Digital Commons Network^™

Service-Learning Course, Shanzida Toha

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2024

Reflecting on my service-learning experience, I recognize that I used to judge first-generation immigrants who struggled with English. Over time, I realized this was unfair, as I hadn’t considered their individual challenges. This shift in perspective led me to become more open-minded, seek new experiences, and pursue my passion for helping others through direct patient care. I realized that engaging in leadership-based service learning could enhance my empathy and leadership abilities, which has become central to my personal and professional growth.

Decoding And Generating Poetry: Using Feminist Theory And Digital Media To Demonstrate Maya Angelou's Writing As Activism, Emery Beckman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis will demonstrate how rhetorical strategies can present social change through descriptive elements of persuasion. Using foundational rhetorical concepts, including ethos, logos, and pathos, it will connect concerns of inequality to the work of Maya Angelou, who can validate the impact intersectionality has within the use of rhetoric. Having been a victim of racism, sexual abuse, and economic disadvantages, she used her voice to break the silence for women. This thesis will showcase the impact of rhetorical techniques through digital media by creating a website featuring visual data and mapping by decoding Maya Angelou's work to demonstrate the power …

Agile Healthcare: The Effects Of Information Technology Ambidexterity And Human Resource Practices On Workforce Agility And Job Performance, Jorge Flavio Sarmiento Falla

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Healthcare organizations grapple with uncertainties and rapid changes, necessitating agility within their workforce. However, empirical studies on healthcare agility are notably scarce, impeding efforts to foster an agile workforce. Through a systematic literature review, human-related dimensions and information technology aspects were found to be relevant to healthcare agility. This study addresses the impact of Information Technology Ambidexterity (ITA) and Human Resource Practices (HRP) on establishing Workforce Agility (WA). Subsequently, the study also addresses the importance of WA for the job performance of healthcare professionals. Lastly, it evaluates the mediation effect of WA on the impact of both ITA and HRP …

Typography And English As A Second Language (Esl) Reading: Impact Of Variable Font Width, Letter Spacing, And Line Spacing On Reading Performance And Experience, Md Mamunur Rashid

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The mixed-method experimental study explores whether basic alterations in digital text formatting can enhance reading performance and experience of reading for the adult English as a Second Language (ESL) populations. Native English speakers are included as a comparison group. The study specifically examines the effects of varying font width, letter spacing, and line spacing on reading speed, comprehension, and self-reported levels of enjoyment and perceived difficulty.

The participants comprise 459 proficient adult readers, split between native English, native Spanish, and native Mandarin speakers. Each participant silently reads a series of 150-word English passages at an 8th-grade difficulty level, with manipulations …

Architectural And Training Regime Modifications To Transformer Models For Low Data Applications, Azwad Tamir

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

A significant catalyst of the recent Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning revolution is attributed to large language models (LLMs), which include many prominent AI systems such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Gemini. The majority of high-performance LLM models are based on the transformer architecture and the primary factor behind the recent enhancement in the performance of these models is attributed to the increase of layer quantity and dimensionality, resulting in an exponential rise in the total number of learnable parameters, necessitating substantial data for effective training. This may pose a significant barrier in certain application domains, such as bioinformatics, pharmaceutical research, …

The False Identity Of A Filmmaker, Cheyanne Miller

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The False Identity of a Filmmaker is a multimedia installation and essay film on imposter syndrome within artists. Starting as an exploration into the topic, The False Identity of a Filmmaker became a personal self-discovery in my creative practice, resulting in an essay film that explores my relationship with imposter syndrome in relation to films that are often recognized as canonical. The multimedia installation places the essay film among a textural design of 16mm film strips to recognize filmmaking as a source of my imposter syndrome.

Women, artists, and those with careers in academia experience imposter syndrome quite often but …

Applications Of Plasmonic Biosensors In Chiral And Achiral Sensing, Aritra Biswas

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Monitoring biological systems is crucial in healthcare, driving the need for reliable and noninvasive solutions. The proliferation of unverified drugs in the market necessitates reliable methods for their detection and identification, especially amidst advancements in pharmaceuticals. Plasmonic biosensors emerge as a great platform for ultra-sensitive detection, identification, and manipulation of biomolecular systems. This dissertation report addresses the critical need for precise detection and monitoring of biomolecules and drugs, presenting innovative solutions through the design of a plasmonic biosensor to tackle challenges in sensitivity, selectivity, and label-free detection and identification. We introduce a robust and tunable, cavity-integrated plasmonic nanopatterned sensor that …

High-Power Picosecond Source At 2.05-Μm For Pumping Mid-Infrared Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplifiers, Chase E. Geiger

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Broadband few-cycle high-power sources based on optical parametric amplifiers (OPA) in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) region are of great interest in a variety of applications such as spectroscopy, remote chemical sensing, medical procedures, and attosecond science. Among all the mid-IR nonlinear crystals for parametric amplification, zinc germanium phosphide (ZGP) has received significant attention due to its high nonlinear coefficient, high thermal conductivity, and high damage threshold, making it suitable for generating high average powers in the 3 – 12 µm range. A ZGP OPA requires a pump source above 2 µm due to a sharp increase in absorption immediately below 2 …

Silencing Stemness Genes In Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cells Improve Anticancer Drug Efficacy, Jonhoi C. Smith

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive and incurable primary brain tumor characterized by therapy-resistant cancer stem cells (CSCs). Due to the limited effectiveness of conventional chemotherapies and radiation treatments against cancer stem cells (CSCs), there is a critical need for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. Our previous research revealed the significant expression of embryonic stemness genes, NANOG and OCT4, in CSCs, suggesting their role in enhancing cancer-specific stemness and drug resistance. By suppressing the expression of these genes, we observed increased susceptibility of CSCs to the anticancer drug, Temozolomide (TMZ). Furthermore, suppression of NANOG expression led to an accumulation of …

Mindful Approaches, Transforming Hearts: Cultivating Elementary Students' Positive Mathematics Identity Development Through An Equity-Based Morning Mathematics Club, Kayla N. Blankenship

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation examines how third through fifth-grade students' mathematics identities developed through a strengths-based mathematics club focused on equitable teaching practices. In this study, theories of Communities of Practice (Wenger, 1998) and Figured Worlds (Holland et al., 1998) were combined with recommendations from Catalyzing Change (NCTM, 2020) and equity-based practices (Aguirre et al., 2013) to promote students’ positive mathematics identity development. Students with positive mathematics identities have increased mathematics engagement and achievement, and are more likely to seek careers in STEM. Mathematics identities are developed through and influenced by various sociocultural, personal, and educational factors. Incorporating evidence from student surveys, …

A Chat Analysis Of The Use Of Educational Video Games To Teach Physical Science To Middle School Girls, Stephen G. Petit

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

As students transition into middle school science courses, their interest and engagement in the subject declines. This decline is most significant among girls, particularly for topics in physical science. While several factors have been identified that contribute to the decline, one area that is emerging as a new way to help improve girls' view of science is the use of educational video games to improve engagement and interest in science content, particularly as video games have been steadily rising in popularity with girls. This study used Cultural Historical Activity Theory to understand how middle school girls engage with an educational …

Nonprofit Compliance: Perceptions Of Small Nonprofit Leaders To Be Compliant, Andrea C. Ortega

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Small nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are at higher risk of having their IRS tax-exempt status revoked due to a lack of funding, governance, and structure. Organizations that fail to file an annual information return or notice for three consecutive years automatically lose their tax-exempt status by revocation. In May 2020, the IRS revoked the status of more than 30,000 NPOs for failing to file tax returns. This research contributes to the very limited number of qualitative studies on nonprofit leaders' knowledge of federal compliance, which is unknown and may contribute to small nonprofits losing their IRS-exempt status. This qualitative study examines …

An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study On Usable Cybersecurity And The Behaviorial Effects Of Cognitive Load, Corey Leong

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study investigated individuals’ behaviors and perceptions, and actions of a cybersecurity event after reviewing relevant cybersecurity content published in a cyber alert. As new technologies are developed and released, humans experience pressure to defend against threats while at work to remain productive and meet desired organizational goals (Chowdury & Skinner, 2019). The first part of the study randomly assigned participants to respond to a pre-questionnaire followed by an intervention, reading a cyberalert. Participants then answered a post-questionnaire that included the identical questions from the pre-questionnaire, in addition to, biographical and career related questions as well. The second part of …

An Ultrafast, Mid-Wave Infrared Source For Driving High-Order Harmonics Beyond The Water Window, Zachary A. Marra

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation details the development of the world’s first cryogenically cooled Fe:ZnSe-based chirped pulse amplifier, a mid-wave infrared source for strong-field physics experimentation. The long upper-state lifetime provided by cryogenically cooling the Fe:ZnSe gain medium allows free-running, diode-pumped Er:YAG lasers to be used as pump lasers. The amplifier is seeded by a novel two-stage optical parametric amplifier pumped at 1 μm, which is potentially carrier-envelope phase-stable. The system is capable of producing 247-fs pulses at 333 Hz and 4.6 mJ with a center wavelength of 4.07 μm, although exact characteristics vary for different repetition rates and arrangements. The spectral bandwidth …

Assessing The Connection Between Social Media And Ideological Polarization, Joshua Stiekman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Does the usage of social media make individuals more polarized? Previous studies have shown that political use of the internet does make individuals more likely to politically participate, but little academic work has looked at the dynamic of ideology and the social media usage, despite the increase of social media usage in everyday life. This study uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok to see if social media users are more polarized, and which ideological groups are more polarized on social media. Moderates are included to differentiate if there is a difference. This study analyzed data from the …

The Experience Of Blind Mothers In Parenting Children With Disabilities ``, Abeer S. Ali

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Blind or visually impaired mothers (BVIMs) raising children with disabilities experience an exceptional set of challenges that have been largely overlooked in disability and parenting research and teacher education. With this study the researcher examined how BVIMs support their children with disabilities in key areas such as behavior management, educational advocacy, caregiving, and accessing resources. Additionally, the researcher sought to understand how these mothers navigate their experiences as they challenge with societal perceptions, institutional barriers, and the daily caregiving demands. The researcher employed a qualitative case study methodology, using in-depth individual interviews and a focus group with six BVIM participants. …

Supporting Online Student Success Via Online Instructor Best Practices, Tori Jayne Taylor

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Fully online learning provides flexibility students appreciate but can be impersonal and socially isolating. Students can experience lower achievement and more frequent course withdrawal because they struggle to connect to the content, instructor, and other students. Twelve experienced general education instructors from a large university were interviewed to understand how they notice and support students who are at risk of underachieving or failing fully online courses. Interview data were triangulated using course content analyses from two of the instructors’ online courses. Thematic data analysis was guided by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework.

Instructors in smaller courses use a variety …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Impact Of Anti-Woke Legislation On Higher Education, Brittany Knowles

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The events immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, to include the uptick of hate crimes against Asian-Americans and the murder of George Floyd had a profound impact on public awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion issues. Where initially it appeared, public perception was supportive of the work- in recent years it has come under increasing scrutiny particularly within the academic space. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work specifically anti-racism has become increasingly polarizing. The decline in public perception of DEI work was marked by the use of simplified catchphrases like woke agendas and CRT in reference to schools. With then presidential …

Program Evaluation Of Behavioral Health Training: Using The Retain Model, Kris J. Toscani

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study investigated the effectiveness of gamification elements introduced into a well-established behavioral health in-person professional training. The gamification elements were designed with the RETAIN Model and Rubric and intended to increase team member engagement by increasing Relevance, Embedding a fictitious medical-themed story, creating opportunities for knowledge acquisition and Transfer, Adapting the content to the job functions of the participants, creating an Immersive experience in which the team members were fully engaged in the medical mystery, and repetitively applying gameplay concepts to efforts to create a Naturalized learning experience. The methodological approach to assessing …

Eavesdropping-Driven Profiling Attacks On Encrypted Wifi Networks: Unveiling Vulnerabilities In Iot Device Security, Ibrahim A. Alwhbi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Abstract—This dissertation investigates the privacy implications of WiFi communication in Internet-of-Things (IoT) environments, focusing on the threat posed by out-of-network observers. Recent research has shown that in-network observers can glean information about IoT devices, user identities, and activities. However, the potential for information inference by out-of-network observers, who do not have WiFi network access, has not been thoroughly examined. The first study provides a detailed summary dataset, utilizing Random Forest for data summary classification. This study highlights the significant privacy threat to WiFi networks and IoT applications from out-of-network observers. Building on this investigation, the second study extends the research …

A Multimodal Framework For Automated Content Moderation Of Children's Videos, Syed Hammad Ahmed

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Online video platforms receive hundreds of hours of uploads every minute, making manual moderation of inappropriate content impossible. The most vulnerable consumers of malicious video content are children from ages 1-5 whose attention is easily captured by bursts of color and sound. Prominent video hosting platforms like YouTube have taken measures to mitigate malicious content, but these videos often go undetected by current automated content moderation tools that are focused on removing explicit or copyrighted content. Scammers attempting to monetize their content may craft malicious children's videos that are superficially similar to educational videos, but include scary and disgusting characters, …

Semiconductor Mode-Locked Lasers For Applications In Multi-Photon Imaging And Microwave Photonics, Srinivas Varma Pericherla

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Semiconductor lasers are considered essential for the advancement in the field of photonics where compact and energy-efficient lasers are necessary. Advancements in integrated photonic technologies will help push the performance of semiconductor lasers in the coming years and expand the technology to several other applications. Semiconductor lasers offer several key features such as high energy efficiency, mass production, availability at a myriad of wavelengths, and high integration capabilities. However, limitations in noise performance, pulse energy, and duration hold back semiconductor lasers from being utilized to their full potential. This dissertation reviews the utilization and development of external techniques that enable …

Models Of Information Diffusion And The Role Of Influence, Chathura Jj Don Dimungu Arachchige

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Information diffusion is significant in fields such as propagation prediction and influence maximization, with applications in viral marketing and rumor control. Despite conceptual differences, existing diffusion models may not represent identical underlying generative structures. A classification of diffusion of information models is developed based on infection requirements and stochasticity. The study involves analyzing seven existing DOI models on directed scale-free networks. The distinctive properties of each model are identified through simulations and analysis of experimental results. Our analysis reveals that similarity in conceptual design does not imply similarity in behavior concerning speed, the final state of nodes and edges, and …

Film As Ritual: Healing From Complex Trauma And Transmuting Pain Through Film, Lorraine I. Sovern

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Forward Fast, Always/Never (Together Forever) and Shotgun Baby are three short experimental documentary films as part of the requirements for earning a Master of Fine Arts in Feature Film Production from the University of Central Florida. These films focus on the unique power of cinema and its ability to assist in healing from complex trauma. Three films were produced on an artisanal, micro-budget scale.

This body of work confronts and examines the significant traumas from an abusive childhood upbringing (Shotgun Baby), the effects of misogyny in Western media on my developing filmic sensibilities (Forward Fast), and …

Spotting The Signs: An Investigation Of The Effectiveness Of A Peer Training Program In Increasing Students' Ability To Detect And Report The Warning Signs Of A Peer School Shooting Plot, Ashley T. Winch

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

To date, there are no evidence-based peer bystander intervention trainings (BIT) aimed at educating peers in school shooting warning behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine an interactive BIT where peers were taught warning behaviors related to someone planning a school shooting and how to report this information. This training was evaluated against a currently available training method (i.e., PowerPoint presentation based) and a control group to determine the best training approach. College students between 18 and 19 years old (N = 57) completed pre, post, and one-month follow-up assessments. At each timepoint accuracy in detection of …

Breaking Molds: Transformative Processes In Art Making, Materials, And Life, James M. Wysolmierski

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Drawing upon traumatic moments of my past as a catalyst, I pursue understanding and acceptance of physical and emotional pain. In this thesis body of work, I employ the intersection of industrial and body imagery in sculptural forms and installation as a corporeal and allegorical account of my lived experience using visual narratives of trepidation and metamorphosis. In my creative practice, I incorporate various materials that create a reference of specific moments from my past. The artworks draw from principles rooted in Buddhism, affect theory, phenomenology, and materiality; incorporating them as tools to comprehend my position in the world and …

Software Company Workplace Bias In Technical Communication, Amanda Altamirano

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation is an interdisciplinary work that explores the intersection of humanities and technical communication by focusing on the presence and impact of software company workplace bias in technical professional communication. It focuses on workplace bias in technical communication because, when present, bias can impact the experiences that technical communicators and end-users (people who use the software) have with the software. This mixed-methods study consists of a survey, an interview, and a new diagram designed to help technical communicators mitigate biases in technical documentation. To understand better the presence and impact of bias in these workplace contexts, this study surveys …

In An Immersive Space, Raising Awareness To Universalize The Concept Of Resistance And Hope, Elaheh Jazemi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Inspired by my Iranian heritage, I symbolize my narrative of the social injustice and suppression prevalent in Iran. Through this thesis, I universalize the concept of resistance and hope for equality by raising awareness and giving a voice to the voiceless despite their significant sacrifices. In my studio practice, I sought to achieve a visual density that would enhance the immersive experiences. I constructed this by overlapping transparent materials such as tulle, resin, silk, and transparent sheets, creating a disorienting atmosphere that invites viewers to grapple with visual metaphors. This overwhelming ambiance, mirroring the despondent nature of the emotions conveyed …

Comical, Familial, Satirical: Exploring Visual Culture Through Portraiture And Graphic Narrative, Matthew D. Dunn

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

My art examines visual culture using a plethora of techniques, formats, and materials. Recent works address family, pop-culture, and politics utilizing portraiture and short-form comics. Much of my art expresses humor through colorful, irreverent imagery, and many works employ satire and parody. Leveraging my experience as a professional illustrator and designer, I tailor my approach to each project, drawing upon divergent styles with an emphasis on polish and accessibility. I frequently adapt well-known images to recontextualize subjects. In my investigation of graphic narrative, I produced political comics, vintage comic book parodies, and experimental, interactive work. This body of work was …

Exploring The Removal Potential Of Multi-Pollutants From Water Matrices With Innovative Speciality Adsorbents In A Field-Scale Filtration System, Jinxiang Cheng

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Driven by excess nutrients in water bodies, eutrophication has long been an issue in water resources management. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in a highly eutrophic water body lead to hypoxia, creating a “dead zone,” which renders the oxygen levels inadequate for the survival of marine life. This study examined the field-scale filtration performance of two specialty absorbents to improve watershed remediation within a Total Maximum Daily Load program. The goal was to simultaneously remove nutrients and biological pollutants along Canal 23 (C-23) in the St. Lucie River Basin, Florida. The filtration system installed in the C-23 river corridor was equipped …