Digital Commons Network^™

Learning And Decision Making In Social Media Networks, Zhecheng Qiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Social media is a virtual community where users share news, ideas, interests, and information. Learning the information diffusion dynamics and making decisions correspondingly, e.g., selecting the seed nodes to maximize the influence, have been widely applied to the areas of viral marketing and cyber security. In this dissertation, we study the problem of learning diffusion process, i.e., infection prediction, in social media networks utilizing both feature-based machine learning methods and mathematical model-based methods. For feature-based machine learning methods, the neighborhood information is treated as an important feature together with user profile and content similarity features. For model-based methods, two distinctive …

How Adolescents In The Child Welfare System Seek Support For Their Sexual Risk Experiences Online, Taylor L. Moraguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Youth in the foster care system experience unique and challenging situations online, such as higher risks of inappropriate messaging (e.g., sexting) and unwanted solicitations from strangers. As a vulnerable group of adolescents, foster youth often use online platforms as a resource to express themselves and seek support over their sexual experiences online. This thesis analyzes how foster youth seek support online for their sexual risk experiences, including sexual abuse, sexting, and sexuality. To understand how adolescents (ages 13-17) in the child welfare system seek support for these experiences, we conducted a thematic analysis of 541 individual posts made by 121 …

Complex Quantum Contagion: A Quantum-Like Approach For The Analysis Of Co-Evolutionary Dynamics Of Social Contagion, Ece Mutlu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Modeling the dynamics of social contagion processes has recently attracted a substantial amount of interest from researchers due to its wide applicability in network science, multi-agent systems, information science, and marketing. Unlike in biological spreading, the existence of a reinforcement effect in social contagion necessitates considering the complexity of individuals in the systems. Although many studies acknowledged the heterogeneity of the individuals in their adoption of information (or behavior), there are no studies that take into account the individuals' uncertainty during their decision-making despite its theoretical and experimental evidence in behavioral economics, decision science, cognitive science, or multi-agent systems. This …

A Contingent Approach To Studying Technical Programs In The Public Aerospace Industry, Laura Segarra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Bibliometric evaluation of the literature indicates that a unified theory of program management does not yet exist. The vastly different definitions and implementations of programs across organizations and industries indicate that program management as an organizational concept is not well understood. As researchers have tried to make sense of various perspectives and definitions, it becomes clear that different kinds of programs exist, and further attention to their context is needed. While relationships between structural and environmental variables have been extensively researched in organizational studies, studies in program management are scant, lack incorporation of environmental variables relevant to programs and projects, …

An Exploratory Assessment Of Small Group Performance Leveraging Motion Dynamics With Optical Flow, Joshua Desantiago

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Understanding team behaviors and dynamics are important to better understand and foster better teamwork. The goal of this master's thesis was to contribute to understanding and assessing teamwork in small group research, by analyzing motion dynamics and team performance with non-contact sensing and computational assessment. This thesis's goal is to conduct an exploratory analysis of motion dynamics on teamwork data to understand current limitations in data gathering approaches and provide a methodology to automatically categorize, label, and code team metrics from multi-modal data. We created a coding schema that analyzed different teamwork datasets. We then produced a taxonomy of the …

An Experimental Investigation Of Creativity In Relation To Extracurricular Activity And Gpa In Undergraduate Engineering Students, Maria Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Measuring creativity for engineering is paramount; previous research has shown that creativity diminishes as students advance through college. This study intends to find possible predictors for creativity in these students. These predictors include GPA, Hobbies, and Extracurriculars while using the Test of Creativity Thinking – Drawing Production (TCT-DP) as a benchmark for creativity. Participants were Junior and Senior year engineering students in Spring 2021. All eligible study participants were provided a TCT-DP and survey to complete. Individual creative ability was assessed from the resulting TCT-DP using a 13 categorical scoring matrix by independently trained evaluators using the scoring guidelines. The …

¡Controlamos La Narrativa!: Collaborative Dramaturgy As A Tool For Latine Representation In Secondary Theatre Education, Domenika N. Moncayo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Current secondary theatre education in America places a priority on Western ideals of theatre history and practices. Latine theatre history is hardly taught, and if it is, it is touched minimally. Latine culture places an emphasis on a collective, both in theoretical and practical work. Similarly, the practice of dramaturgy itself is rarely mentioned in curriculums, rather intertwined within lessons of acting, directing, and design. This creates an imbalance in practice versus theory in theatre education. I intend to introduce the concept of collaborative dramaturgy: a form of dramaturgy where students collaborate as dramaturgs to bring about discussions about identity. …

Transformations Of Hanbok In The Age Of Hallyu: Fashion, Cultural Hybridization, And The Construction Of Vernacular Korean Nationalism, Katharine V. Smith

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hanbok is the traditional fashion of South Korea, and literally translates to “Korean clothing.” Once worn every day, today hanbok is reserved for special occasions and holidays; however new “modern” versions of the attire are becoming more and more popular for everyday wear. This new iteration of the traditional clothing created a new vernacular of Korean nationalism and “Koreanness” through the incorporation of modern fashion trends and traditional Korean aesthetics. Modern hanbok represents the unique relationship between nationalism, globalization, and fashion, and can be seen as an example of cultural hybridization. Looking at modern hanbok through the lens of Hallyu, …

Women In Post-War Japan: Bodies Of The Avant Garde, Cassidy P. Boulanger

Honors Undergraduate Theses

From 1945 onward, post-war artists in Japan encountered two interrelated challenges: to both adjust to the war’s aftermath, and also to create a new visual language which expressed new ideas and emotions. For women artists in Japan, this time of distinct culture change allowed for a re-defining of their role in the art community as well as society. However, there were strict boundaries surrounding the institutional and academic realm of art, one that was not inviting to women, or one that allowed opportunity or growth. Nevertheless, many women artists sought to explore gender roles, the idea of womanhood, sexuality, and …

La Carroza Dorada (The Golden Carriage), Camila Cal Mello

Honors Undergraduate Theses

La Carroza Dorada (The Golden Carriage) is a collection of essays and poetry that details the narrator’s life growing up as an immigrant from Uruguay in the United States. Through each piece, the narrator explores themes in her own life relating to family, grief, self-identity, gender roles, language, distance, and more that directly relate to the perspective of a young immigrant. Inevitably, these personal themes connect to broader issues that affect every immigrant such as the Latinx experience, familial hardships, social/economic class differences, and cultural differences. The narrator explores the American Dream and the balancing act between dream and reality …

Good Patients, Susan Mesler-Evans

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis is the first 21 chapters (approximately 150 pages) of a novel, Good Patients, accompanied by a complete synopsis. Good Patients is a social satire which seeks to touch on the flaws of the American healthcare system and social media culture, and how these two intersect for many people. To prepare for writing, I spent my first semester completing a guided reading list and preparing the synopsis, both of which were approved by my thesis chair. While writing, I consulted several medical articles to make my work as accurate as possible. The novel explores the way social media …

Contained Identities: Forms Of Resistance In Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's Dictee And Pamela Lu's Pamela: A Novel, Zohra Qazi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis analyzes groundbreaking experimental texts by Asian American writers that employ genre-bending formal innovations to resist the uneasy containment of social hierarchies and aesthetic categories. After a brief discussion of Monica Youn’s 2019 poem, “Study of Two Figures (Pasiphaë/Sado),” I trace such experimentation back to the late twentieth century, focusing on two other texts that explore similar strategies of literary experimentation and that present themselves as novels but, as Youn does with poetry, resist that classification at the same time. The experimental expansions of form in both Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee (1982) and Pamela Lu’s Pamela: A Novel …

Illuminated Books: A Voyage Through The Verbal-Visual And Caribbean Folklore, Shannon Ganeshram

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis looks at the modern recontextualization of the illuminated book. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to English literature and the arts, it illustrates the dialectic between word and image. In my writing, I explore artists’ books as a physical representation of the constant dialogue of the verbal-visual relationship and how they affect each other. In this endeavor, I create an artist book, a modern bestiary that alludes to the myths and folklore of the Indo-Caribbean, specific to the country of Guyana.

Online Engagement In Graduate Technical Communication Education, Tabatha Kless

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this study, I conducted a content analysis to investigate engagement in online graduate technical communication programs. I wanted to evaluate this topic because online learning and engagement evolve, so it is fitting to evaluate how educational policies, learning methods, and technology have developed in technical communication education. The content analysis consisted of coding course material from three technical communication courses, mostly assignment descriptions, and instructions based on the language in the documents. I found strategies that develop skills 21st century technical communicators should have, such as discussions, service learning, and research papers.

Sense Of Support: The Impact Of Healthcare Encounters On The Breastfeeding Experiences Of African American Mothers, Olivia M. Rauls

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although many studies have found a substantial racial disparity in infant feeding habits, the factors contributing to this unique disparity and potential solutions remain unknown. The general importance of social interactions and medical interventions in successful breastfeeding has been studied, but little research addresses the specific experiences of breastfeeding Black mothers interacting with their medical providers. This paper examines the perspectives of Black women with breastfed infants on their encounters with healthcare providers during prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods. Using qualitative data from 22 in-depth interviews addressing infant feeding decisions and experiences, this paper analyzes the link between healthcare interactions …

Covid-19 And Diabetes, Radhika Desai

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) have been found to have increased mortality and morbidity for COVID-19 and are at higher risk for severe disease once infected with COVID-19. Clearly, there exists a relationship between T2D and COVID-19 that requires more attention. In order to understand the mechanisms by which T2D contributes to more severe COVID-19 disease, attention was turned to extracellular vesicles (EVs). It was speculated that viral RNA components of the COVID-19 virus may have originated from circulating EVs that came from infected cells and use a Trojan Exosome method to infect host cells. It is necessary to …

Computational Strain Analysis In Microbiome Datasets With Application To Skin Disease, Minerva Fatimae Ventolero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Identifying bacterial strains is important not only for human health research but also for various environmental and industrial applications. The plethora of available shotgun metagenomic datasets provide an unprecedented opportunity to discover novel bacterial strains in different environmental niches. In this thesis, we evaluated the existing novel-strain-based tools and showed that their performance is still suboptimal. Due to the difficulty in distinguishing strains of similar abundance by available tools, the SMS (strains in multiple samples) tool was developed to de novo identify bacterial strains in multiple shotgun metagenomic samples. We showed that SMS distinguishes strains of similar abundance well and …

Transcinematheque: Defining Cinematic Language In The Trans New Wave, Mel Turnage

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis aims to analyze the films of the Trans New Wave in order to define tropes and motifs of cinematic language and structure. The language of the filmmaking itself presents a different approach from mainstream transgender films, and this changes how certain imagery of transness is contextualized in a larger narrative. In particular, the films of the Trans New Wave operate in contrast to both historical trans films and modern prestige/studio films to deliver more realistic portrayals of trans peoples’ experiences and beliefs. This new language of the Trans New Wave serves to create a more accurate and profound …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Hospital Nurses' Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic Through The Lens Of The Demand-Control-Support Model, Alisha Garner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Positive social support, realistic job demand, and appropriate levels of control over their responsibilities can mitigate empathy fatigue and burnout among nurses, increase quality care for patients, and lay the foundation for teams to embrace challenges during crises. The COVID-19 pandemic stretched nurses in all these areas, leading many nurses to contemplate changing fields. Failure to address and embrace the difficulties that nurses face during such crises can result in loss of nurses and impact the entire healthcare industry.

The present study used one-to-one interviews to glean insider perspectives of changes in job demand, control, and support nurses experienced as …

Exploring Career Development Pathways In Postsecondary Film Studies Programs, Cesare Giovanni Fabietti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study sought to determine what factors could impact career development pathways for postsecondary film studies through survey research. The selected determining factors that offered eventual success as a filmmaking professional were students' personality characteristics and unique, innate abilities. The survey questions polled film study educators whose primary contact with film students was at college-level classrooms and could offer significant opinions about the factors measured. Only those educators with demographic characteristics that dealt with actual filmmaking procedures of production and post-production gave a measurable statistical result related to a single dependent variable. The differentiator between filmmaking disciplines was distinguished by …

Design And Testing Of A Hybrid Direct Ink Writing And Fused Deposition Modeling Multi-Process 3d Printer, Alexander X. Losada

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Multi-material 3D Printing allows the ability to fabricate parts with tuned mechanical properties, multi-process 3D printing widens the choices of available fabrication materials. The objective of this study is to build a custom 3D printing test bed that is capable of printing multi-material parts with fused deposition modeling and direct ink writing techniques. A 3D printer, controlled by an industrial motion control system, with FDM and DIW capabilities was built by combining FDM extruders with a pneumatic dispensing system on a single platform. By utilizing the Direct Ink Writing function, we expand the number of printable materials to include some …

Attachment, Identity Processing Style, And Emotion Regulation Among Emerging Adults, Kaitlyn M. Daleandro

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the relationships among parent, peer, and romantic attachment, identity processing style, and emotion regulation. Previous studies have revealed potential associations among each of the aforementioned factors (e.g., between identity and attachment as well as between attachment and emotion regulation), but this is the first study to examine the three factors together, putting emphasis on romantic attachment. It was predicted that attachment will vary depending on the interaction between identity processing style and emotion regulation. College students (N= 390) in psychology courses participated in an anonymous online survey for course credit. Parent attachment was significantly predicted …

The Effect Of Anti-Aging Treatment On Expression Of Aging Markers In A Mouse Model Of Huntington Disease, Mary Isabelle E. Guerra

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG tract expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which results in production of mutant huntingtin (mtHTT) protein. Although mtHTT is expressed throughout life, onset of HD symptoms typically begins in mid-life, around 35 to 50 years of age. Characteristic HD symptoms include motor, cognitive, and psychiatric abnormalities. The emergence of symptoms in adulthood suggests that aging may play a role in HD pathogenesis. Furthermore, markers of accelerated aging can be observed in HD patients, including telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Our lab has previously observed that …

Characteristics Of Covid-19 Vaccine-Hesitant Ucf College Students And Potential Avenues For Increasing Vaccination Rates, Justin A. Barthel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an ongoing disaster that has devasted millions of lives. With the development of COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020, there was a potential for populations to gain artificial active immunity in order to prevent future outbreaks. However, despite successful clinical trials, millions of citizens have been hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccines (Khubchandani et al., 2021). Demographics of the most prominent US vaccine-hesitant populations consist of ethnic/racial minorities and Republicans groups (Khubchandani et al., 2021). Little information is known about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in colleges and universities. Colleges provide an elevated risk for infection through their …

Terror Management Theory During Covid-19: Individual Differences In Death Anxiety Defenses, Nicole L. Harkrider

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study seeks to determine the relationship between Terror Management Theory (TMT) and various measures of existential anxiety, future consciousness, and future-oriented thinking. By using TMT as a theoretical construct, a scale was devised to measure participants’ protective behaviors relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three other scales were utilized, including Lalot’s Future Consciousness Scale (FCS), Strathman’s Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS), and Weems’ Existential Anxiety Questionnaire (EAQ). The scales were combined into one composite survey along with demographic questions. 315 participants were then administered the collection of scales via an only survey platform. Results indicated strong significant correlations …

Sacrificing Sisters: Nurses' Psychological Trauma From The First World War, 1914-1918, Kayla Campana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis examines psychological war trauma nurses experienced during the First World War. Psychological war trauma, or shell shock, as it was commonly known during the war, has largely been identified as a male affliction. In this thesis, I demonstrate that women too, suffered trauma and we can better understand nurses' trauma by applying some of the same analytical techniques that scholars have previously used to examine male combatant trauma. Moreover, I analyze the ways in which contemporary actors, including medical professionals and the public, imagined female trauma, specifically the way nurses' psychological trauma could be understood and articulated. Additionally, …

Crossed: Strength In Unity And Connection, Dillon Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

It is only through the strength of bonds that we can overcome evil. In Crossed, these bonds are tested as Calum and Dmitri are forced to duel for their lives. The film explores the themes of indoctrination, belief, the power of friendship, and never giving up on the people you care about. The accompanying paper explores how these themes are integral to who we are. I then explore the process of producing animation utilizing cutting-edge mediums and how these mediums can allow us to create animation in an entirely new way.

To The Moon And Back: The Impact Of Moon Rocks On The Historical Legacy Of Nasa's Apollo Program, Emily Strickland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Most would say that the pinnacle of the Space Race was when the United States landed on the Moon. Besides the countless videos and images, what is the proof that the U.S. was there? Moon rocks are tangible evidence that the U.S. was on the Moon. Once the moon rocks came to Earth, they were studied, distributed, and displayed. The goal of this research is to examine the displays and narratives of the Apollo lunar samples. Understanding where and how the rocks ended up in their earthly homes around the country allows for analysis of the historical and cultural impacts …

"We're Not Just Well Suited, We Are Ethically Obligated!": Reimagining Technical And Professional Communication Pedagogy As Advocacy Against Discriminatory Digital Technologies, Anshare Antoine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This dissertation expands on scholarship that examines efforts at incorporating a social justice framework into pedagogy, specifically, the role of technical and professional communication (TPC) faculty in addressing discriminatory digital technologies within a social-justice-oriented tech ethics pedagogy. I observe that despite the thousands of computer technology students who graduate from their programs every year in the US with the latest training, there seems to be no change to the adverse tech culture that produces discriminatory and racist work environments and digital technologies. The implication is that computer technology programs may not be prioritizing a tech ethics pedagogy that supports addressing …

Eden Enflamed: An Examination Of The Self Through Fantastical Figures, Forrest Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis is an exploration of the reciprocal relationship between my identity and my work as an artist. As someone who identifies as queer and from a young age felt unloved and unwelcome, my work provides space for validation and empowerment. I utilize elements of fantasy and symbolism to explore the ever-expanding possibilities of allegory and queer figuration. Through my usage of portraiture and personal symbolism as well as my reinterpretations of Christian religious motifs, Greek mythology, and Mannerist art, I transform existing narratives to depict a multitude of characters that my work allows me to embody. In opening myself …