturing the fluctuating nature in human preferences over time, explaining why choices …

Wires, Roads, And Real-World Challenges: An Interdisciplinary Case Study Bridging Roadway And Electric Utility Design, Juliann A. Lloyd

All Theses

Electric utilities are a foundational component of modern society and depend heavily on civil engineers for planning, design, construction, and maintenance. However, educational content related to this industry is often underrepresented in civil engineering programs. To bridge this gap, a case study activity was implemented in two transportation engineering courses at Clemson University. The case study introduced students to the integration between electric utility infrastructure and roadway design by simulating a realistic and common conflict scenario faced by Departments of Transportation (DOTs) nationwide.

Students were placed in interdisciplinary teams, with each member assigned a specialized role such as Land Agent, …

Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) Movement And Habitat Selection In The Edisto River, South Carolina, Jacob Hill

All Theses

Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) are a commercially and recreationally important fish native to the Atlantic Coast of the United States. They possess a diversity of life history strategies, with northern populations tending to be anadromous and southern populations being primarily river residents. In general, southern populations are less studied, posing challenges for effective management. Between 2019 and 2024, we tagged 37 Striped Bass with acoustic telemetry transmitters in order to study seasonal migration patterns and summer habitat selection. We estimated migration probability for both the spring and fall Striped Bass migrations using data from an array of passive …

Revolutionizing Digital Privacy Education For Older Adults: Enhanced Interventions And Ai-Assisted Learning Strategies, Heba Aly

All Dissertations

As older adults increasingly engage with digital platforms, they face unique privacy risks stemming from limited digital literacy, reduced trust in AI technologies, and constrained access—especially in rural or underserved communities. While digital tools offer benefits like social connection and information access, current privacy education efforts often neglect the needs of older adults. This dissertation addresses this gap by developing, testing, and refining digital privacy education interventions tailored for older adults, with a focus on trust, personalization, and AI-assisted learning.

Study 1 evaluates multiple instructional modalities across age groups, revealing older adults prefer structured videos and interactive tutorials, while younger …

A Study On The Propagation And Exploitation Of Structured Light In Underwater Turbulence, Jaxon P. Wiley

All Dissertations

The development and optimization of optical systems will play a pivotal role in the continued exploration and exploitation of the world’s underwater environments. These systems offer advantages in many sectors, and includes applications in areas such as high-speed communication, advanced sensing and imaging, and environmental characterization and monitoring. Underwater environments offer a plethora of challenges, however, and mitigating these obstacles remains an arduous task. In this work, the inherent advantages of structured light are leveraged to optimize optical system performance through non-ideal underwater conditions. Additionally, fundamental relationships between the generation of specified structured modes and their interactions with complex environments …

Multiple View Neural Regression Of A Facial Shape Model, Xiang Li

All Dissertations

Creating re-topologized 3D facial meshes is a critical step in high-quality facial animation pipelines, yet it remains a labor-intensive and time-consuming task. Traditional approaches typically rely on multiview stereo reconstruction and specialized photometric environments to acquire accurate geometric and reflectance data under controlled conditions. This dissertation presents work toward more efficient capture of production-ready meshes including (1) developmental aspects of VarIS, a custom-designed light sphere capable of capturing high-resolution stereo geometry and reflectance maps—including diffuse, specular, and normal components under programmable illumination; (2) a study of the effects of camera parameters on automatic 2D and 3D landmarking methods, (3) methods …

Engaging Minds: Assessing The Impact Of Arts-Integration On Science Achievement And Engagement Using Planned Experimentation, Fonda G. Dupre

All Dissertations

Elementary science education is essential for fostering inquiry, critical thinking, and problem-solving, yet it is often reduced or deprioritized due to the pressures of high-stakes testing in reading and mathematics. Despite federal calls for a well-rounded education under the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015), instructional time for science remains limited in many schools, particularly in under-resourced and high-poverty contexts. This reduction of science instruction time exacerbates achievement gaps and limits student engagement and interest in STEM fields.

This planned experiment investigates whether Arts-Integrated science instruction can increase student engagement and improve academic achievement among fourth-grade students at Foothills Academy of …

Influence Of Experience And Risk With Natural Hazards On Geoscience Interest And Career Expectations, Shannon Conner

All Dissertations

Understanding student interest in geoscience is important, as it has the potential to inform departmental decisions such as the selection of classroom examples and marketing strategies to attract new geoscience majors. Recruitment to geoscience is critical to address future social and environmental challenges. Our work may also provide insight into how to approach persistent recruitment problems within departments, such as student enrollment and the lack of diversity within the geosciences. This work involves developing a geoscience interest scale, integrating geospatial and educational data sets related to hazard risk and interest, and an exploring career motivations as related to natural hazard …

More Than Numbers: Interrogating The Instructional Capacity Of Middle School Mathematics Teachers, Yashica R. Latimer

All Dissertations

This study examines how middle school mathematics teachers conceptualize and enact culturally responsive mathematics teaching (CRMT) within a district-supported professional learning initiative. Guided by the CRMT framework developed by Aguirre and Zavala (2013), the research explores how instructional decision-making intersects with equity-focused pedagogy.

Two central questions inform the study: (1) How do middle school mathematics teachers interpret and apply CRMT principles in their classroom practice? (2) What specific instructional strategies do teachers use to integrate cultural responsiveness into their instruction?

Using a qualitative multiple-case study design, data were collected from three teachers participating in a professional learning group called MORE …