Digital Commons Network^™

Intellectual Freedom On College Campuses: An Update On Current State Legislation, David Sye

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

The term intellectual freedom has been recently tossed around by state lawmakers to justify new laws targeting college campuses. The recent laws and policy changes mainly target one of three things: faculty tenure, curriculum, or freedom of speech. This post will provide an update on new laws or incidents happening in various states.

Examining Rumination, Devaluation Of Positivity, And Depressive Symptoms Via Community‐Based Network Analysis, Duncan Jordan

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Objective: Components of rumination, including brooding and reflection, as well as devaluating prospective positivity, may help maintain depressive symptoms. We examined these components together for the first time using network analysis. Methods: We examined the robustness of rumination communities of closely related items in one network and then examined the interrelationships between rumination communities, devaluation of positivity, and depression, in a second network. Results: Three rumination communities emerged, replicating findings of Bernstein et al. (2019). Within a dense network, nodes representing brooding, reflective pondering, and difficulty trusting positive feelings were most influential. In addition, the node representing the depressive symptom …

The Understanding Of The Other In Orientalist And Primitivst Art, Jasmine Groves, Jasmine A. Groves

Honors College Theses

In 1978, Edward Said published Orientalism, a seminal book that shed light on one of the “leftovers” of European colonialism. In it, he describes the West’s attempts to exotify and romanticize the non-Western world. While the Near East, the Far East, and East/Southeast Asia are geographic terms that correspond to specific countries and cultures, the “Orient” is a Euro-American fantasy that only exists to contradict the West. The term is intentionally vague in order to satisfy any and all exotic desires that a consumer may have.

A great deal of European and American artists found inspiration in the exotic …

Benchmarking Clustering And Classification Tasks Using K-Means, Fuzzy C-Means And Feedforward Neural Networks Optimized By Pso, Adam Pickens, Adam Pickens

Honors College Theses

Clustering is a widely used unsupervised learning technique across data mining and machine learning applications and finds frequent use in diverse fields ranging from astronomy, medical imaging, search and optimization, geology, geophysics and sentiment analysis to name a few. It is therefore important to verify the effectiveness of the clustering algorithms in question and to make reasonably strong arguments for the acceptance of the end results generated by the validity indices that measure the compactness and separability of clusters. This work aims to explore the successes and limitations of popular clustering mechanisms such as K-Means and Fuzzy C-Means by comparing …

Thank You For Your Service, Jon Dufriend

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

This show is a visualization of my experience returning home from war and using art to breakthrough instead of letting the experience break me. The pop-art style of this exhibition is intended to reflect the optimistic nature necessary for my recovery. I have used this style throughout most of my work to display heavy topics in a way that engages the viewer. This show will be a multimedia explosion that will showcase the skills I have learned while using my G.I. bill to earn my BFA at Murray State University. The goal of this exhibition is to give the viewer …

Kathryn Huttunen Art399 Portfolio, Kathryn Huttunen

Professional Practices (ART 399)

Kate Huttunen

Artist Statement.

The overall themes and concepts of my work are my personal self-reflection and memories of black and white culture as an adopted woman of color as well as how society views me and how I view society. When I just began pursuing art I started with using digital media such as video and digital photography. Recently switching to spending more time painting I feel I can portray certain emotions better with that medium than with digital. With digital media, I’m focused on showing the failures, triumphs, and struggles that come with adoption as compared to painting …

We Speak English Here: An Exploratory Study Of Language Barrier Effects In Agriculture, Camryn Clift

Honors College Theses

This thesis investigates the effects of the language barrier between English-speaking H-2A managers and their Spanish-speaking H-2A employees on Kentucky farms with special attention to the insights that can be gleaned from farm managers concerning the intersection of communication, language barriers, and the unique social and cultural environment created by the microcosm of the H-2A program. The project includes a literature review evaluating the currently documented effects of language barriers in various industries as they relate to the language barriers found within agriculture. IRB-approved interviews with farm managers provide original data to evaluate these potential effects, whether positive or negative. …

Kaley Shackelford Art 399 Portfolio, Kaley Shackelford

Professional Practices (ART 399)

Ideas are like fish. You don't make the fish. You catch the fish. You have to convince them to come to you. You can catch ideas from daydreaming, or you can catch ideas from places. ~ David Lynch

We all participate in escapism in some form, and ever since I was a child, my vice was starring off into nothingness, dreaming of romanticized scenes, often landscapes loosely based on the familiar curving fields and dense, luxuriant woods of rural West Tennessee. This pastime has been a prime source for the ideas explored within my paintings, particularly the human relationship …

Kendra Lobb Art399 Portfolio, Kendra Lobb

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My work is about control and freedom brought on by options. Growing up in a broken home, I felt like all the decisions were made for me. The little freedoms I had through choices were limited, and many of them seemed trivial. The feeling of being trapped in situations that I did not choose pushed me to make a place to vent. The process of creating art allowed me to make a world that had order and power. I could go into autopilot, becoming absorbed in the process and forget reality. I got to make the rules and decided what …

Gracilou Ackerman Undergrad Photography Collection, Gracilou Ackerman, Gracilou Ackerman

Professional Practices (ART 399)

Days go by, rain comes and goes; buildings are built, occupied and abandoned. Walls that were once so vibrant with life are eventually silent. Generations upon generations witness the same subject with different eyes, perspective, and time. Minds are stimulated with excitement through the curiosity of our senses. Restoration and revitalization are a necessity to honor the enchantment that has once taken place. Constructing an infinite memory out of a perennial location is the goal to be achieved throughout the artwork.

I use photography, collage, and audio recordings to remember the industrial infrastructures that once held such importance. The now …

Kirsten Moore Art 399 Portfolio, Kirsten Moore

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My work questions our perceptions of space and time. I am interested in the way my personal experiences and choices are both shaped by time and are constantly changing. This ranges from broader struggles with health and identity to everyday decisions about fashion or conversations with friends. Our perceptions of our individual lives change over time, and past versions of ourselves can intermix and influence our present selves. There is nothing more intriguing to me than blending multiple dimensions by overlapping realistic figures with a two-dimensional pattern and allowing them to merge into a single landscape. This transports the viewer …

John Gee Art399 Portfolio, John Gee

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My art practice is grounded in photography, specifically fashion photography. I shoot digital mostly and sometimes shoot film to get the natural colors that aren’t achievable through digital without post processing. I have grown to love portraiture because working with people, capturing their current state, and styling them in ways that are appealing is what I have found the most joy in since starting photography. I’m a very detail-oriented person and perfectionism is a trait that has carried over to my photography. Styling my subject, picking out interesting color combinations and color palettes not just in the outfit but in …

Kayla Chinn 399 Port., Kayla Chinn

Professional Practices (ART 399)

I am someone who struggles to let go of the past, something I did not fully understand until studying another artist who struggles with the same thing. Being an individual who latches on to my childhood and past experiences is difficult as I continue to age. My work tells the stories that come from my lifetime and how they have affected me as I grow older. My approach to my soft sculptures helps drive those overarching feelings home as it is an homage to my late family members who were huge inspirations to me and my work, these women often …

Structure Determination Of Pd2sin (N = 1 - 9) Clusters, Ryan Carlin

Honors College Theses

The geometry and relative stability of small Pd2Sin (n = 1 - 9) clusters are determined using the B3LYP hybrid density functional theory method. Candidate structures are identified by the utilization of unbiased global optimization procedures. From the lowest energy geometries, binding energy, fragmentation energy, second-order energy difference, and frontier orbital gap energy are calculated to determine cluster stability. Pd2Sin (n = 8 and 9) adapts new lowest energy geometric configurations that have previously not been considered. Pd2Si5 is determined to have a high relative stability of the clusters within this size range.

In With A Runny Nose, Out In A Body Bag: Why Is It So Difficult For Black Women To Leave The Hospital Alive?, Chelsea Carter

Liberal Arts Capstones

In the Black community, there is an unspoken understanding about going to the doctor with a runny nose, and leaving in a body bag. A recent article published by The Oprah Magazine demonstrates that racism is rampant in the United States healthcare system, and it is taking the lives of Black women at an alarmingly disproportionate rate (Stallings, 2018). When seeking medical treatment, many Black women are at the mercy of doctors who hold an implicit bias against Black women. Simply put, implicit bias describes when people behave and treat others based on negative preconceptions they have about other people, …

Using Crispr-Cas9 To Characterize The Role Of Gli-Similar 3 (Glis3) In Insulin Regulation, Pancreatic Development, And Type 2 Diabetes, Lilyanne Grieve

Honors College Theses

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise nationally and internationally, impacting millions of people worldwide. Type 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance leading to chronic hyperinsulinemia and dysfunction of the insulin producing β cells of the pancreas. While environmental factors can influence the development of type 2 diabetes, research has shown genetics are also involved. Gli-similar 3 (Glis3), a Krüppel-like zinc finger transcription factor, has been identified as a novel regulator of insulin transcription. Evidence has shown that loss-of-function Glis3 mutations decrease insulin expression, implicating Glis3 in the development of type 2 diabetes. However, the distinct role Glis3 …

The Disparities Of The Marginalized: Focusing Race And Queerness In Science And Medicine, Kearby Stiles

Honors College Theses

The United States is an immensely diverse country in which certain groups have been—and continue to be—marginalized in society because of their differences. Science and healthcare are areas in which marginalized peoples are negatively affected by a society that punishes difference and diversity. This is an immense problem because in biological and medical school education, in clinical research, and medical practices, little attention is given to marginalized populations. In this paper, I focus on the disadvantages faced by people of color, trans, and intersex people. I decided to focus on race because the history and current state of racism in …

Her Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Resume Photos And Perceived Morality, Hannah Daab

Honors College Theses

It was once believed that a woman’s physical appearance benefited her in many aspects of life, including her career. Following the progression of the #MeToo movement, society has seen beauty become a liability for women in the workplace. This investigation dives into this phenomenon and redirects the focus to an earlier point in the timeline of a female’s professional career: the hiring process. Specifically, this paper begins to uncover an answer to the long- standing question of whether or not a woman should include a photo of herself on her resumé or CV. Across two quantitative studies, I investigate whether …

Automated Bottling Station - Packaging System, Lauren Nicole Zinzilieta

Honors College Theses

This report focuses on the packaging system used at the end of the FESTO bottling station that is located in EP 2355. The system will be made up of an x-y 300 mm x 300 mm gantry system, an Arduino, two micro-stepping stepper drivers, and two 152.4 mm (6 in) single acting cylinders with a 3D printed bracket attached to both. The gantry system will be located at the end of the conveyor belt and will be programmed to pick up three bottles at a time and then will move a specified number of steps in both the x and …

Memories From The Great War: An Analysis Of Jackson Purchase Veterans’ Changes In Perspective Since 1914, David Wallace

Honors College Theses

The First World War affected the lives of millions, creating collective memories of hardships, uncertainty, political tension, and animosity toward foreign enemies. In the United States, World War I was a turning point in the nation’s growth and development, but on a smaller scale it was a critical historical moment in the individual lives of the veterans who served. This research project showcases the experiences of the Jackson Purchase’s WWI veterans with an emphasis on their perceptions during the war, their reasons for enlisting, the countless once-in-a-lifetime experiences they had along the way, the hardships they faced, and the remarkable …

Implications Of Pop Cultural Diplomacy: An Analysis Of Idol-State Interactions, Elizabeth Erwin

Honors College Theses

This paper uses media coverage of idol-state interactions to understand the ways in which states utilize pop culture as a component of their public diplomacy strategy. Idol-state interactions are defined as an event where a pop cultural figure accompanies or is accompanied by a state official to a formal meeting with a representative of a foreign government. Looking specifically at South Korean diplomatic events where K-Pop idols are present, I find that idol-state interactions have the potential to increase media coverage, further cultural understanding and serve as a relationship-building tool.

Investigating Media Influence On Canine Breed Popularity And Increasing Prevalence Of Genetic Linked Disorders, Callie Anderson

Honors College Theses

This study is focused on influence of social media on dog breed popularity, and if an increase in popularity leads to an increase in the prevalence of genetic-linked disorders observed in specified breeds in a clinical setting. This study was conducted by comparing an in-depth analysis of past research investigating the influence of popular culture on the trends of dog breed popularity as it relates to trends in media and fashion, with the results of a survey of clinical observations by veterinarians practicing in the area surrounding Murray, Kentucky. The results of the literary analysis revealed that humans are greatly …

Amanda Cohoon Art399 Portfolio, Amanda Cohoon

Professional Practices (ART 399)

“That's why sometimes I feel nostalgic over something I haven't lost yet, because I see its transience.” This quote comes from a conversation between Sigmund Freud and the poet Rilke. It was said in a conversation about the inevitability of how one day everything will dissolve into meaningless and the fact that impermanence is a very real thing. Growing up I encountered a lot of loss within my family, so centering my art around my family is my way of never letting them go. My whole life I have been surrounded by such gifted storytellers, always going on about days …

Miracle, Gabrielle Sullivan

Honors College Theses

This original, speculative fiction novella follows Miracle Beckett, a young woman raised on a dying, climate-change ravaged Earth in an isolated religious cult. While she eventually escapes, she finds herself trapped in another deathtrap, abandoned by her crewmates on a spaceship that is rapidly running out of air. Struggling to reconcile her past with her present and her imminent death, Mira cannot avoid remembering everything she has tried to leave behind.

Engaging with sexual identity, religious trauma, and the difficulty found in reconciling the complexities of a left-behind existence, Miracle highlights the power of memory, friendship, and knowledge in guiding …

Snore: An Intuitive Algorithm For Accurately Simulating N-Body Orbits, Connor L. Nance

Honors College Theses

We present SnOrE (Simple n-body Orbital Engine), a Python package which aims to simulate n-body orbital systems while simultaneously overcoming early educational barriers of computational astrodynamics for undergraduate physics students. SnOrE exploits rudimentary syntax and commonly-understood Python libraries to accurately simulate orbits of systems, given initial position and momentum conditions of each body in the system. As the n-body problem is as of yet unsolvable theoretically for n ≥ 3, having a numerical perspective on complicated orbits is of great importance to potentially understanding the processes of star and planet formation. Especially significant examples of this research …

Thermal, Mechanical, And Rehealing Properties Of Cross-Linked Ionene Networks, Katelyn Lindenmeyer

Honors College Theses

Polymers which contain ionic liquid groups have numerous applications in a wide variety of fields. Past research from our group has shown that IL-containing polymers which exist in covalently crosslinked networks can exhibit good ionic conductivities despite the hindrance in polymer chain mobility and relaxation. In part one of this thesis, efforts to create ionic networks which have the capability of being rehealed after exposure to an external stimulus are discussed. Thermoreversible maleimide-furan chemistry was incorporated into an imidazolium-containing ionene network. Maleimide-terminated, imidazolium-containing monomers were coupled with furan-functionalized monomers, prepared from commercially available multifunctional acrylates. Thermal, mechanical and rheological characterization …

Effect Of Precise Control Of Crosslink Density On The Thermal, Mechanical, And Conductive Properties Of Covalently Crosslinked Ionene Networks, Alexander Thome

Honors College Theses

Ionic liquids (ILs), besides being well known as environmentally friendly solvents, have attracted attention for a wide variety of other applications, including gas separation, 3D-printing and electrochemical actuators. However, for many such applications, incorporation of the IL moiety into a polymeric material eliminates the use of mechanically unstable free ILs while maintaining many of their electrochemical benefits. Such polymers can take two basic forms: poly(ionic liquid)s are ion-containing polymers in which the IL group is attached pendant to the polymeric backbone, while ionenes are ion-containing polymers in which the IL group is anchored directly into the backbone of the repeating …

Sustainable Water Treatment Systems: A Direct Potable Proposal, Kayla Alsup, Kayla E. Alsup

Honors College Theses

A common need among all people is water—we cannot survive without it. And yet, all around the world, achieving a high quality of drinking water is a constant struggle. This water crisis is brought on by many different factors. Some are natural, such as droughts and flooding, but as the effects of climate change continue to reveal themselves, some areas are becoming drier, while other areas are experiencing less predictable and harsher weather patterns.

Our current approach towards water is not sustainable, and we are starting to see that in both under-developed and developed countries alike. Indiscriminate use of water …

Portfolio, Cassandra H. Carroll

Professional Practices (ART 399)

There is something beautiful in the broken wings of a dying butterfly. Embedded within our scars are symbols of hardships and victories. Throughout life there are hardships, but there is often a beauty to the changes that occur as a result. These beautiful adaptations and transformations inspire a childlike curiosity in me that drives my work. My imagination likes to wander through the forest and the depths of the sea and use the curiosities I find there to explore pain and pleasure, growth and decay, and the visceral reaction they provoke.

I want to share the comfort that the truth …

Intelligence Of Bearded Dragons, Sydney Herndon

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to study and explain the intelligence of bearded dragons. Bearded dragons (Pogona spp.) are a species of reptile that have been popular in recent years as pets. Until recently, not much was known about their intelligence levels due to lack of appropriate research and studies on the species. Scientists have been studying the physical and social characteristics of bearded dragons to determine if they possess a higher intelligence than previously thought. One adaptation that makes bearded dragons unique is how they respond to heat. Bearded dragons optimize their metabolic functions through a …