Digital Commons Network^™

08 - Blue Carbon Sequestration And Sediment Storage In Seagrass Meadows Of South Bay, Luke C. Clements, Adriana Amrhein, Richard P. Hale

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Blue carbon is stored in coastal and marine ecosystems like seagrass meadows and salt marshes, which helps combat climate change by preventing greenhouse gas emissions. This study examines the role of seagrass in carbon storage by comparing sediment cores from a mud channel and a seagrass meadow in South Bay.

We collected a 100 cm core from the mud channel and a 55 cm core from the seagrass area, taking samples every 10 cm to analyze grain size and organic carbon content. Using a wet sieving method, we separated sand from mud and measured organic carbon through loss on ignition. …

Proceedings Of The 103rd Annual Virginia Academy Of Science Meeting, 2025, Virginia Academy Of Science

Virginia Journal of Science

Proceedings (abstracts) of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 22, 2025, at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Summer Air Temperature Comparisons Between The Field And Woods In An Angus Beef Cattle Silvopasture In The Virginia Coastal Plain, Amy E. Edwards

Virginia Journal of Science

The objective of this study was to compare corresponding temperature readings from loggers in the field and woods in a silvopasture for Angus beef cattle. Results show that temperatures during the hottest part of the day are greater in the field than in the woods. Summary statistics show higher maximum, upper quartile, and median temperatures at the field logger with all data analyzed, indicating the temperatures in the field are overall higher than the woods, except during temperature inversions at nighttime. This highlights the importance of providing cattle with shade to prevent heat exhaustion and thermal stress, especially when the …

Program: Virginia Academy Of Science 103rd Annual Meeting, 2025, Virginia Academy Of Science

Virginia Journal of Science

Full program of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science. Held at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia on May 22, 2025.

Cybermapping Solutions: A Unified Approach In Us/Nato Military Applications And Development, Nicholas Macrino

Electrical & Computer Engineering Projects for D. Eng. Degree

[First paragraph] Cyber threats are evolving in complexity and frequency, posing significant challenges for cybersecurity professionals in identifying, categorizing, and responding to attacks in real time. Unlike traditional warfare, where battlefield awareness is based on fixed geographic warfare, cyber operations involve abstract attack vectors, non-linear threat escalation, and rapidly changing network conditions. Modern cyber threats, such as advanced persistent threats (APTs), polymorphic malware, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, require adaptive visualization techniques that provide real-time awareness and facilitate rapid decision-making. However, existing symbology standards, such as MIL-STD-2525D, were not designed to accommodate the dynamic nature of cyber warfare. The inability …

Valorization Of Industrial Wastes To Low-Carbon Minerals, Nandan Nag

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study concentrates on developing methods for utilizing industrial waste materials such as red mud and phosphate slag. In this study, an electrochemical process was developed for recovering iron metal powder from red mud. Red mud is a waste material from aluminum refineries. Although red mud can be utilized as a construction and building material, its use is becoming controversial due to its high metal content, which contributes to its toxicity. However, the high iron oxide content in red mud makes it a good feedstock for producing iron. In this project, we employed an electrochemical technique for extracting iron powder …

The Experiences Of Disabled People In Physical Education, Wesley J. Wilson (Editor), Justin A. Haegele (Editor)

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Books

Bringing together a set of first- person accounts of physical education from the perspectives of disabled children and adults, this book puts disabled people’s voices in the foreground.

The book provides a rich set of case study material that deepens our understanding of the experiences of disabled people and challenges students, researchers, and practitioners to reflect critically upon their own positionality. The first part of the book discusses the ways in which disability has been conceptualized, how the voices of disabled people have sometimes been marginalized, and how nondisability power has historically framed the narratives of disabled people in physical …

A Formal Simulation Model For Discrete Rate Simulation, Thomas J. Tracey

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Simulation is an essential tool for virtualizing systems by creating a representative model of real or hypothetical systems and observing how they change over time. Two predominant simulation paradigms include Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and Continuous Simulation, which both have their strengths and weaknesses. DES does not handle continuous state variables, while continuous simulation handles continuous state variables but encounters errors where these variables have discrete changes in their behavior. This difficulty between the two predominant simulation paradigms prompted the creation of a new simulation paradigm to cover this gap: Discrete Rate Simulation (DRS). DRS as a simulation paradigm focuses …

Understanding The Stereotypes, Emotions, And Behaviors Towards Introverts In The Workplace, Kristen M. Fisher

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study utilizes the SCM and the BIAS Map to understand perceptions of introverts within the workplace and highlight potential approaches to mitigate introversion mistreatment. It was hypothesized that, when compared to extraverted employees, introverted employees would be perceived as lower in warmth and competence, receive more emotional responses of contempt, more behavioral responses of passive harm, and that contempt would mediate the relationship between competence and passive harm. Conversely, it was hypothesized that extraverts would be perceived as higher in warmth and competence, receive more emotional responses of admiration, more behavioral responses of active facilitation, and that admiration …

Black Students With Disabilities In The Virginia Community College System, David Jerome Sultzer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The advancement of policies and laws to support students with disabilities has increased the roles of students with disabilities in post-secondary institutions. There remains a significant disparity between the population of abled and disabled students and even a more significant disparity between Black and other students with disabilities on post-secondary campuses in the United States. Research has uncovered a fair amount of qualitative literature that speaks to the disparity between Black and other students with disabilities on post-secondary campuses with most of the qualitative literature from the perspective of the Black student with disabilities.

This study examined the perceptions of …

A Sysml V2 Implementation Of A Traceability And Verification Metamodel For “-Ilities”, Pacifique Munezero

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Multidisciplinary knowledge and exchange of information are two of the most important aspects of complex system design within the Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) domain. The next generation of systems modeling language, SysML v2, is being developed to improve the precision, expressiveness, interoperability, consistency, integration of the language concepts relative to SysML v1, and the implementation and maturation of MBSE approaches. This research focuses on using SysML v2 to model structured notations for -ilities, referred to as non-functional requirements (NFRs), to address how they can be treated with the same rigor as functional requirements and mapped directly and explicitly from the …

Pillars Of Purpose: Postsecondary Career And Technical Education Faculty Viewpoints On Retention, Garry Brandon Hensley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The retention of postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) faculty in community colleges is critical for maintaining a skilled workforce to meet evolving labor market demands. This study employs Q methodology to explore the subjective viewpoints of community college CTE faculty regarding factors influencing their job satisfaction and retention. Grounded in Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation and Job Embeddedness Theory, the research integrates the concept of Employee Experience Management (EEM) to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding faculty retention. Data collected from Q sorts and follow-up focus group interviews reveal six distinct factors representing diverse faculty perspectives on job satisfaction, …

An Examination Of The Role Bureaucratic Discretion Plays In Public Education Policy And Administration: A Revelation Of How Discretionary Discipline Impacts Historically Marginalized Students, Regina Francine Turner

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

An under-researched area of public administration, bureaucratic discretionary practices regarding student discipline and resulting inequitable consequences are explored throughout this study from a theoretical perspective. The study examines student discipline outcomes for conduct violations in America’s schools. Further, research will determine if data supports the notion that school leaders’ administrative discretion contributes to inequitable student disciplinary practices. Evidenced by research and corresponding data regarding discriminatory student disciplinary actions, this study relies on Critical Race Theory (CRT) as its foundation and theoretical framework.

Using relevant literature, research questions were formed, hypotheses were crafted, and statistical analyses were performed to test means …

Investigating Gender Differences In Intimate Partner Violence Using Gendered General Strain Theory, Stephanie Victoria Dragon

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health concern impacting communities and criminal justice systems. Nationwide IPV prevention and reduction policies were emphasized in the media during the aftermath of COVID-19 specifically regarding the identification of IPV offending behaviors through law enforcement screening tools. Research on IPV offending has clearly established a link in offenders exerting methods of power and control to harm an intimate partner through verbal abuse, coercion, sexual violence, and physical violence. Further, research also identified significant disproportional experiences of lethality in female victims at the hands of an intimate partner. However, criminological theories outside of control-based …

A Theoretical Framework For Examination Of Context In Complex System Governance, Meggan M. Schoenberg

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

“A complex system’s identity and viability are directly related and affected by its context. It is important to identify, monitor, and manage (or mitigate risk) system contextual elements” (Keating C. B. et al., 2022, p. 209). Despite this importance, there is very limited research and literature on complex systems context. This research seeks to expand our understanding of complex system context and improve our ability to govern complex technology development programs effectively. The ability to analyze complex systems and their problems is necessary for this improvement.

A “clear understanding of the specific complex system context is fundamental to the process …

From Gamers To Professionals: A Case Study On The Role Of Esports In Developing Employability Skills, Anthony Mark Gray Jr.

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Workforce Skills have evolved to be critically needed and the ways of developing these workplace skills are evolving. This study explores the potential contributions of esports activities at colleges to the development of essential employability skills, including collaboration, communication, leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork, skills that are valued by human resources managers. Despite the growing popularity of esports and its potential to prepare students for the workforce, there is limited research connecting esports and even broader video games connected to the activities can influence skill development and career readiness. There is an increase in academic focus and identifying the knowledge skills, …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Ipa): Reflections On Navigating Uncertainty In Design, Brandi R. Watts

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Uncertainty is a state of tension and unresolved conflict that can drive the design process. The purpose of this study, an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was to explore the designer experience of navigating uncertainty. The goal was to describe, interpret, and situate how designers make sense of moving through uncertainty by prompting them to deeply reflect on moments of uncertainty from past, complex design projects. Four themes emerged from the researched data related to uncertainty, identity, creation, and empathy. In addition, unexpected findings revealed three particularly interesting uncertainty navigation strategies, including biding time, gleaning knowledge, and choosing sidework. These unexpected …

Integrating Computational Thinking Into K–12 Classroom Instruction, Jorge Valenzuela

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

In 2016, legislation mandated the integration of computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) skills across K–12 instruction in the Commonwealth of Virginia. CT integration is also a focus in many schools throughout the United States. Educators must understand CT/CS core concepts and practices, looking for practical ways to integrate CT across the K–12 curricula. To address this, the current study was conducted. The study compares the effects of the Jigsaw technique and teacher-directed instruction on the participants by surveying their self-efficacy for integrating CT in their teaching. This study uses a pre- and post-test design, and data collection took …

Stability Analysis In The Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal Model, Zhenqiang Li

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

The recently discovered twist-bend nematic liquid crystal (LC) phase is characterized by a nanoscale helical modulation of the nematic director n, forming a conical helix along the z-axis at an oblique angle θ. While many models assume a constant cone angle and equal elastic constants K11 = K22 = K33, this dissertation removes both assumptions by considering a fully anisotropic elastic energy with K11 ≠ K22 ≠ K33, and allowing θ to vary spatially. We analyze the stability of this system under frustrated and free boundary conditions using variational methods. …

Identifying Contributing Factors Of Black American Females’ Long-Term Persistence In Stem Education: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Chandra T. Oaks-Garcia

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain insights into contributing factors that have shaped the experiences of eight Black American females who pursued STEM education as they persisted from the secondary education setting to their collegiate setting in a STEM major. This qualitative phenomenological study collected data through in-depth semi-structured interviews with Black American female juniors and seniors studying at four different four-year institutions, all pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields. Demographic surveys and memo writing were incorporated to enhance the data analysis. To explore the lived experiences of Black American females in STEM education and identify factors that contributed …

Development Of Flexible Lactate-Specific Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Based On Laser-Induced Graphene Electrochemical Biosensors For Disease Diagnosis, Christopher Animashaun

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Lactate is a critical biomarker linked to conditions such as sepsis, ischemia, cancer, and heart failure. Current lactate detection methods remain invasive, costly, and unsuitable for real-time, continuous monitoring. This study presents the development of a flexible, non-enzymatic electrochemical biosensor based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for highly selective and sensitive lactate measurement. The integration of AuNPs enhanced surface conductivity and provided nanoscale heterogeneity, facilitating superior signal amplification. The optimized LIG/AuNP/MIP sensor achieved an extensive dynamic detection range from 0.1 μM to 1000 μM, with an outstanding detection limit of …

The Relationship Between Tutoring And Student Success And Retention Among Men Of Color Enrolled In Community College Stem Gateway Courses In Upstate New York, Elizabeth Mary Eloise Richards

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Retention and success rates among men of color in STEM programs remain a critical concern in higher education. Although tutoring is widely recognized as an academic support strategy, limited research has examined its relationship with students from this demographic group outside states with large Black and Hispanic student populations, such as Texas and California. The current study expands existing research by analyzing the relationship between tutoring participation, student success, and retention among male students of color enrolled in STEM courses at community colleges in Upstate New York. A quantitative research design was employed, using logistic regression modeling to analyze data …

Wind Tunnel Testing Of A Novel Quadrotor Design, Oliver Marius Tobisch

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study presents the test development and aerodynamic evaluation of the Quadfoil UAV, a novel quadrotor configuration featuring a central lifting body in the form of an airfoil to enhance forward-flight efficiency. Flight tests conducted by Virginia Tech demonstrated a 25% increase in endurance and a 32% improvement in range compared to conventional quadcopters, validating the aerodynamic benefits of this design. To further investigate its performance, a dynamically adjustable angle of attack model support system was developed for wind tunnel testing, enabling precise replication of in-flight conditions. The support system, controlled via LabVIEW, adjusts angle of attack based on real-time …

Modeling The Impacts Of Disruptive Events On Driving Behaviors, Transportation Safety, And Equity: Advanced Statistical Insights From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Xiaomeng Dong

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation aims to understand how disruptive events —particularly the COVID-19 pandemic—affect driving behaviors, transportation safety and equity by leveraging advanced statistical modeling techniques and data from Virginia. This research pursues three overarching objectives. First, it employs multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) to uncover the complex interrelationships among risky driving behaviors, injury severity, and pandemic-related factors, delineating the mechanisms through which COVID-19 has impacted crash outcomes via changing risky driving behaviors. Second, it leverages hidden Markov models to trace shifts in safety states over the pre-, during-, and post-pandemic periods, determining whether and when safety conditions return to pre-pandemic norms. …

Investigating The Discrepancies Between Acoustic And Radar Measurements Of Water Level Using Data Analysis And Computational Modeling, Ohiedul Haque Mohammad Asad

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Observations indicate that there is a discrepancy between water level measurements from NOAA’s acoustic gauges and radar gauges. NOAA’s acoustic gauges use a downward-looking acoustic sensor that measures the instantaneous distance from the sensor to the water level. To create a calm water surface for measurements, the sensor is placed in a PVC tube that penetrates the water surface to a certain depth. This tube is called the stilling well. In this thesis, discrepancies in water level measurements from acoustic and radar sensors were explored through data analysis and computational modeling. Specifically, the correlations between the error, which is defined …

The Impact Of Drought And Socio-Economic Factors On Attitudes Toward Immigrants In South Africa, Pamela Antwi-Nimarko

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Estimates of the global migrant population have steadily increased, with current data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reporting approximately 281 million migrants worldwide. Alongside this growth, anti-immigrant sentiments have risen in many host countries. This study seeks to contribute to the research on attitudes toward immigrants by exploring climate-related factors, particularly drought, as a key influence.

Leveraging a unique dataset combining the World Values Survey (WVS) and Afrobarometer, the study examines how drought, along with individual and contextual factors, affects attitudes toward immigrants. This dataset allows for an in-depth analysis of the direct impact of drought on public …

Contemporary Student Activism In A Digital Age, Jennifer Kristen Cohen

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Higher education has as part of its purpose to support students becoming active citizens (Barnhardt, 2015). One way that this is practiced is through student activism. With many opportunities for development, student activism has manifested differently across the ages going through periods of high activity and others of apparent latency (Levine, 1980). Arthur Levine (1980) shared a framework for student activism motivation where there were oscillating periods of community and individual ascendency. However, this model has not been considered with the attributes of contemporary college students and with the advance of new media being accessible to the masses.

This multi-site …

Leveraging Allies, Partners, And Technology: A Case Study Approach To Identifying Best Practices For Improving Us Military All-Domain Urban Training, Kevin Michael Felix

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In this study, the researcher explored urban training gaps, opportunities, and synergies across the United States and five Allied and partner nations, and how synthetic training environments (STE) technologies should be optimized now and in the future to improve US all-domain urban training. The researcher adopted a qualitative multiple case study approach, analyzing military doctrine, urban warfare training strategies, and infrastructure in the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Israel, and Singapore to establish best practices across these countries. Urban warfare requires specialized skills to negotiate terrain, including high-rise buildings, subterranean networks, and dense civilian populations. However, the existing U.S. military …

Characterization Of Cure And Temperature Dependent Properties Of Filament Wound Composite Structures, Aaron Riley Sinkler

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Residual stress development in filament wound composites presents a critical challenge for the fabrication of thick composite structures exposed to elevated temperatures during operation. This study focused on determining temperature and cure dependent material properties to aid in understanding the residual stress build-up during the cure. Material characterization of a filament wound composite materials was performed by investigating thermo-chemical shrinkages in resin, lamina, and bi-lamina configurations. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of both the neat resin and the fiber was measured, and the gel point and chemical shrinkage of the neat resin were investigated. A filament wound unidirectional laminate …

The Impacts Of Physical (In)Activity On Endothelial Function, Joel Ernest Harden

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Exercise and physical activity are known to have beneficial effects on endothelial function and vascular health. Sedentary behavior and physical inactivity, however, have been shown to be related to poor endothelial function and vascular health. The overall purpose of this dissertation was to further elucidate the physiological links between physical (in)activity and vascular health. In the first study, 12 active, young (18-40 yr) individuals and 12 active, old (55+ yr) individuals were recruited. Participants underwent 5 days of removal of exercise, and had their endothelial function assessed via flow-mediated dilation (FMD) during their normal, habitual exercise state (EX) and during …