Digital Commons Network^™

Tidings, Volume 4 (2026), University Of Dayton. Marian Library

Tidings: An Annual Communiqué from the Marian Library

No abstract provided.

Speech Delivery Versus Speech Content: How Do Non-Expert Audiences Assess Public Speeches?, David G. Levasseur, Elizabeth A. Munz

Basic Communication Course Annual

Public speaking classes should ideally produce students whose speeches are favorably received by an audience. Unfortunately, we actually know very little about how non-expert audiences assess such speeches. Given this information gap, the present study asked untrained public speakers to watch and rate a variety of speeches. Participants were also asked to provide qualitative comments to justify their speech ratings. These qualitative comments were content analyzed, and the content analysis results revealed that participants’ evaluative observations: (1) focused much more on speech delivery than on speech content; (2) referenced specific nonverbal channels (e.g. eye contact) more than combined nonverbal clusters …

“It Would Just Show The Teachers Don’T Care”: Exploring Student Perceptions Of Introductory Communication Courses And Instructor Value In The Ai Era, Brandi N. Frisby, Joe C. Martin, Jessalyn I. Vallade, Renee Kaufmann

Basic Communication Course Annual

As generative AI grows in popularity, so do the concerns regarding whether this technology has the capability to effectively teach written and oral communication skills, thereby affecting the perceived value students place on introductory communication courses (ICC). This study sought to address that concern by asking students to provide qualitative and quantitative responses on (a) the effect of generative AI on their development of essential communication skills, (b) the value of the ICC in the face of generative AI capabilities, and (c) perceptions of instructors’ use of generative AI for instructional responsibilities. Results highlight students’ preference for human instruction over …

In Memoriam: Kevin Sorg, Faculty In Graphic Design, Shannon Miller

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

Known for fostering an "environment that encouraged creativity," Kevin Sorg taught graphic design at UD for 12 years.

Imri Newsletter, December 2024, International Marian Research Institute

IMRI Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Theory-Practice Gap In Sales Engineering Transitions, Jack K. Doll

Honors Theses

This research paper reports the investigation of the theory-practice gap that exists for engineering graduates transitioning into sales engineering or technical sales roles. Sales engineering is the practice of employing technical knowledge to facilitate the sales process of complex engineered products and services, acting as a bridge between engineers and customers. A balance of technical knowledge and sales acumen are critical to success in these positions. To investigate this theory-practice gap, the researcher employs a mixed-method design consisting of self-assessment surveys directed at current and previous sales engineers to gauge their readiness and skills at graduation versus the skills they …

Intelligent Millimeter-Wave System For Human Activity Monitoring For Telemedicine, Abdullah K. Alhazmi, Mubarak A. Alanazi, Awwad H. Alshehry, Saleh M. Alshahry, Jennifer Jaszek, Cameron Djukic, Anna Brown, Kurt Jackson, Vamsy P. Chodavarapu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Telemedicine has the potential to improve access and delivery of healthcare to diverse and aging populations. Recent advances in technology allow for remote monitoring of physiological measures such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood glucose, and blood pressure. However, the ability to accurately detect falls and monitor physical activity remotely without invading privacy or remembering to wear a costly device remains an ongoing concern. Our proposed system utilizes a millimeter-wave (mmwave) radar sensor (IWR6843ISK-ODS) connected to an NVIDIA Jetson Nano board for continuous monitoring of human activity. We developed a PointNet neural network for real-time human activity monitoring that can …

Improving Well-Being In The Basic Course: The Impact Of Interpersonal Communication Competence And Public Speaking Anxiety On Loneliness, Belongingness, And Flourishing, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Aayushi Hingle Collier, Henri K. Huber

Basic Communication Course Annual

This study evaluated whether interpersonal communication competence and public speaking anxiety had an impact on three indicators of student well-being (loneliness, belongingness, and flourishing) as well as evaluated whether the two most popular types of the introductory communication course (public speaking and hybrid/fundamentals) impacted interpersonal communication competence and public speaking anxiety to the same extent. Survey data was collected from 1378 students enrolled in one of these two introductory communication courses. Results showed that interpersonal communication competence was the strongest predictor of all three outcome variables, and the public speaking anxiety predicted some additional variance in loneliness and belongingness, but …

Seeing Reds, Mary Kate Newman

Materials from the University of Dayton Magazine Website

How fellow University of Dayton alumni took their talents to the major leagues.

University Of Dayton Graphic Design Students Collaborate With Dayton Poet Sierra Leone On Interactive Poster Exhibit At The Hub Powered By Pnc, Kassidy Lammers

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

For Dayton poet Sierra Leone, collaborating with University of Dayton graphic design students to turn her compositions into artwork was a dream come true.

The Multi-Sensory Design Of A Synesthete's Everyday Experience, Madeline M. Spicer

Honors Theses

Perception, which can be defined as becoming aware of occurrences in the world through the senses, is different for every person (Merriam-Webster). My thesis deals with perception in the form of a condition called synesthesia and the communication of this condition using graphic design. Synesthesia is a condition that involves the involuntary crossing of the senses, resulting in multi-sensory experiences every time a synesthete absorbs the world and visible language. Utilizing the field of graphic design, I created several projects to communicate my three goals of conducting research on synesthesia, sharing what I experience every day, and educating others about …

Sustainable Stories: Linking Graphic Design And The Environment To Inform, Educate, And Inspire, Shannon M. Stanforth

Honors Theses

The importance of the field of graphic design lies in its ability to communicate with others. It can serve to transcend barriers, to clarify messages, and to deepen universal understanding. Similarly, sustainability encompasses the three spheres of the environment, society and economy—demonstrating its interconnected complexities and multifaceted applications. In pursuing my Honors Thesis, I aimed to develop a project which would reflect the ideals of sustainability while simultaneously serving to educate about the importance of caring for the natural world. Furthermore, my research explores how the disciplines of sustainability and design overlap and interact, searching to discover ways in which …

Silver Lining, Michelle Tedford

Materials from the University of Dayton Magazine Website

A handwritten letter turns into an opportunity for students to share joy and use their art for good beyond just a classroom assignment.

Our Basic Course And Communication Skills Training: The Time For Innovation Is Now (Yes, Even In A Pandemic), Suzy Prentiss

Basic Communication Course Annual

Our basic communication courses have always been important for our students. COVID-19 presents us with many challenges as well as opportunities for innovation and reflection. We can now heed the call offered by Joyce et al. in 2019 to match the skills most in demand with those we teach and infuse intentionality and value throughout our courses. As we pivot to online education and digital communication, how can we craft the basic course to provide effective communication skills training in engaging, empowering and impactful ways?

Mia Gaskey: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Mia Gaskey

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital collage
• 18 inches wide, 24 inches high

Data Augmentation Analysis In Vehicle Detection From Aerial Videos, Quynh M. Chung, Tien D. Le, Thin V. Dang, Nguyen D. Vo, Khang Nguyen, Tam V. Nguyen

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Recent growth in deep learning and computer vision has opened up many opportunities for advanced intelligent systems. While the dataset quality plays a crucial role in the training phase and also affects the performance of a model, creating a reliable and diverse dataset appears to be challenging. Therefore, data augmentation can be used as a preprocessing step with a view to tackling the problem. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive analysis on different augmentation strategies to investigate their impact on vehicle detection in top-down videos captured by drones. Our experiments show that by adding similar data, randomly rotating and …

Flyers Fight Virus With Viral Mousetrap Video, Shayleigh Frank

Materials from the University of Dayton Magazine Website

Three Flyers created a video on social distancing to stem the novel coronavirus pandemic — featuring mousetraps and ping pong balls. It has gone viral.

2020 Program: Honors Student Symposium, University Of Dayton. University Honors Program

Honors Student Symposium

In addition to research abstracts, the program contains the awardees of the following awards:

• The Patrick F. Palermo Honors Program Founders Fund
• The Daniel Arnold Memorial Scholarship
• The Berry Summer Thesis Institute
• The Clare Boothe Luce Undergraduate Research Grant Program

Communication Student Finds Success Through Ud Sinclair Academy, Ashley Junkunc

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

University of Dayton senior Natalie Schulte didn’t expect to find her academic and career paths in her own backyard. After being diagnosed in second grade with auditory disabilities, Schulte was told college wouldn’t be in her future.

Nasa Needs More Than Just Rocket Scientists, Ashley Junkunc

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

NASA needs rocket scientists, astronauts — and graphic designers to reach the stars.

Misreading The Hybrid Face: The Alienation Of Performed And Authentic Self In Danzy Senna’S Caucasia And Chang-Rae Lee’S Native Speaker, William E. Landers

Honors Theses

Race is epistemological. It shapes worldviews, conceptions of self, and interactions with society. It defines who belongs in the national community and who counts as fully human. The myth of whiteness as a homogenizing and nativist identity creates false personas around and within racialized others. These personas define non-white populations according to exclusionary stereotypes. These stereotypes, in turn, separate populations based on appearance and cultural practice. This thesis applies Critical Race Theory and comparative racialization tools to examine the historical implications of race on the conception of an authentic, or internally true, identity. These implications are illustrated by the dynamics …

2019: Adrienne Ausdenmoore, Deborah Bickford

Women of UD: 2018 to Present

During Women’s History Month, the University of Dayton Women’s Center coordinates, as an experiential learning opportunity for students, an annual exhibit highlighting the contributions women have made at the University of Dayton. Theme for 2019: Trailblazers.

Synthesizing The Current State Of The Basic Communication Course Annual: Furthering The Research Of Effective Pedagogy, Jillian Joyce, Alex Kritselis, Samantha Dunn, Cheri J. Simonds, Ben Lynn

Basic Communication Course Annual

In 2005, 16 years after the initial publication of the Basic Communication Course Annual, Hunt, Novak, Semlak, and Meyer (2005) conducted the first synthesis of research published in the Basic Communication Course Annual. Since then, the Annual has used a variety of methods to enhance our understanding of the pedagogy, learning, and assessment of the basic course. Thirteen years later, the second synthesis of the Annual adds new research topics to the conversation, evaluates trends in past content, and looks to the future of the Annual to examine the themes that will drive research over the next several …

Design Incubation Fellowship, Dave Larsen

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

University of Dayton assistant professor of graphic design and alumnus Misty Thomas-Trout '11 is working on her first publication as a professor under a 2018 Design Incubation Fellowship. The competitive award allows her to pursue a six-month research project and three-day writing workshop in New York City.

A Place Of Passage: Graphic Design And The Transformation Of Space Into Experience, Misty Thomas-Trout

‘A Place of Passage’: Supplemental materials

This book explains the story behind the artwork in the first-floor central corridor of St. Mary's Hall.

Students and faculty in a Department of Art and Design practicum course — called Ligature Studio — worked for almost two years on the project, which was completed in January 2019. The holistic design concept aimed to honor the physical and spiritual passage of individuals through time through one of UD’s oldest facilities.

'Why Don’T You Just Go Back Where You Came From?' Or 'Slight Yams': 'Pangs' Of Regret And Unresolved Ambivalence In Joss Whedon’S California, Tereza M. Szeghi, Wesley Dempster

English Faculty Publications

Joss Whedon’s two longest-running television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS) (1997-2003) and Angel (1999-2004), which together constitute the “Buffyverse,” often focus on questions about the degree to which past actions bear on one’s present moral character. Particularly in the case of reformed demons and vampires, regret for past sins weighs heavily on the present and motivates current benevolent and heroic deeds.

For the ensouled vampire Angel most especially, the need to make amends for centuries of sadistic cruelty and bloodshed stamps him with his ever brooding-personality and his nearly ceaseless attempts to balance the scales—while knowing that the scales …

A Blended Basic Course Examination Of Communication Apprehension And Self-Efficacy: A Comparative Analysis, Michael G. Strawser, Amy. L. Housley Gaffney, Allyson Devito, Sarah E. Kercsmar, Michael Pennell

Basic Communication Course Annual

Students desire rich subject-matter and relevant pedagogy despite rising tuition costs, greater demands for flexibility, and unique learning preferences (Allen & Seaman, 2014; Donnelly, Rizvi, & Summers, 2013; Reed & Sork, 2009; Moore, 2007). As higher education modalities have evolved a careful examination of these newer approaches is necessary. This study is a comparative assessment of communication apprehension and self-efficacy of students in traditional (face-to-face) and blended (face-to-face and online instructional components) basic course modalities. Parallel sections of a basic communication course are assessed and results indicated no significant differences between the two groups with minor exceptions.

Proceedings Of The 2016 Berry Summer Thesis Institute, University Of Dayton. University Honors Program

Proceedings of the Berry Summer Thesis Institute (2013-Present)

Thanks to a gift from the Berry Family Foundation and the Berry family, the University Honors Program launched the Berry Summer Thesis Institute in 2012. The institute introduces students in the University Honors Program to intensive research, scholarship opportunities and professional development. Each student pursues a 12-week summer thesis research project under the guidance of a UD faculty mentor. This contains the product of the students' research.

166th Commencement, Spring

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Orpheus, Spring 2016, University Of Dayton

Orpheus: UD's Literary and Artistic Magazine

No abstract provided.