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Cover And Front Matter, University Of Dayton. Alumni Chair In Humanities

Proceedings: 2020 Global Voices on the University of Dayton Campus

Front cover, half-title, table of contents, symposium program, presenter biographies

Who's Publishing What: Alexa's A Spy And Other Things To Be Ticked Off About, Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop

Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Blog

Syndicated humor columnist Dorothy Rosby has published her third book, "part comical call to arms and part tongue-in-cheek tirade." Essay topics range from spammers and scammers to clutter, litter and uncivil discourse.

President Spina: 'We Will Place The University's Identity, Values, Educational Mission, And Care For The Community At The Center Of Every Decision', University Of Dayton

News Releases

Over its 170 years, the University of Dayton has transformed and persevered. We were founded by four Marianist brothers in the middle of a cholera epidemic. We experienced the Great Dayton Flood of 1913 and the flu pandemic of 1918, two events that forced the campus, then known as Saint Mary’s College, to temporarily close. We’ve seen students and staff go to war, and weathered economic depressions and downturns with the Dayton community

Ensemble Malware Classification System Using Deep Neural Networks, Barath Narayanan Narayanan, Venkata Salini Priyamvada Davuluru

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

With the advancement of technology, there is a growing need of classifying malware programs that could potentially harm any computer system and/or smaller devices. In this research, an ensemble classification system comprising convolutional and recurrent neural networks is proposed to distinguish malware programs. Microsoft's Malware Classification Challenge (BIG 2015) dataset with nine distinct classes is utilized for this study. This dataset contains an assembly file and a compiled file for each malware program. Compiled files are visualized as images and are classified using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Assembly files consist of machine language opcodes that are distinguished among classes using …

Searching For Myself: Black History Majors At Ud, Maleah Wells

University Libraries Blog Archive

OhioLINK Library Leaders intern delves into the archives to find out why so few black women have majored in history at UD. The answers aren't clear.

Racial Disenfranchisement And Its Impact On Political Participation In The United States, Cierra Dei Stewart

Honors Theses

Political participation, and in particular, the power to cast a vote, is crucial to representation in a democracy. This project seeks to explore the issue of racial disenfranchisement in the United States, both historically and in the present day, as well as its implications for the political participation and representation of racial minorities in politics and government. In analyzing the broad scope of this issue, I will research both federal and state laws. Until recently, the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States coupled with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 have provided important barriers to …

Discovering Glioma Inhibitors Via Chemical-Genetic Screens In Drosophila Cancer Models, Jordan Terschluse

Honors Theses

Today, there are over 250 drugs being used to cure over 100 different types of cancer. We hypothesize that one of the drugs already being used in cancer treatment will either show positive or negative growth when applied specifically to glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor with poor prognosis. Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and 150 tyrosine kinase inhibitors, we can induce tumors and track their growth in response to the drugs. This would open the doors to researching similarities between drugs present in hundreds of chemical libraries. Additionally, the drugs that prove successful through the screenings could start …

Traditional Funk: An Ethnographic, Historical, And Practical Study Of Funk Music In Dayton, Ohio, Caleb G. Vanden Eynden

Honors Theses

Recognized nationally as the funk capital of the world, Dayton, Ohio takes credit for birthing important funk groups (i.e. Ohio Players, Zapp, Heatwave, and Lakeside) during the 1970s and 80s. Through a combination of ethnographic and archival research, this paper offers a pedagogical approach to Dayton funk, rooted in the styles and works of the city’s funk legacy. Drawing from fieldwork with Dayton funk musicians completed over the summer of 2019 and pedagogical theories of including black music in the school curriculum, this paper presents a pedagogical model for funk instruction that introduces the ingredients of funk (instrumentation, form, groove, …

Barriers Of Low Health Literacy In Achieving Informed Consent, Wyatt Kaiser

Honors Theses

For many members of lower socioeconomic classes in the United States, a routine trip to a doctor’s office can be fueled by complete fear and confusion. This is due to a variety of factors, but a major contributor is the low level of health literacy that is often associated with members of lower socioeconomic levels. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” Informed consent documents are used frequently when …

The Eastern Europe Britain Wanted: Serbian Independence As Recorded In British Newspapers, 1867, Sarah H. Eyer

Honors Theses

This is a study of Victorian British foreign policy reflected in newspapers. The study focuses on data obtained from the British response to Serbian independence in 1867. The Conservatives focused on ways to keep the balance of power in Europe. The Liberals were guided by their belief in progress and debated amongst themselves if the Balkan countries were ready to be independent nations. However, neither group knew much about Serbia or what was happening there. The newspapers reflected that Britain had little interest in what Serbia wanted but rather reflected what Britain wanted Europe to look like and how Serbia …

Youth Sport Concussion Management, Cordell J. Stover

Honors Theses

As knowledge about concussions increases and more is being discovered regarding the lasting effects of concussions, youth sport coaches need to be better informed and educated on the signs and symptoms, the management of concussions, and return-to-play procedures. This research examines what coaches of youth athletes (5-14 years of age) know about concussions and concussion management. Semi-structured interviews with coaches were conducted and analyzed in order to develop recommendations for effective training tools to help coaches identify and properly manage youth sport concussions. Results from the interviews found that coaches need more training on the long-term symptoms of concussions. The …

Patience, Young Grasshopper: Analyzing The Fungal Components Of The Grasshopper Gut Microbiome, Staci Seitz

Honors Theses

Microbes inhabit many corners of the Earth, including the intestines of all animals. These intestinal microbes, collectively called the “gut microbiome,” provide numerous nutritional and regulatory functions for the animals they live in and thus play an important role in animal health. The fungal communities in insects, specifically, play a diverse, but important role in insect physiology, as well as insect control. The goals of this project were to expand knowledge of R programming through statistical analysis of microbial ecology and to identify the fungal communities in grasshoppers to enrich our knowledge in insect fungal microbiome. Questions that we wanted …

The Effects Of Technology On Student Interest In Steam Education, Paige Elizabeth Innes

Honors Theses

In recent years, there has been a decline in interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) subjects beginning around 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Interest was monitored before and after experiencing Texas Instruments’ TI-Nspire calculators in conjunction with the TI-Innovator Hub and TI- Innovator Rover in an attempt to combat this problem. The calculators allow students to write their code and then are connected to the Hubs and Rovers to create colors and sounds on the Hub or to make the Rover move. Students begin by learning the basics of coding in this format, but they continually increase …

Compost Amendments On Urban Soils Vs. Water Retention, Anna Louise Drew

Honors Theses

This study was undertaken to investigate the impact of compost on urban soils’ ability to retain water. Data from past studies led to the development of the hypothesis that compost will increase soil’s water-holding capacity up to a certain point, but, if too much compost is present, the soil will become hydrophobic. To test this hypothesis, four treatments were chosen in the form of compost layers of increasing thicknesses (0-inch compost layer, 1-inch compost layer, 2-inch compost layer, 3-inch compost layer), and three repetitions of each treatment were randomly assigned to twelve planting plots of equal size. Kale seeds were …

Capes And Catechesis: The Use Of Comic Books To Catechize Catholic Youths, Lindsey Bronder

Honors Theses

Since the 1930s, comic books starring superheroes have been popular among youth in America. This original archival research seeks to analyze how comic books have been used in the past to catechize, or teach the Catholic faith, American Catholic youth. Using George Pfaum's comic series "Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact" (1946-1972) as an example of a Catholic comic book, this study examines and analyzes the themes and stories of the comics and how they were designed as a teaching tool. This study will also identify ways comic books can be used today as a catechetical tool.

A Language Of Silence: Analyzing The Effects Of Sexist Language On Women’S Classroom Experiences, Emily Battaglia

Honors Theses

The English language has been defined and dominated by the male voice throughout all of history. Consequently, language has played a strong role in upholding the existing patriarchal structure of society. The extent to which this affects women is still widely unaddressed in past and current research; and much of this research fails to directly address how sexist language affects women in learning environments. For my thesis, I have conducted and assessed in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 10 high school seniors and 10 college seniors. With a significant focus on female shame, silence, and self-perception, this study reveals that the language …

Investigating The Role Of The Etc In Listeria Monocytogenes During Ethanol Exposure, Amanda Fawcett

Honors Theses

To better understand how alcohol consumption negatively impacts our defenses against pathogens, I investigated how Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen that can cause serious infections, responds to ethanol exposure. More specifically, I investigated the contribution of the electron transport chain (ETC), which involves different proteins to carry out respiration, in L. monocytogenes survival in ethanol. Survival assays were performed under different physiologically relevant conditions for wildtype bacteria and mutants deficient in ETC components. I found that ETC mutants, compared to wildtype bacteria, exhibited significantly altered ethanol survival in a manner sensitive to oxygen levels. This suggests that ETC plays a …

Millions Displaced Tomorrow: A New Framework For Climate Migrants, Connor J. Lynch

Honors Theses

Millions of people are finding their livelihoods and security threatened as the effects of climate change intensify around the world. Migration as a response to the continuing ecological crisis is often the only pathway to safety. However, the future of such migrants is uncertain given the lack of mechanisms and systems to provide legal inclusion for displaced populations. In this paper, I challenge the existing international frameworks and point out the inadequacies in protecting victims of climate migration. To address these shortcomings, I suggest a new framework consisting of three features: systematic use of technology and data to determine populations …

Toward A Pa-Inhibitor Complex Crystal System: Influenza Polymerase Acidic Protein Fusion Constructs And Protein Expression, Rebecca Kramb

Honors Theses

Globally, three to five million people are afflicted on a yearly basis with serious illnesses due to influenza. In attempts to combat this epidemic, vaccines and antivirals are developed, yet they are not effective enough. The polymerase acidic protein (PA) is vital for viral replication, and inhibiting PA would potentially stop the virus from replicating. In order to inhibit PA effectively, the structure of the protein inhibition site is beneficial but has not yet been obtained because the site is blocked by another protein in crystal structures. Our solution is to fuse different proteins to PA to open up the …

Designing Fictional Spaces: Questionable Architecture That Supports Sustainable Design, Noël J. Michel

Honors Theses

This thesis presents the modeling of spaces described in short stories that are difficult to visualize. The three stories are Kafka's “The Burrow,” Borges’s “The Library of Babel” and Barthelme's “The Balloon.” Three-dimensional models were created based on the details provided by the authors in each story. Several 2-D images are then generated from these models to match specific scenes. This consideration of these works of fiction provokes the asking of several questions about the science, mathematics and engineering that underpins the stories. In all cases, questions about sustainability arise.

This manuscript is divided into three parts to correspond to …

Angry Tweets And Interest Groups, Sean Newhouse

Honors Theses

Social media have become a primary vehicle through which interest groups have sought influence on the U.S. political system. While the relationship between social media and politics has been studied, little research has been conducted into which posts, specifically from interest groups, receive the most public feedback. Through a content analysis, I coded more than 2,000 tweets from two pairs of diametrically opposed interest groups according to the type of language that was employed in the tweet (argumentative, agreeable, action-oriented) and the multimedia that was utilized (plain, photo, link, video). Tweets with argumentative language tended to receive more likes, retweets, …

Donald Trump’S ‘Presidential’ Rhetoric For The Wall: The Mobilization Of ‘Crisis’ Rhetoric On Behalf Of A Campaign Promise, Nicole Perkins

Honors Theses

Historically, Oval Office addresses in the United States have been given by presidents to unify the nation after a crisis. For example, George W. Bush gave an Oval Office address after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and Barack Obama delivered an Oval Office address after the San Bernardino shooting on December 6, 2015. On January 8, 2019, Donald Trump delivered his only Oval Office address to date in response to an “immigration crisis.” This crisis, according to Trump, can only be averted with the construction of a wall at the United States’ southern border. This presentation applies Barbara …

“When You’Re Done … You’Re Still Part Of Our Family”: An Exploration Of Gendered Scripts And Relationships In Prison Reentry Programs, Ruth Schultz

Honors Theses

Historically, the criminal justice system has been primarily composed of men; this lack of diversity led services to see offenders as an almost genderless category. The demographics of the criminal justice system has greatly changed, however. In 1990 there were 43,845 women under the jurisdiction of state and correctional authorities in the US (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1995). As mass incarceration took hold in the United States, this population more than doubled; by 2017 the number of incarcerated women grew to 111, 360 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2019). Mass incarceration has led to an increase in rehabilitative programs and as …

“You Don’T Understand… It’S Not About Virginity”: Sexual Markets, Identity Construction, And Violent Masculinity On An Incel Forum Board, Joshua A. Segalewitz

Honors Theses

The “manosphere” is an online collection of antifeminists and men’s rights activists. Incels, short for involuntary celibates, interact in this space and have been labeled as extreme misogynists, white supremacists, and domestic terrorists. I engage with popular sociological theories of masculinity (including hegemonic, hybrid, and inclusive masculinities) to analyze dominant discourses on the website incels.is. The data for this project are comments from 100 threads randomly sampled from 4,532 total threads posted in 2018. Using a grounded theory approach, I first explore how incels think about sexuality as an economy, devising a scheme that places everyone in a sexual hierarchy …

Agency Among Linguistically Diverse Students: A Comparative Study Of Adolescent English Language Learners In Chile And The United States, Kristen Travers

Honors Theses

It is projected that there will be 1.9 billion English learners in the world by 2020. Research has also shown that there will be at least one English learner in every classroom by the year 2025. As English language learners continue to grow all across the world, so does the need for well-informed teachers who look at the holistic learning of linguistically diverse students. Adolescent students who are seeking to learn another language, need support in using language in a way that will grow their understanding of themselves and the world around them. Ideas from renowned theorists such as Lev …

Newspapers In The Transformative 1960s At The University Of Dayton, Brendan Zdunek

Honors Theses

This honors thesis focuses on the University of Dayton during the 1960s when the university transitioned from a small, parochial Catholic college to a larger, more secular institution. This change was rooted in much wider transformations taking place in both the Catholic community and broader society during the decade. During this period of transition, two major groups, Dayton residents and University of Dayton students, had differing opinions on the transition. Campus and city newspaper coverage of key debates helped shape public opinion. This thesis examines how the local Dayton Daily News and the University of Dayton student newspaper, Flyer News, …

The New Me-Normal, Steve Eskew

Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Blog

Isolation generates new and gloomy challenges. And to fight gloom, it's best to be bizarre. As the entire planet reinvents herself, I'm doing likewise. But, in truth, self-reinvention has been a constancy of mine all my life. Is this my new heyday?

A Dayton, Ohio, Community Casts Two Challenging Questions: Why Does Africa Matter? Why Care About Cameroon’S Anglophone Crisis?, Julius A. Amin

Proceedings: 2020 Global Voices on the University of Dayton Campus

Certainly, this topic sounds important, even if it also sounds a bit overwhelming. That word global can seem intimidating, particularly when even the local challenges us. But this evening I hope to narrow the globe down and speak about Africa, and about the ongoing Anglophone Conflict in Cameroon. My hope is to show how and why the African Continent and Cameroon matter to us in this room and beyond.

Doc 2007-05 Processes And Procedures Of The Academic Senate, University Of Dayton. Academic Senate

Senate Governing Documents

DOC 2007-05 Processes and Procedures of the Academic Senate of the University of Dayton.

Why The Symposium On Global Voices Remains Relevant In Campus And Local Community Discourse, Joann Wright Mawasha, Furaha Henry-Jones, Ernesto Rosen Velásquez, Bernard Jones Jr.

Proceedings: 2020 Global Voices on the University of Dayton Campus

In this session, panelists addressed the question of relevance and importance of global awareness on college campuses and beyond. They approached the topic through different disciplinary and professional lenses as they discussed a wide array of experiences. Their presentations more fully humanized the impact of global awareness and raised questions and challenges that were vital to the overall symposium conversation.