Digital Commons Network^™

The Reliability Of Through Glass Vias And Solder Joints For Three Dimensional Multi Functional Integrated Systems, Omar Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Three-dimensional (3D) integration technologies, including interposer-based integration, are among the most promising solutions to meet the increased demand for high performance computing, high chip density, and small form factor. Key technologies that enable 3D integration include through-substrate vias and solder joints. Glass is considered as a promising substrate material for interposer-based 3D integration technology especially in radio frequency applications because of glass's high resistivity, low dielectric constant, low electrical loss, and the adjustable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). However, during fabrication or service, through-glass vias can suffer from interface delamination and substrate cracking. The problem of copper protrusion is also …

In Pursuit Of Low-Dimensional Manifold Structures In High-Dimensional Data, Mahlagha Sedghi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The ever-increasing availability of large-scale and high-dimensional data offers unprecedented opportunities for data-driven studies across widely differing domains ranging from marketing and web mining, to bioinformatics and space exploration. Yet, it also poses formidable challenges in face of storing, organizing and analyzing such data. Often though, high-dimensional data tend to lie close to some low-dimensional structures. Aside from substantial computational and storage conservations, discovering such structures also contributes to improved learning and inference performance. A majority of existing work assume linear data models which fail to effectively capture the complex patterns of real-world problems. Non-linear models on the other hand …

Creation And Analysis Of An Enhanced Rascal-Lvc Framework Capable Of Simulating Ionizing Radiation Damage To Emergency Responders During A Nuclear Power Plant Disaster: A Case Study In Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Electronic System Survivability, Buder Shageer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study developed and analyzed the use of a live virtual constructive (LVC) framework capable of simulating ionizing radiation damage to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) during a nuclear power plant disaster. UAV response promises greater safety to humans over helicopters as well as provides longer survivability in the presence of irradiated environments. However, electronics in unmanned systems are subject to radiation damage and over time eventual failure. A LVC simulation framework may offer an independent and low-cost assessment of equipment life expectancy. Knowing life expectancy of equipment for operational scenarios is critical for emergency management planners. This research creates an …

An Experimental Validation Of A Revised Paschen's Law Relating To The Esd Of Aerospace Vehicle Surfaces, Manuela Morales

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The experimental validation of a new theoretical model of Paschen’s law was developed. In order to do so, a supersonic wind tunnel apparatus was designed and fabricated to voltage discharge between two electrodes at different pressures and distances. This was possible using interchangeable nozzle and test sections. The wind tunnel included the implementation of an automated recording of current and voltage data via a LabVIEW™ program collected relevant data, which once analyzed, was used to support the revised Paschen Law developed by Dr.Houge et.al. Results showed that the modified Paschen’s law is consistent with experimental results.

The Gamification Framework Of Military Flight Simulator For Effective Learning And Training Environment, Daeho Noh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a framework for the gamification of flight simulators to provide an active learning and training environment for military jet pilots. Currently, with the development of visual displays and computer processing capabilities, the modern simulator has made great progress in visual and auditory terms that is incomparable to the past. In addition, functions that were previously implemented through supercomputers and complex hardware devices are now available through desktop computers at an affordable cost. Despite these advances, the simulators so far are thought to have been negligent in building an active learning and training …

Investigation Of Via Extrusion And The Effect Of Cap Layer For 3d Integrated Circuits, Golareh Jalilvand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Copper (Cu) through-silicon via (TSV) is an essential structural and functional element in three-dimensional integration circuits (3D ICs), which offers substantial improvements in integration density, form factor, device performance, and power efficiency. However, Cu-filled TSVs are exposed to multiple thermal cycles during fabrication, test and operation, which lead to the development of considerable thermal stresses, in and around the vias, due to the large mismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between Cu and silicon (Si). The stress subsequently raises reliability concerns, among which, via extrusion is an important one. Via extrusion can damage the adjacent components, in particular …

A Study Into Validating A Coupled Method Of Characteristics And Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Method Against Empirical Data, Andrew Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The following will outline the methodology and results of validating a coupled Method of Characteristics (MOC) and Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. This research focused specifically on modeling plume impingement, induced by Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters that flew on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) space shuttle Discovery. For each simulation, the continuum portion of the RCS thruster was simulated using MOC for solving hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) and computed with the NASA code, Reacting and Multi-phase Program (RAMP). The solution was then implemented as a starting condition into the NASA DSMC code, Direct Simulation and …

Human Performance In Virtual Reality Environments And Its Exploration With Engineering Analytics, Fahad Alasim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Engineering Analytics (EA) is a technique used to derive meaningful insight from gathered data. It is an approach that has arisen, and it includes the process of analyzing data using analytics tools from fields such as Big Data, Machine Learning (ML), traditional operations research, statistics, and numerical methods. Industrial Engineering is an engineering field concerned with how to design better, improve, and install integrated systems, uses EA to understand and continually improve, innovate, and build new processes. Therefore, EA and Virtual Reality (VR) technology can be used in combination with Electroencephalography (EEG), a physiological measurement, to investigate human areas. The …

The Impact Of Work Environment On Successful Implementation Of Lean Six Sigma In Emergency Department, Elaf Makkawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Continuous improvement (CI) is an initiative to improve the performance of processes in alignment with the customer needs and organizational strategy. Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is one of the most successful CI techniques in redesigning and improving significant processes to improve quality and eliminate waste. The healthcare sector has benefited from applying LSS due to its complicated work practices that face many challenges including increased expenditures and difficulties related to individual or community access to appropriate care. In particular, Emergency Departments (ED) have an important unit within healthcare organizations due to their essential role in providing urgent medical care services …

Assessing The Potential Of Implementing Blockchain In Supply Chains Using Agent-Based Simulation And Deep Learning, Mohammad Obeidat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this decade, with the rise of data science accompanying the growth of e-commerce, many technologies have been developed. An example of these technologies is Blockchain, which has appeared to overcome security problems potentially. This research assesses Blockchain's implementation in supply chains through a methodology that uses deep learning and agent-based simulation. A case study was utilized to observe and validate research developments. The unique method predicts intrusions by using deep learning, and agent-based modeling reproduces artificial but convincing agents (e.g., customers, companies, hackers, and cyber pirates) in a computer-generated market. Trust and other relationships are systematically captured to represent …

An Approach To Modeling Simulated Military Human-Agent Teaming, Maartje Hidalgo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

With the rise of human-agent teaming (HAT), a new cycle of scientific discovery commenced. Through scientific discovery, a number of theories of constructs in HAT were developed, however, an overarching model is lacking that elucidates the relative importance of these constructs in relation to human performance. The main objective of this research was to develop a model of simulated military HAT and to validate it against selected empirical data. Experimental data borrowed from four simulated military HAT studies were used to test the proposed Core model. The Core model was assumed to be directly affecting task performance and consisted of …

Investigation In Engineering Leadership Using System Engineering And Virtual Reality, Charles Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

System Engineering can help derive requirements and specifications to build virtual environments which are good to test behaviors and attitudes. Virtual simulations can have a strong impact because role-playing facilitates active learning, permits the acceptance of new concepts, and generates increased interest, enthusiasm, and motivation. Research over the last 50 years has shown that reasoning with and about context is an essential aspect of human cognition, permeating language, memory, and reasoning capabilities. This integral process is developed over a lifetime through experiential learning. In this research, we utilize systems engineering to capture guidelines from psychologist and concepts of technological leadership. …

Empress Theophanu: The Politics Of Power At The Intersection Of Byzantium And The Ottonian Empire, Harper J. Norris

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis seeks to theorize the rhetoric, power dynamics, agency, and rulership of Theophanu and contextualize it through the frame of an intersection of the Byzantine and Ottonian political culture. By analyzing the unique sources surrounding Theophanu – from charters written during her consortship to chronicles written about her posthumously – this thesis seeks to push scholarship to examining Theophanu at the intersection of these two hegemonic cultures. This thesis will analyze the rhetoric of transgression surrounding the empress, the politics of power in the Ottonian court, as well as the gender of Theophanu to bring a nuanced frame of …

The Eyes And Ears Of The Nation: America's First Spy Ring, Eric Topolewski

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the early and smaller espionage tactics during the American Revolution and compare them to the established Culper Ring. George Washington, the American general and later president, and Benjamin Tallmadge, the Director of Military Intelligence during the war, looked for a way to revolutionize espionage at the time. Prior to the Culper Ring, espionage was done on a small scale. Single spies were the most common form of espionage. Washington and Tallmadge knew they needed something new and worked to create something that would last and become sustainable. They were able to create …

Pestilence And Poverty: The Great Influenza Pandemic And Underdevelopment In The New South, 1918-1919, Andrew Kishuni

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines the "Spanish" influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 in the U.S. South, using case-studies of Jacksonville, Savannah, New Orleans, and Nashville to sculpt a "Southern flu" more identical to the Global South and the developing world than the rest of the U.S. I examine poverty and political and economic paralysis in the years between the end of Reconstruction and 1918, and the poor results of political indifference on public health and disease control. I also analyze the social and institutional racism against persons of color that defined high infectious disease mortality in Southern cities.

I argue that Southerners faced …

Addressing The Elephant On The Stage: Mental Health In Theatre Education, Alexandra M. Meridionale

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examined the ways in which present-day 6^th through 12^th grade theatre educators approach the topic of mental health, both implicitly and explicitly, in theatre education. Through a survey of existing literature, as well as interviews with 6^th through 12^th grade theatre educators, the researcher examined ways in which theatre educators were aware of the mental health needs of their students in any of the following capacities: explicit discussions regarding mental health, theatre curriculum, show selection, script analysis, and casting choices.

The reveal the educator perception that mental health issues are increasingly relevant to 6 …

Representation In The Story: The Social Impact Of Diversity In Transmedia, Tiffany S. Tanaka-Cooper

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to take a more profound and nuanced look into the effects of diversity in transmedia storytelling (also known as transmedia narrative or multiplatform storytelling) on society, more specifically, how the representation in these stories affect the minority groups that interact with transmedia. This thesis investigates the depiction of minority groups in transmedia storytelling and the influence of identifiable characters and plotlines. The research and following interviews I have engaged in will encapsulate into a screenplay set in a fictional court that offers the discourse of "forced diversity" within the transmedia narrative: whether or not …

Australian And New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) In World War One: The Making Of National Identity And Erasure Of Women And People Of Color, Simran Pawar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

My work seeks to understand the origins of national identity as it pertains to the Anzacs of Australia and New Zealand, their service at the Battle of Gallipoli, and its use in the establishment of a white, male creation myth in both nations following the end of World War One. I furthermore plan to examine how this Anzac myth excluded and even erased the place of marginalized communities in the birth of Australia and New Zealand as modern nations. In other words, my thesis explores both the insiders and the outsiders of the Anzac myth. My cutting-edge research aims to …

Les Représentations De Napoléon Bonaparte : Le Héros Romantique, Christian G. Del Villar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

PROPOSITION DE RECHERCHE

Dans ce projet de recherche, nous souhaitons explorer le parcours et la construction de l’image publique de Napoléon Bonaparte pendant la période 1793 – 1846. Durant cette période, l’archétype du « héros romantique » a été lié à la vie de Bonaparte pendant son ascension fulgurante, son règne en tant qu’Empereur, et sa chute du pouvoir. Napoléon, comme le héros Hernani de Hugo, est défini comme un héros romantique de cette façon : une figure concrète, complexe, venant non pas d’un statut social élevé, mais passionnée avec des grandes ambitions contradictoires qui mènent le héros à la …

Sparks Of Service: The Fuel We Need To Fan The Flames Of Student Service-Learning And Effective Civic Engagement, Christian E. Tabet

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Service-learning is a hybrid curriculum that puts students in direct contact with the needs of a community around them. Taking an experiential approach to learning, service-learning provides an outlet for students to take their education from within the classroom and apply it to a real-world setting. When developed successfully, service-learning challenges students to use the knowledge and skills they gained as a tool in tackling real world civic and social issues. To be successful, these programs must have a component that requires students to actively participate in community partnerships. Effective service-learning acts as a bridge between university and community—giving students …

Gender Disparity Of Women In Theatre Design, Madison M. Valesky

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The question of why there is gender disparity in the field of theatre design continues to be an issue that has been widely debated in the field of theatre; scholars such as Tish Dace argue that workplace environments and family support are two of the main reason women leave the field of design. However, there are works, articles, arguments and perspectives that have not been adequately addressed regarding why the issue of why gender disparity in theatrical design still exists. My thesis addresses the issue of gender disparity in theatre design with special attention to the underlying issues that exists. …

A Pre-Structural Center: Deconstructing Classical Social Theory, Darius F. Irani

Honors Undergraduate Theses

For theory and literature to evolve parallel to the subject matter which it associates, it recurrently progresses through admittance of variably incremental, yet critical, entries. This is the nature of modernism. This thesis reflects on one important point in the life of modernism, the advent at which society is first formalized and assimilated into theory: the origin of social theory, a point indisputably influential to twentieth century philosophy, but just eclipsed by one of that century's most noticeable theoretical features. The past century saw the rise and fall of a universalizing framework called structuralism. Informing the disciplines, especially the social …

La Mano E Il Braccio: Comparing Italian Immigrant Communities In Louisiana And Florida, 1880-1914, Keith Richards

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Italian immigration patterns to Louisiana and Tampa, FL have received a good deal of scholarly attention as two separate phenomena, but they are better understood as informing one another in the evolution of southern thought in regard to Italian immigrants. Italians were the second largest non-black minority group behind Mexicans to be lynched, and in understanding the circumstances surrounding those acts of extrajudicial violence, a pattern is apparent. Lynchings of Italians in Louisiana emerged out of fear of the Black Hand (La Mano Nera), and the Mafia, whereas the sole incident of an Italian being lynched in Tampa occurred as …

A Transnational Look At The Modern Women, Isabella Hardesty

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Spanning forty years apart, the short story “Miss Sophia’s Diary” (1926) by Ding Ling and The Bell Jar (1963) by Sylvia Plath can speak to one another in revealing the position of women in a revolutionary new era. The two stories may be generationally and geographically distant, yet both hold a collective female consciousness in the context of the emerging modernist epoch. By examining these two pieces of literature in relation to one another, similar attitudes and stylistic trends emerge regarding the treatment of women. The common archetypes, for each respective time and country, imprinted onto women are at some …

Doctors And "Dopefiends": Perspectives On The U.S Opiate Crisis, 21st Century, John C. Foerster

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This article examines the socio-political intricacies of the United States Opiate Crisis. By first addressing the pharmaceutical origins of Oxycontin and its pain relief benefits within the United States, I construct a framework by which a conversation about substance abuse can move forward. Within the first chapter I provide background into the arguments for medicalization against personal responsibility as it relates to opiate withdrawal and seeking treatment for the prior. Furthermore, I include subheadings to further provide insight into Medically Assisted Treatment Centers and their function on the local level. I contrast these modern treatment models with the Reagan War …

This Woman's Work: Corrosive Power Structures, Gendered Labor And Weariness In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale And Oryx And Crake, Taylor J. Pryor

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In her 2007 essay “Slow Death (Sovereignty, Obesity, Lateral Agency),” Lauren Berlant asserts that “in the scene of slow death, a condition of being worn out by the activity of reproducing life, agency can be an activity of maintenance” (759). This concept emphasizes the difficulty of maintaining one’s agency while experiencing chronic exhaustion, or what can be referred to as the “wearied state.” Utilizing Berlant’s theoretical framework, this thesis investigates the concept of weariness in two dystopic texts: Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) and Oryx and Crake (2003). The respective protagonists of The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake …

Visual Rhetorics And Rally Signs: A Study Of Feminist Theory And Progression, Rachel Casey

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research explores the current directions of the U.S. Women's Movement and the beliefs encompassed by 21^st century feminism through a study of participant rally signs displayed at the 2020 Women's March on Washington. Currently, there is much ambiguity surrounding the values for which feminism stands and further contestation about whether a U.S. Women's Movement exists at all. This study examines public feminist activism in an established social rally to extrapolate goals of the present women's agenda and underlying manifestations of feminist philosophy. Through analysis of personal messages and examination of feminist directions, further implications concerning rational dialogue and …

Macho Remixes: A Collection Of Writings, Daniel A. Hernandez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Macho Remixes: A Collection of Writings is a thesis containing short stories, poetry, and a personal essay that discuss the matter of toxic masculinity through the representations of male and macho sexuality in the Latinx culture. It covers depictions of how Latinx men have been stereotyped in today’s society. The works included here are my own perspectives of what masculinity means to me as a young multicultural male navigating life. Throughout these texts, I—my speakers and narrators—grapple with understanding the conflicting and oppressive expectations drawn from my roots, particularly those based in Latinx culture. The purpose is considering the negative …

Rethinking Causality: Thomas Aquinas' Argument From Motion & The Kalām Cosmological Argument, Derwin Sánchez Jr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Ever since they were formulated in the Middle Ages, St. Thomas Aquinas' famous Five Ways to demonstrate the existence of God have been frequently debated. During this process there have been several misconceptions of what Aquinas actually meant, especially when discussing his cosmological arguments. While previous researchers have managed to tease out why Aquinas accepts some infinite regresses and rejects others, I attempt to add on to this by demonstrating the centrality of his metaphysics in his argument from motion. Aquinas cannot be properly understood or debated with a contemporary view of causality, but rather must wrestle with the concepts …

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Echoes: Digital Political Discourse And Vectors Of Ideological Propagation, Devon Razey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study analyzes the discursive strategies used by participants in online non-political spaces to negotiate and propagate political ideologies. Through the use of Critical Discourse Analysis in rhetorical studies (Huckin et. al.), this study produced a theory of political ideological vectors in digitally connective social network platforms. The analysis uses discussions taken from Twitter and Reddit surrounding the introduction of an Asian female character, Nagini, in the Fantastic Beats: Crimes of Grindelwald trailer immediately following its release in September 2018. Ultimately, this study found that participants are less likely to isolate themselves within politically congenial echo chambers than previously theorized …