Digital Commons Network^™

More Than Medical Care: How Social Determinants Shape Health Disparities In The United States, Aiyanna N. Burton

Integrated Studies

Health disparities within the United States continue to intensify despite advancements in technology and medical practices. This paper reflects on societal factors that contribute to the persistence of healthcare disparities beyond clinical settings. Factors such as housing stability, transportation access, education, neighborhood conditions, and income play a significant role in how healthcare needs are met outside of hospital care. While clinical care focuses on treating immediate health concerns, recurring health issues are often influenced by social and structural conditions rather than bedside care alone. Through an examination of peer-reviewed research, this literature highlights how social determinants of health impact long-term …

The Impact Of Inclusive Education On Early Childhood Development And Learning Outcomes, Courtney A. Hardin She

Integrated Studies

The importance of inclusive education in early childhood cannot be overstated. Inclusive practices impact all areas of a child’s development, including academic achievement, social interaction, and emotional well-being. This paper explores the relationship between inclusive education practices and positive developmental outcomes for children with diverse learning needs. The topic is in response to the ongoing need to create equitable learning environments where all students can fully participate and succeed. This research paper examines how inclusion, early intervention, and effective instructional strategies support student development. Research supports that inclusive education, when paired with strong teacher preparation and systemic support, is essential …

Supporting Students With Learning Differences: A Dyslexia Educator’S Perspective, Hailey S. Mason

Integrated Studies

Dyslexia is a common neurobiological learning difference that affects reading, writing, and language processing skills, often despite average or above-average intelligence. This project examines dyslexia from an educator’s perspective, focusing on its characteristics, impact on student learning, and effective strategies for support. A review of current scholarly literature highlights the importance of early identification and intervention in improving academic outcomes and reducing negative emotional effects such as low self-esteem and anxiety. The findings emphasize that dyslexia extends beyond reading difficulties, influencing writing, comprehension, and overall academic performance. Evidence-based instructional approaches, particularly structured literacy and multisensory teaching strategies, are identified as …

Kentucky Probation And Parole: Recognizing The Need For A Larger Workforce, Brent T. Burgess

Integrated Studies

Abstract

Kentucky’s Department of Probation and Parole needs additional officers. While officers are being added, caseloads continue to rise and officers in Kentucky are feeling exhausted. This research project focuses on examining some of the main issues behind the cause and effects that probation and parole officers are facing in Kentucky. The research lists the different aspects of both probation and parole and the dissentions between state and federal probation, since parole was abolished by the federal system 1987. The project includes new legislative reform movements taking place in attempts to reduce the high populations of Kentucky’s jails and prisons …

The Kawa Model Of Occupational Therapy And Disability, Benjamin A. Siress

Integrated Studies

The Kawa Model of occupational therapy offers a culturally responsive, holistic framework for OT that benefits individuals within the disabled community profoundly. By integrating the individuals’ relationship with their environment and social context, the Kawa model challenges Western, task-oriented approaches and promotes better inclusion, resilience, and meaningful participation by aligning individualized therapy with each person’s life experiences and cultural identity.

Keywords: Kawa Model, occupational therapy, disability, cultural responsiveness, holistic care, client-centered care, social context, inclusion, meaningful participation, rehabilitation

Building Number Sense: Setting The Foundation For A Working Knowledge Of Mathematical Concepts With Practical Life Application, Judith E. Rakestraw

Integrated Studies

Abstract

This paper examines the importance of number sense in early mathematical development and how it is affected by classroom environments and instructional methods.  Building a strong number sense is crucial in developing a working knowledge of number concepts that can be applied to real-life experiences.  A creative learning environment, discovery style instruction, mathematical representations, interactive lessons, and technology-enhanced experiences can help students internalize learning and transform taught skills into applied skills.  Even though everyone is born with a degree of natural mathematical awareness, most understanding and ability develops as a result of experiences that take place in the classroom. …

The Importance Of After-School Programs For Middle And High School Students, Chelsey Wright

Integrated Studies

After-school programs for middle and high school students have become an important part of today’s education system. They started as safe places for students after-school, but now they also help students succeed academically, develop social and emotional skills, involve families, and offer more learning opportunities. Programs like the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) are among the largest federally funded after-school efforts in the U.S., focusing on underserved and high-poverty areas. This paper reviews national studies, peer-reviewed research, meta-analyses, dissertations, conference presentations, and insights from practitioners, including an interview with Hillary Bumpus, a program coordinator with ten years of …

From Teleprompter To Table Talk: How Authenticity Is Replacing Perceived Objectivity, Hannah Bullard

Integrated Studies

Abstract

This thesis will be titled “From Teleprompter to Table Talk: How Authenticity is Replacing Perceived Objectivity”. The paper will analyze why the American audience has increasingly begun to shift their trust from traditional media to personality driven sources, primarily podcasts, to receive their news. This paper will dive into the numbers showing an undeniable decline in legacy media viewers and an exponential growth in podcast viewership. Obtaining points of view from multiple sources on media analysis, this thesis will argue that podcasters and other alternative sources of news, create trust with your viewers through authenticity and transparency. Consequentially, it …

Advancing Nanotechnology For Hematological And Osteological Disorders, Chase K. Hamilton

Integrated Studies

When people think of medicine, they often picture stethoscopes, routine clinical checkups, surgeries, and standard prescriptions. One field that needs more acknowledgement is the technological side. As technology continues to evolve, healthcare advances alongside it, with nanotechnology emerging as a substantial area of innovation. This paper reflects the expanding role of nanotechnology in modern medicine, focusing on its potential applications in trauma and internal medicine care and in the treatment of blood and bone disorders as well as bone and blood related cancers. By working at an extremely small scale, nanotechnology allows for more precise and targeted treatment, reducing damage …

Noncommercial Radio: What Wkms Gets Right, Autumn S. Crawford

Integrated Studies

Noncommercial radio is an uncommon form of media in modern times. Free access to news and music is rare when commercials, advertising, and paywalls on news sites have become overwhelmingly normal. Public and noncommercial media offers free access to news and entertainment, but has struggled with funding issues and awareness in recent years. WKMS, a station in western Kentucky, is a National Public Radio (NPR)-affiliated noncommercial station that serves a broad, tri-state region. In January 2026, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceased operations due to political-based funding cuts, leaving many NPR-affiliate stations with major budget losses. Given the funding cuts, …

Role Of Trauma-Informed Care In Promoting Child And Family Well-Being, Chloe Goins

Integrated Studies

Children and families all over the world experience trauma in all different ways, including abuse, neglect, instability, family separation, or poverty. Trauma-informed care has been critical within the child welfare system emphasizing the need for social workers to understand the impact of trauma as they navigate solutions that promote healing and not retraumatization. This paper examines the role of trauma-informed care within child welfare systems in establishing ethical and social practice focused on the well-being of the children and their families. Deriving from trauma theory, attachment theory, and research on the neurobiology of trauma this paper digs deep into how …

Understanding Child Development Through Social And Environmental Systems, Collin E. Curling

Integrated Studies

For this 50-page research paper, this study focuses on “The Role of Family Structure in Childhood Development.” The categories examined in this research include: Two-parent households, Single-parent households, Blended/Stepfamilies, Multigenerational households, and Foster and adoptive families. This research seeks to demonstrate the impact of different family structures impact and influence the developmental states of children. Using perspectives from education, economics, psychology, sociology, and public policy, this study argues that the structure of families alone does not determine the development of the child. Instead, factors such as family stability, access to resources, quality of relationships, and cultural context play a huge …

How Baseball Stadium Design Influences Player Performance, Jacob D. Roettgen

Integrated Studies

How Baseball Stadium Design Influences Player Performance

Baseball stadiums on all levels have unique designs and dimensions. The MLB had 45,000+ seats to watch professionals battle it out. College baseball ranges from a field with a couple hundred seats to massive stadiums with almost 20,000. This paper is going to investigate how these dimensions and number of seats can affect player performance. Certain professional stadiums have interesting quirks to their field that provide advantages and disadvantages depending on how it is looked at. For example, Fenway Park, home of the Boston Redsox, has a huge left field wall called “The …

The Impact Of Pre-Primary Education, Hailey Marie Doran

Integrated Studies

Pre-primary schooling is defined as the first stage of organized instruction that introduces young children to an environment similar to school; it aims to ease the transition from home life to a school setting. Daycares and pre-primary education are not mandatory for children. This paper will discuss the impact that pre-primary education has on children’s development and future. The impacts discussed will cover multiple aspects of a child’s holistic development. Children's behavioral, cognitive, social, and emotional development as well academic success will be discussed from both a long-term and short-term perspective. The first five years of a child’s life are …

The Role Of Dental Hygienists In Preventive Care, Chloe Robinson

Integrated Studies

Preventive care is a critical component of overall health, yet oral health is often overlooked within the broader healthcare system. Dental hygienists play a vital role in addressing this gap by providing preventive services, patient education, early disease detection, and advocacy for long-term oral and systemic health. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of dental hygienists in preventive care and to explore how their responsibilities extend beyond traditional clinical tasks to include education, public health initiatives, and interprofessional collaboration. Through a review of current literature, this paper highlights the impact dental hygienists have on improving patient …

Public Libraries: Communities Need Them To Survive, Genesis Wilson

Integrated Studies

Public libraries continue to play a highly impactful and transformative role in community life, even as digital technologies reshape how individuals access information, participate in civic life, and access social support. The literature consistently shows that public libraries function not only as information centers but also as inclusive community anchors that advance digital equity, civic engagement, lifelong learning, and social well-being. Drawing on research from respected scholars such as Akst, Alemanne et al., Lewis, Elmborg, and Schencker, this literature review integrates key themes related to public libraries as community builders, technology and broadband leaders, and essential social support systems for …

The Benefits And Challenges Of Digital Technology In Smes, Amanda Rux

Integrated Studies

Small organizations play a vital role in global economic stability. While their continued growth is essential, the majority fail within the first few years of operation. These organizations face multiple challenges that are difficult to overcome but can be mitigated by digitalizing their processes. The digitalization process also comes with its own set of challenges, and many of these organizations' attempts to digitalize fail. This paper will describe the types of technology these organizations may use to achieve their digitalization goals, the challenges and benefits that come with these technologies, and how organizational culture can affect their digitalization efforts. The …

Monstrous Women In Greek Mythology: Victims Of The Patriarchy, Savannah Watson, Savannah Watson

Integrated Studies

This paper is an exploration into the women of Greek mythology and how they are viewed through the eyes of the patriarchy within the original texts. The focus of the paper will be on the mythological women who are considered monsters, both in a physical and characteristic sense. The women-monster hybrids will include gorgons, nymphs, sirens, furies, harpies, and specific mythological women like Medusa, Medea, Circe, Lamia, Scylla will also be discussed. By learning about who these monstrous women are and finding out why they behave in the way they had to, the analysis will reveal how the real monster …

Using Vaginal Cytology To Confirm Estrus In Swine - Pilot Study, Carly J. Johnson

Honors College Theses

This study aims to determine whether there is a correlation between cellular changes observed in vaginal cytology and the physical signs of estrus in swine. Vaginal cytology is a technique commonly used in dogs, cats, and rodents, and if proven effective in swine, it could serve as a practical tool for producers to confirm estrus status and improve reproductive management.

Modern Technology Addiction: Developer Duty Of Care, Jonah Hampton

Honors College Theses

Technology addiction includes any frequent use of technology which interferes in the user’s life. The subject continues growth as an epidemic and research field, yet prior literature does not often analyze the role of technology developers. This study performs a literature and legal synthesis to evaluate user and company responsibility, implications of responsibility, and promising solutions. Post 2020 literature was selected for coverage on context, addictive features, effects, solutions, or perspectives on law. Legal examples from different addiction industries were also selected for analysis to understand previous precedents. The study found a pattern of addictive traits, persuasive design, and recurring …

Flooding Behavior Near The Us/Canada Border: Complications And Approaches, Maria T. Dodson

Honors College Theses

Flood forecasting remains a major challenge due to the nonlinear nature of hydrological systems and uncertainties in environmental data. This study aimed to address the prevalent challenges that arise from forecasting flooding behavior. To address the inherent complexity of hydrological forecasting, a machine learning framework was developed and trained on major contributing factors. To achieve an optimal balance between computational efficiency and predictive performance, a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) was selected as the optimal machine learning model. As the chosen dataset, North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2 (NLDAS2), is known to have inaccuracies in the important feature Relative …

Trust, Influence, And The Two-Step Flow Of Communication: How Msu Jmc Freshmen Navigate Information Networks In The Digital Age, Caroline Blakeman

Honors College Theses

This study examines how Murray State University students in the Journalism and Mass Communications department engage with information and interpersonal trust through the lens of the Two-Step Flow of Communication. Using a quantitative survey, participants reported how they receive and evaluate information across six domains: politics, healthcare, education, international conflict, religion, and campus news. The survey also explored participants’ own perceptions as “opinion leaders” within their social networks. Findings reveal that coworkers, family members, and religious associates were consistently rated as high-trust sources of information. In particular, trust in religious associates showed a notable pattern: participants who expressed higher levels …

There’S Cardio And There’S Cardio: How Fitness And Sexual Attitudes Relate To Needs For Approval And Loneliness, Isaac Robertson

Honors College Theses

This study looked to collectively investigate the relationships of both fitness/sexual activity attitudes with a need for social approval, while also determining if biological sex could play a role in either of these relationships. Additionally, loneliness and mental well-being were examined with the aforementioned variables. Predominantly white (82.5%) females (75%) data were analyzed after completing an online survey (N = 40). Significant relationships were found between fitness attitudes and a need for social approval in women only (r (28) = -.50, p = .005) and between sexual activity attitudes and a need for social approval in men only (r (8) …

Social Media Use And Its Association With Eating-Related Attitudes And Behaviors In Rural University Students, Erin S. Clark

Honors College Theses

Context: Eating disorders (EDs) are psychiatric illnesses wherein atypical patterns of eating induce harmful physical and psychosocial consequences. ED rates have increased globally in recent years, jumping from an estimated 3.5% to 7.8% between 2006 and 2018. ED onset typically occurs in adolescence and early adulthood and results from complex interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors. One such social factor is social media (SM) usage.

Research Design: The present quantitative study examines how measures of SM use (including use intensity, activity, personal perceptions of SM, and initial age of introduction to SM) relate to ED risk among rural university …

Horse Sense, Jordan Harrell

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

Art is a language of connection—between people, animals, and the quiet spaces in between. At its core, this work explores emotional bonds, particularly those shared with horses, offering a visual expression of love, trust, and healing that words often cannot reach. Through oil painting, colored pencil, and mixed media, each piece invites the viewer into a moment of relationship—where grief softens, companionship deepens, and memory lingers.

Influence comes from artists like Peggy Judy, whose painterly style brings emotion forward through bold brushwork and tone. Her ability to convey depth beyond realism continues to shape this body of work. Inspiration also …

Fragments, Addison E. Miller

B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499)

Plants have cultural, spiritual and medicinal importance. Artists have long been inspired by the beauty of flowers, but how do we determine what’s considered a flower and what’s considered a weed? In the series “Beyond the Evergreen”, I create characters based on the environment around me, specifically, the plants and animals in my own backyard. I illustrate species which are often considered a nuisance, elevating their importance and honoring their ecological importance. My work created, develops their personalities, and explains how they interact with each other in their ever-changing world. tells the stories of the characters I have created and …

Fragments, Luke C. Medley

B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499)

I create artwork with physical durability and timeless conceptual ideas in order to leave behind a tangible legacy, or something permanent, in a world that is constantly changing. In this art form, I make functional artwork that is detailed with visible craftsmanship as well as a resiliant construction. I am truly fascinated with exploring how I can make art in a way that not only looks good but can be used and appreciated. Working with metal allows for a stronger medium and longer lasting material while also attributing to its longevity of life. Creating an object that can be passed …

Turnpike Traveler, Maidie K. Siress

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

Road trips are the ultimate American family pastime. When researching ideas for my senior exhibition theme I discovered that Route 66’s centennial anniversary is in 2026! This felt like the perfect opportunity to make a celebration for the mother road of America. Turnpike Traveler is a travel agency brand celebrating Route 66. Not everyone wants to plan a week long vacation stop by stop - Turnpike Traveler takes care of the planning for you! Every poster is an advertisement of your stops along Route 66, along with a complimentary illustrated map of your travels. Turnpike Traveler’s mission is to breathe …

Elisabeth Roach Art399 Portfolio, Elisabeth L. Roach

Professional Practices (ART 399)

Artist Statement

Elisabeth Roach

I want to make people uncomfortable with my art. Using drawing, photography, and audio to make striking pieces that blend disciplines, the art is often gross or distorted and is meant to unsettle while conveying a feeling. A large amount of my work is self-portraits, where I distort my own image to convey personal themes: from medical issues to emotions like agony. Using myself as the subject of my work allows me to express myself very directly; and I am greatly inspired by Maria Lassnig’s self-portraits that abstract the form to convey meaning.

In my drawing …

Grace Rittenhouse Art399 Portfolio, Grace L. Rittenhouse

Professional Practices (ART 399)

With my work, I focus on the beauty of humans and nature through painting and digital illustration. It emphasizes small moments and details like intricate patterns and subtle expressions with soft, blended art in a wide range of vibrant colors. This exploration is mainly through portraiture and original characters.

By using oil paint and digital illustrations, I focus on creating unique characters; drawing inspiration from mythology, folklore, and cultures from across the globe. Some works take inspiration from traditional Chinese fashion or the symbolism of marigold flowers within Mexican culture. These characters have been with me since I was in …