Digital Commons Network^™

Climate Change In Mississippi: A Journalistic Exploration Of Education And Activism, Kala Nance

Honors Theses

Climate Change in Mississippi: A Journalistic Exploration of Education and Activism takes an investigative, journalistic approach toward climate change in Mississippi. Specifically, how education and awareness have a direct impact on Mississippi industries, people and legislation. The project explored the level of acknowledgement of climate change across the state, and how certain individuals used advocacy to encourage education about climate change to raise awareness of the severity of the situation. This project includes interviews with university professors and researchers, non-profit organizations, educational groups and working individuals in some of Mississippi’s largest areas of employment. Additionally, this project draws on research …

Manipulative, Dark, And Unethical Design Practices In Ui & Ux Design, Ryan Edward Brown

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the pervasive and detrimental effects of manipulative user interface and user experience design (UI/UX) practices on individuals and society. Focusing on three critical areas – accessibility, dark patterns, and polarization – the study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a comprehensive literature review, an analysis of specific design patterns and methods, and a survey of user experiences.
The literature review covers topics such as the importance of accessibility in design education, the prevalence of dark patterns in mobile and desktop sites, the role of personalization algorithms in shaping user experiences, and the formation of echo chambers …

Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes About Gender, Education, And Mathematical Aptitude: A Quantitative Study, Paige Barnett

Honors Theses

Females and mathematics are often not grouped together due to the gender bias surrounding the two. Perhaps attending an all-girls high school has instilled a higher level of confidence in me and my mathematical abilities than many females exhibit. The focus of my research is to examine preservice elementary teachers for their confidence levels in mathematics, as well as if they hold a form of unconscious gender bias. I completed this research by developing a six-question survey instrument. The survey was administered in the Spring and Fall of 2023 Math 245 and Math 245 classes. Both are required math courses …

Morality In Mississippi Science Education: The Impact Of Instruction On Moral Conviction And Emotions Regarding Genetic Engineering, Emily Jenkins

Honors Theses

Moral convictions have been shown to impact learning about science topics, but there exists a gap in literature about whether education on the mechanisms of DNA technologies, such as the recently developed CRISPR-Cas9 system, can affect moral convictions and emotions regarding its use on humans. To investigate this relationship, we examined the results of how three-hundred and fifty-three introductory psychology students at the University of Mississippi rated their moral convictions and emotions on the subject before and after engaging with instructional material. The results indicated that a majority of participants originally had no position (48.2%) or were morally opposed (41.6%). …

Bursting At The Seams: An Examination Of The Enrollment Changes At The University Of Mississippi, Carrol Trent Imbler

Honors Theses

Enrollment at the University of Mississippi is at an all-time high. As one of the smallest public universities within the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Ole Miss has faced many changes within the past few years because of its growing population. This research answers the question: “How are offices and departments on campus managing their efforts to accommodate an increased number of students?” Through interviews with faculty, staff, and students on campus, I identified multiple departments who had to adjust their usual practices. These include housing, parking and transportation, advising offices within each school, admissions, and other student services. All these factors …

An Analysis Of Accounting Principles: A Case Study On 3d Systems Corporation, Kelsey Mayhan

Honors Theses

This anthology of cases was completed during my junior year at the University of Mississippi. Working both in a group and individually, I conducted research on various topics related to the accounting profession and how they relate to 3D Systems Corporation and its financials. I spoke through the findings with accounting professionals on a regular basis, and at the end of the semester defended those results to my classmates and professionals in a final presentation.

Social Justice Education And The Ela Classroom: A Love Letter To My Future Teaching, Azurrea Curry

Honors Theses

Social justice education can be defined in part as the equitable treatment and care of all students, as all have the right to education. It requires that we examine oppression and unjust systems to develop awareness of injustice in our lives, institutions, and overall society. Social justice education aims to develop empathy and tools for activism in order to teach students (and teachers) how to radically and positively interrupt oppressive patterns and behaviors in the world around us. Social justice education must work co-curricularly with statewide standards. Furthermore, it must also be rooted in the personal reflection of educators as …

Synthesis And Analysis Of A Novel Magnetic Surfactant, Donovan Turpin

Honors Theses

Researchers in the University of Mississippi Chemical Engineering Department have suggested that chelation of a large magnetic transition metal, namely dysprosium, into the large polar head group of a surfactant could result in a magnetic surfactant. This project was aimed at synthesizing a surfactant with a large enough head group and negative charge (specifically EDTA) to support this ion and demonstrating that the chelation process was successful. If so, the molecule would ideally be capable of forming micelles which could extract oily substances from water using a strong magnet—possibly applicable to environmental crises like oil spills.

NMR analysis has suggested, …

A Comparison Of Assessment Experiences Between Standards-Based Practices And Traditional Practices Within Secondary Mathematics Classrooms, Emily Mayes

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to compare assessment experiences and find ways to improve those experiences for students in two mathematics classrooms: one classroom that employs Standards-Based Grading and one classroom that uses traditional grading practices. The research examines students’ perceptions regarding their level of preparation, their anxiety levels surrounding assessment, the validity of assessments, and using assessments and grading practices to give accurate indications of student progress in their learning, given the students’ perceptions. Students in both settings voluntarily and anonymously participated in completing pre- and post-assessment free-response surveys which asked questions about students’ assessment experiences. This research …

Theoretical Spectroscopic Predictions Of Electronically Excited States, Noah R. Garrett

Honors Theses

The quest for faster computation of anharmonic vibrational frequencies of both ground and excited electronic states has led to combining coupled cluster theory harmonic force constants with density functional theory (DFT) cubic and quartic force constants for defining a quartic force field (QFF) utilized in conjunction with vibrational perturbation theory at second order (VPT2). This work shows that explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory at the singles, doubles, and perturbative triples level [CCSD(T)-F12] provides accurate anharmonic vibrational frequencies and rotational constants when conjoined with any of B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, BHandHLYP, PBE0, and ωB97XD for roughly one-quarter of the computational time of the …

Jtc 24: Trailblazer On The Main Stage, Jennifer Parsons

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2024 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

Data Science Degree Program Aims To Address Industry Demand, Erin Garrett

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Recognizing the increasing need for data-savvy professionals, the University of Mississippi School of Engineering is launching a new Bachelor of Science degree program in data science.

05.06.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Library Faculty Win NIH Award, Uniform Guidance Updates,

From Cypherpunks To Congress: A Historical Analysis Of The Development, Uses, And Regulatory Landscape Of Cryptocurrencies, Andrew Moore

Honors Theses

As cryptocurrencies have begun to proliferate through the economy policymakers are asking questions of where they came from, how do they work, what they are used for and how should we regulate the market. Through a historical analysis, it can be seen that Bitcoin represented a legitimate innovation in money and provided significant improvements to earlier attempts at private commodity currency. Additionally, many of the criticisms lobbied against Bitcoin appear to be overstated, most notably the claim that it is a good tool for criminals. However, there has been a notable split in the market. The emerging crypto industry bears …

Jtc 24: A Tear Of Fate, Kayla Vonburg King

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2024 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

An Examination Of Products That University Of Mississippi Students Consume For Managing Their Stress, Kiersten Rickard

Honors Theses

Students are notoriously one of the most stressed groups in our society. Stress is a complex topic; causes, mitigation methods, and manifestations of stress all vary in an individual. Being that stress is an universal experience, this research capitalizes on the importance of stress and the methods used to mitigate stress. This study looks at, among other ideas, stress on the University of Mississippi campus in regards to demographics and the products (caffeine, sleep aids, over the counter medicines, stress supplements, and CBD) that students use. Results demonstrate that, overall, higher stress levels correlate to higher product usage rates. The …

04.29.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Locating ORSP training in Blackboard, Marta Panickar, MS Aerospace and Defense Symposium, NSF Common Forms in SciENcv

Jtc 24: Playing The Long Game, Megan Black

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2024 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

College Of Liberal Arts Annual Awards Ceremony, 2024, Lee Cohen, University Of Mississippi. College Of Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts Awards

The College of Liberal Arts presented awards to its faculty, staff, students, and alumni in the Gertrude C. Ford Center Student Union Ballroom.

Methods For Computing Rovibrational Spectral Data With Applications To Inorganic Oxides And Hydrocarbons, Alexandria Watrous

Honors Theses

Computational chemistry focuses on finding solutions to the time-independent Schrödinger equation for systems of interest to study their molecular properties such as rovibrational spectral data. Any molecule containing more than one electron cannot be solved explicitly but coupled cluster theory offers one of the best approximations. One such application of this method is to molecules of astrochemical interest to support observation and experimental data. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 look at the performance of new couple cluster theory methods including composite and hybrid methods for ground and excited state rovibrational data. Chapters 5 - 9 use the previously mentioned methods …

Past Meets Present For Museum Project Manager, Rebecca Lauck Cleary

Blog Posts

Greta Koshenina combines passions for ancient Rome and the modern South Like most 18-year-olds, Greta Koshenina came to the University of Mississippi unclear of what she wanted to do with her life. But through her studies in the College of Liberal Arts and at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, she discovered her

Past Meets Present For Museum Project Manager, Rebecca Lauck Cleary

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Like most 18-year-olds, Greta Koshenina came to the University of Mississippi unclear of what she wanted to do with her life. But through her studies in the College of Liberal Arts and at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, she discovered her interests and turned them into a full-time position at the University Museum.

04.15.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

DMP Tool, Jeff Neal, new training module: Budget Basics, new policy Maligned Foreign Talent Recruitment

Alumna Commits Major Gift To Honors College, Tina H. Hahn

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Janet Jones Pilko, of Houston, Texas, and Park City, Utah, is investing a $1.5 million planned gift in the future of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi.

Examining Confidence In Scientific Literacy Amongst General Biology And General Chemistry Students, Amy Sullivan

Honors Theses

Scientific literacy is a term used to describe a person’s ability to understand scientific concepts, read and write those concepts, and link those concepts to situations outside of the classroom in order to make informed decisions in their daily lives. This research paper details a study observing how scientific literacy confidence varies among general biology and chemistry students at the University of Mississippi. The goal of this research is to determine if students in general biology and chemistry classes will have similar self-reported confidence in their science literacy. This research took place at the University of Mississippi amongst Biology 160/161 …

04.08.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Nature Masterclasses Overview, Mary Lea McMillan, Cost Transfer Policy, NSF Author and Allocation citing

Lackey Endowment Promotes Graduate Studies In Mathematics, Bill Dabney

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – With a $100,000 gift, University of Mississippi alumnus Ken Lackey, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and his wife, Carol, hope to enhance the university's R1 mission by supporting doctoral stipends for students in the Department of Mathematics.

Goldwater Scholars Set Sights On Biomedical Research, Erin Garrett

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Two University of Mississippi students have been recognized as Goldwater Scholars for their dedication to pursuing biomedical research.

Engr 691: Trustworthy Machine Learning, University Of Mississippi. School Of Engineering

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Nhm 728: Advanced Survey Data Analysis, Yunhee Chang

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.