Digital Commons Network^™

Gothic Girlhood Horrors, Nina M. Lopez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Gothic Girlhood Horrors is a collection of creative nonfiction examining the formative experiences of girlhood. Through experimental essays, short stories, and other forms of prose, it investigates how universal and personal a young woman’s experiences can be. Part I, “HOW TO BECOME A GIRL,” opens with a coming-of-age story. “GIRL CRAZY” takes inspiration from memoirist Elissa Washuta’s “Sexually Based Offenses,” with the narrator engaging in a hypothetical conversation. Some essays explore the narrator’s relationship with motherhood; others delve into the complex relationship with her own mother. Key moments of girlhood are highlighted, such as dying hair (“let down your hair”) …

Breaking Barriers: Women's Struggle For The Vote In Jacksonville, Brett M. Nystrom

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

During the first half of the twentieth century, women in Jacksonville brought women’s suffrage to the forefront of the city’s discourse through increased engagement in the public sphere. By forming women’s organizations such as the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville, the Florida Equal Franchise League, and the Duval County League of Women Voters, White women addressed concerns regarding women’s voting rights. However, these White women’s organizations and Jacksonville’s White, male-dominated authority excluded African American women from participating in the public sphere. Therefore, African American women in Jacksonville established the City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, which served as a platform for …

The Marginalization Of The Malgre Nous In French Society From Its Roots To The 1960s, Marie Oury

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis examines how young Alsatians found themselves on the margins of postwar France. The illegal annexation of their region by Germany in 1940 led them into a bitter paradox: within months, they had to support their enemy's war effort. The National Socialist (Nazi) regime's coercion reached its height between 1942 and 1945, when 130,000 young men and women from Alsace and Moselle were conscripted into the German army against their will. After the war, this generation bore the weight of that history, struggling to reintegrate into France, a nation that sought to avoid grappling with the complex experiences of …

Digitally-Mediated Nature-Connectedness?: Listeners’ Emotional Responses To And Perception Of Digitized Nature Sounds, Marissa Salas

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

• Faced with the potential closure or privatization of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), it is important to reflect on the conservation efforts using soundscapes. This dissertation explores the gap between experts and lay listeners in listening to soundscapes through the digitally-mediated spaces (e.g. YouTube). In a pilot project conducted in 2024 that used facial emotional recognition software and a talk-aloud protocol, data on emotions was collected. Using NPS video recordings on its webpages, social media accounts and via other digital channels (YouTube, etc.) created by NPS experts, this project employed an innovative, interdisciplinary, mixed-methods experimental design to investigate …

Humanity In The Calamity: Hurricane Andrew, The Cold War, And The Demilitarization Of Fema, 1993 – 2002., Luis R. Rios Iii

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Humanity in the Calamity maps out the erroneous land practices that damned the American population to build in the state of Florida in a manner that does not fit the fluid landscape of the environment. Throughout history, as Americans built up Florida on the threatened coastline, the doctrines of disaster polities and emergency management were birthed under the influence of Civil Defense, induced by the militaristic agendas of the Cold War. The influence of Cold War-Era Civil Defense clouded the field of emergency management and FEMA, limiting the response to natural disasters making disasters more violent and deadly.

These issues …

Macabre Therapeutics: An Exploration Into The Cathartic Nature Of Splatter Utilizing The Saw Franchise As Corpus, Rosalind E. Rohrbaugh

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This project positions splatter (a subgenre of horror films that centralizes gore) as applicable for sociopolitical critique and emotional catharsis, disrupting the narrative of splatter as a solely shock-based enterprise. The project utilizes the Saw franchise as a corpus, which reignited audience interest in extreme horror in 2004, rejuvenating splatter film releases since their stagnancy throughout the 1990s. This research seeks to answer why Saw captured the attention of audiences and returned the splatter subgenre to the 21st century, utilizing psychoanalytical film analysis, sociopolitical analysis, semiotics, content analysis, and archival research as methodology and drawing on Aristotle’s Catharsis and Rhetorical …

Under Control, Eric Tegethoff

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Under Control is a collection of six short stories focused on masculinity. The stories explore family, climate change, nationalism, and the nature of work. “A Survey of Man” and “Snake Pit” dive into the corrosive effects of capitalism on men in society. In “The Art of War,” the narrator finds the cost of pursuing healing outside of society’s prescribed norms. Society’s norms also act on the characters in “My Country, My Cybertruck” and “Bad Reporting.” The collection ends with “Virtual Idaho,” a short story that scrutinizes the masculine barriers to properly grieving for a loved one.

Reframing Recovery: Comparing Music Interventions And Traditional Rehabilitation Methods For Cognitive Function In Traumatic Brain Injury Patients, Laura Velez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions annually, often resulting in long-term cognitive deficits that hinder independence and quality of life. While traditional rehabilitation methods address many physical and functional limitations, cognitive impairments—such as deficits in attention, memory, and executive function—often persist. Emerging evidence highlights music-based interventions as a promising complement to standard therapies, yet comparative research remains limited. This integrative literature review examined the effects of music interventions versus traditional rehabilitation methods on cognitive function in adults with TBI. Using a systematic search of databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL Ultimate, APA PsycInfo, and Music Index, eight peer-reviewed studies were selected for …

Consequences Of Artificial Intelligence In Health Insurance: Lawsuits, Policy, And Ethics, Alyssa N. Roberts

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In recent years, the healthcare system has been burdened by a multitude of obstacles that hinder the ability to provide effective, affordable, and timely care. Among these, one of the most significant challenges is the role that health insurance plays in shaping the quality of care. Health insurance companies are designed to decrease financial strain on patients, but they have introduced inefficiencies through delayed coverage approvals, increased denials, and administrative costs. Artificial intelligence (AI) has started to play an integral role in resolving these issues for the health insurance industry. Through its quick automated claim processing, fraud screening, and reduced …

Understanding The Mechanism In Shaping Guest Acceptance Of Service Robots In Caribbean Hotels: The Moderating Role Of Cultural Familiarity In The Cac Model, Jamilia A. Lawrence

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Service robots continue to become increasingly popular in the hospitality and tourism industry. Understanding the cognitive and emotional processes is important in explaining the sequential processes of guests accepting new technologies. Especially in regions like the Caribbean, where human-to-human interaction and personalized services are highly valued.

This study investigates how cognitive evaluations of service robots, including utility, coolness, autonomy, courtesy, and interactivity, influence guests' emotional responses and their acceptance of the technology in Caribbean hotels. Additionally, the study explores the moderating role of cultural familiarity in the relationship between emotion and acceptance.

Using the cognitive-affective-conative (CAC) model, 415 responses were …

Transformation To Re-Engagement: A Temporal Analysis Of Tefl Tourism Experiences, Brianna Morman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study investigates the psychological and behavioral transformation resulting from long-term cultural immersion, using TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) tourism as a lens to examine how deep, lasting change unfolds. While prior literature has primarily classified TEFL as a niche form of tourism, its potential to facilitate enduring personal transformation has not been empirically assessed. This research addresses that gap by applying Transformative Learning Theory and the Model of Transformation within the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to explore how TEFL experiences lead to transformation, satisfaction, and long-term re-engagement. Uniquely, the study also examines two underexplored temporal moderators – duration …

Investing In Digital Solutions For Firm Value, Mahala Geronasso

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Digital investments have become integral to the strategies of hospitality firms, enabling data-driven decision-making, operational efficiency, and financial growth. This dissertation examines the impact of digital investments, specifically IT investment (CAPEX), research and development (R&D) intensity, and digital marketing intensity, on operational and financial performance within hospitality firms, guided by Innovation Diffusion Theory and Agency Theory. A comprehensive empirical analysis utilized financial data from publicly traded U.S. hospitality firms (2013–2023). Advanced econometric methods, including ARIMA, GARCH, and structured panel regressions, were rigorously assessed to evaluate performance dynamics. Findings reveal IT investments significantly enhance operational efficiency, profitability, and liquidity, despite causing …

Transformative Experience Design: Exploring The Supply-Side Perspective In The Theme Park Context, Juliana Rodrigues Vieira Tkatch

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study investigates how hedonic tourism activities can facilitate personal transformation, particularly in the context of mass tourism. Focusing on theme parks, which draw millions of visitors annually, the research explores the design elements that can foster visitor transformation. The study aims to uncover the design elements embedded in the creation of these activities and the effects they intend to foster in visitors, answering the research question: How do theme park design practices contribute to transformative tourism experiences? This question is significant given the limited empirical work connecting experience design and transformative tourism from the supplier perspective. Using a qualitative …

Inhibition Of Activin A Signaling Slows The Progression Of Barrett's Esophagus Induced Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, Lily A. Giardino

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

In 2020, approximately 1.03 billion cases of Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) were reported worldwide, representing a significant global health burden. Chronic GERD is a potent initiator of Barrett’s Esophagus (BE), a precancerous condition in which the squamous epithelium is converted into columnar-like epithelium in the distal esophagus in response to reflux injury. Barrett’s Esophagus is the only known precursor to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma (EAC), a disease with a five-year survival rate of 21%. First line treatments focus on acid suppression and endoscopic mucosal resection but did not result in a decrease of EAC incidence highlighting the importance of new therapeutics. Previous …

Multi-Omics Analysis Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Serotype 3 Using A Murine Infection Model, Jash Kamlesh Trivedi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPN), a gram-positive encapsulated pathogen, inhabits the human nasopharynx asymptomatically but can cause severe infections, including invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD). Although targeted by vaccines, serotype 3 (ST3) remains highly prevalent within the United States and globally. Sequence type 180 lineage within Clonal Complex (CC)180 is the predominant lineage of serotype 3 globally. Genetically, Clonal Complex 180 is divided into clade I and II, with clade II recently surpassing clade I in prevalence. However, the molecular mechanisms driving this shift remain poorly understood. Here, we employ a multi-omics approach, combining pangenome analysis and dual-RNA sequencing, to investigate genetic factors …

Comparing Inter-Rater Reliability For Two Coding Methodologies In Meta-Analysis Data Extraction, Christine D. Destefano

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Meta-analyses are critical tools for evidence-based policymaking, but their validity depends heavily on accurate data extraction from primary studies. While previous research has focused on procedural aspects of coding and reliability of effect size extraction, there remains a significant gap in understanding how to improve inter-rater reliability (IRR) for moderator variables that provide crucial context for meta-analytic findings. This study compared two methodological approaches for coding moderator variables: traditional low-inference coding and a novel drill-down questioning technique adapted from database development principles. Using a comparative analysis design, two independent coders extracted data from 18 primary studies included in a published …

The Representation Of Racially And Ethnically Diverse Students Identified With Giftedness In Third Grade In Florida, Ioanna Katsavria

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study examines the proportional representation of Black, Hispanic, White, and Asian third-grade gifted students across urban and rural school districts in the U.S. state of Florida. It incorporates secondary quantitative datasets for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 school terms from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE, n.d.), collected in the Fall 2024, along with qualitative data gathered in Spring 2025 from the websites of sixty-seven county-based school districts. Significant disparities among all groups of racially and ethnically diverse students were exposed through the quantitative data analysis. Notably, Black, Hispanic, and Asian students, especially in rural areas, were shown …

Evaluating Indirect Markers Of Musculotendinous Unit Recovery Following Eccentric Plantar Flexor Exercise, Ecaterina Vasenina

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The recovery of the musculotendinous unit (MTU) following eccentric exercise is a complex process influenced by mechanical, structural, and nutritional factors. The MTU encompasses interconnected systems, including the Achilles tendon and calf muscles, which respond dynamically to mechanical loading. The interplay of these systems is critical to understanding recovery and optimizing interventions for performance and rehabilitation. Despite advances in the field, gaps remain in assessing measurement reliability, identifying sensitive recovery markers, and evaluating the efficacy of nutritional strategies such as collagen supplementation.

This dissertation is organized into three interrelated studies. Study 1 presented in Chapter 2 investigated the reliability of …

Motor Unit Control Of Maximal Grip Force Among Older Adults: Reliability, Weakness, And Interventions, Jonathan P. Beausejour

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Recent evidence suggests that grip strength is a critical biomarker of brain, muscle, and metabolic aging. To date, neuromuscular properties related to individual motor unit size and firing rates have not been explored in the context of grip strength assessments in the older adult population. Given the strong correlation between grip strength and all-cause mortality, understanding motor unit characteristics during maximal grip tests will provide novel perspectives and implications regarding healthy aging. The purpose of this dissertation project was to develop an analytical framework to reliably characterize motor unit strategies employed during maximal grip strength tests, and compare these characteristics …

Understanding Pre-Service Teachers’ Engagement, Application And Perception Of Instructor Feedback In An Online Teacher Education Course: An Action Research Study, Iram Khan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Teachers should prioritize continuous professional development through shared experiences and reflective teaching to remain competitive in the global education system and become better teachers to assist language learners in achieving their goals (Vadivel et al., 2021). Professional development courses are crucial for enhancing teaching skills; however, there is a concern that such initiatives seem ineffective in promoting change in teaching practices (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Gore et al., 2017). Implementing effective instructional approaches in teacher education courses, such as feedback and reflection, is crucial for aspiring teachers to enhance their knowledge and professional growth (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Pharis et …

The Impact Of Social And Political Capital On Black Male Educational Leaders Lived Experiences With Hiring Practices: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Descriptive Study, Travis L. Brown

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

According to Woodson and Pabon (2016, as cited in Bass, 2020) Black males represent less than 2% of the US public education workforce. This is concerning considering that many schools across the nation are becoming increasingly diverse. Scholars such as Bass (2020) have even cited that classrooms “may never completely rebound” (p. 356) from finding Black men to fill vacant teaching positions which could ultimately lead to a career in educational leadership. filling classrooms with available Black men in the profession. This study employed a convergent parallel mixed method design within a descriptive research framework to examine the impact of …

Comparing Experiences In Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous (Mara) Versus 12-Step Groups: A Qualitative Study, Rachel Totaram

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The United States continues to face an opioid epidemic, with over 80,000 opioid overdose deaths reported in 2023. Although medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) are effective treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD), stigma remains a major barrier to their adoption. People taking MOUDs often feel stigmatized within traditional 12-step peer support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous (AA/NA), potentially harming the recovery process. Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous (MARA) was recently developed as an alternative 12-step support group explicitly open to people using MOUD.

This qualitative mixed methods study retrospectively examines how MARA meetings differ from AA/NA meetings, based on …

Health Behavior In A Culture-Driven Society: Using Mixed Methods Research To Examine Medical Pluralism In Zimbabwe, Stephen Mhere

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation examined the role of cultural influences on health-seeking behaviors and healthcare choices among Zimbabweans, focusing on medical pluralism – where individuals simultaneously access traditional, faith-based, and allopathic medical systems. It applied the PEN-3 Cultural Model to examine Cultural Identity, Relationships and Expectations, and Cultural Empowerment. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, data were collected via a Shona-language survey on WhatsApp. Multiple choice, closed-ended, and open-ended survey questions were texted to participants, and they responded by text or audio messages. Response data were collected from 137 study participants. Multinomial logistic regression was used for quantitative data analysis, while deductive …

Teacher Retention And The Disabilities-To-Prison Pipeline, Angela P. Mccloud-Bond

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

There is an overrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Similar to the commonly known School-to-Prison Pipeline, Christoper Mallet has coined the term the Disabilities-to-Prison Pipeline to refer to this growing problem. Research has not yet determined how individual variables at the school or district levels lead to the expansion of the Disabilities-to-Prison Pipeline. Mallot (2021) presented three possible hypotheses to explain the expansion of this phenomenon: the differential treatment hypothesis, the school failure hypothesis, and the susceptibility hypothesis. There is a significant gap in the literature that focuses specifically on the differential treatment of …

The Effect Of Four Vocabulary Tasks On The Initial Learning And Retention Of Formulaic Language: The Case Of Phrasal Verbs, Eman Barri

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of four vocabulary tasks on the learning and retention of English phrasal verbs (PVs). University Intensive English Program students (91) completed one of the following tasks: One Fill-in-the-Blank, Three Fill-in-the-Blank, Sentence Writing, and Composition Writing. Their knowledge of eight target PVs was measured using a modified vocabulary knowledge scale at three points: pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttest (two weeks later). A mixed factorial ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between task and time. Follow-up repeated-measures and one-way ANOVAs showed that the Three Fill-in-the-Blank produced the highest scores on both posttests. Consistent with findings on …

Examining The Impact African American Male Teachers Have On The Math Scores Of Underserved Students, Demetrice Thomas

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study contributed to a growing body of evidence emphasizing that teacher identity profoundly influences not only how students learn but also how they perceive themselves and their potential. As Gershenson (2022) noted, “Black teachers provide benefits to all students, fostering higher achievement and stronger aspirations,” highlighting the essential role of diverse educators in shaping student success. Consistent academic gains observed among students taught by African American male teachers reinforce the urgent need for educational systems to prioritize equity not only in student outcomes but also in diversifying the teaching workforce. Despite African American male teachers comprising less than 2% …

Longitudinal Analysis Of Skilled Nursing Facilities Outcomes And Patient Populations And The Participation In The Bundled Payments For Care Improvement Model 3 Initiative, Adam Reres

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Model 3 initiative was a pilot program that tested how post-acute care, particularly in skilled nursing facilities in attempts to improve efficiency in healthcare delivery using an alternative payment method called bundling.

This study explores how structural and performance characteristics of skilled nursing facilities relate to participation in BPCI Model 3 initiative, with particular attention to how these factors may influence outcomes, patient population, and participation decisions over time. By examining national data across two time points, the study aims to assess whether an alternative payment model can prompt changes in care delivery, patient …

Fluidity In Structure: Balancing Form And Freedom, Tyler Stevens

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

In our postmodern society, there is a natural urge to want to decentralize the metanarratives that make up the standards and structures of defined aesthetics within the theatre landscape. This urge poses a potential threat to the authenticity of the dramatic context, encouraging performers to create narratives outside of the text. This led me to investigate how theatre artists can strike a balance between creative exploration and authenticity of context, of form and freedom. In seeking a way to engage with the effects of postmodernism in the theatre, I follow Hans-Theis Lehmann’s Postdramatic Theatre to a dead end and must …

Queering The Queer Bildungsroman: Literature Of Aids, The Rhizome, And Rat Bohemia, Emma Tolliver

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The advent of the bildungsroman with Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship was a seminal moment in literature. From that point onward, the genre, which would come to be known as the “coming-of-age” novel, evolved and as such developed a variety of subgenres. This thesis focuses on the queer bildungsroman, a subgenre which has been dubbed the “coming-out” novel. Through Judith Butler’s work, I conceptualize genre as gender. Additionally, I utilize the Deleuzian concepts of the rhizome, becoming, and minor literature along with literature of AIDS to argue that the queer bildungsroman is not solely the coming out novel. …

Not Just Playing Pretend: Story Drama As Queer And Humanist Praxis, Julia Veiga

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

While conventional story time typically involves passive listening and enforced stillness, Story Drama transforms the storytelling experience into a participatory process where children use their voices, bodies, and imaginations to shape the narrative collaboratively. Indeed, Story Drama, combined with queer and humanist learning theory, fosters an inclusive, student-centered environment where youth practice critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-realization. Using the techniques of Story Drama transforms storytelling into a tool for cultivating socially engaged, independent learners, encouraging critical thinking and activism by nurturing empathy, community awareness, and creative agency from an early age.

This thesis explores the reimagining of traditional storytelling practices …