Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Increased Salinity On Mississippi Coast Bacterial Community Composition And Diversity, Clifton C. Wade

Honors Theses

Bacterial communities are important to ecosystem function in coastal environments, but the response of these communities to short term increased salinity conditions is understudied. This study utilized a microcosm setup to investigate the response of coastal seawater bacterial communities to three treatments: an unamended seawater control, a reference treatment that received reverse osmosis (RO) water, and an elevated salinity treatment that received artificial seawater dissolved in RO water. Microcosms were sampled four times over a five-day period to analyze the effects of time under different salinity conditions on the seawater bacterial community. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze …

Nutrilog: Design And Development Of A Full-Stack Web Application For Holistic Health Tracking, Jaromir J. Saloni

Honors Theses

NutriLog is a web-based fitness and nutrition tracking application designed to help users record, organize, and interpret personal health data in one centralized platform. Many existing applications focus primarily on either nutrition tracking or exercise performance, which can make it difficult for users to understand how food intake and physical activity interact. NutriLog addresses this gap by combining food logging, exercise logging, calorie adjustment, nutrition summaries, and historical tracking into a single dashboard-based interface.

The application was developed using React and TypeScript for the frontend and Supabase for authentication, database storage, and user-specific data management. Nutrition data is supported through …

Ballistics Characterization Of Micro-Truss Reinforced Lunar-Inspired Geopolymer Concrete For Space Construction, Phoebe G. Johnson

Honors Theses

This research investigates the ballistics response and compressive strength of a Fly Ash/ Lunar Regolith hybrid geopolymer concrete developed for space construction. The study aimed firstly to optimize the Fly Ash/ Regolith mix ratio for maximum mechanical performance and secondly, to evaluate the effectiveness of carbon-fiber micro-truss reinforcement, produced by 3D printing, in mitigating damage from high-velocity impacts. Concrete specimens with varying Fly Ash-to-Regolith ratios (100-50% Fly Ash) were fabricated and tested under compression and ballistic loading. Compressive strength tests followed ASTM C109 using a 110 Kip 810-MTS testing apparatus on both unreinforced and reinforced 2” cubes. For unreinforced samples, …

Development Of A Putting Green Manufacturing Process, Avalon R. Madden

Honors Theses

Our Capstone project investigates the end to end design, development, and production of a 6‑foot long portable putting green marketed for individuals seeking a high quality, competitively priced golf product for home or office use. The capstone project examines the full lifecycle of product creation applying manufacturing principles learned through the center of manufacturing’s coursework. From the initial concept through engineering design, market research, prototyping, manufacturing optimization, and final production the project emphasizes cross‑functional collaboration across engineering, business, and accountancy majors. Methods used to gather data included marketing surveys, CAD drawings, time studies during production runs, value stream mapping, and …

Consumer Reaction To Olympic Sponsorships, Bailey R. Wood

Honors Theses

The Olympic Games are the world’s premier sporting event, hosting athletes from 206 countries every four years. The Ancient Games date back over 3,000 years in what is now modern-day Greece. The “Classical Games” consisted of a single foot race, the “stade,” and eventually grew to include long-distance running, wrestling, long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw (Abrahams, n.d.). Now, the Games are split into summer and winter sports, with the Summer Olympic hosting 329 medal events and the Winter Olympics 116. Due to the size and magnitude of this event, the Olympic Games are broadcast all over the world, …

Peace Agreements, Provisions, And Profit: How Peace Agreement Provisions Impact Foreign Direct Investment Inflows, Wendi M. Sheehan

Honors Theses

There are many provisions that post-civil war states may include in peace treaties. This paper seeks to analyze the inclusion of three specific provisions– political power sharing and political institutions, rule of law/property rights, and infrastructure and reconstruction– and their impact on the resulting foreign direct investment inflows into a post-conflict nation over the course of ten years. I hypothesize that states that include one or more of these provisions will subsequently experience higher FDI inflows. To test this theory, I used the peace agreement information from the PA-X Peace Agreements dataset and FDI inflow information from the United Nations’ …

Controlling Fiscal Destiny: Evaluating The Effect Of State Tax Composition On Resilience During Defined Shock Period, Calloway R. Bills

Honors Theses

State governments operate under strict fiscal constraints that limit their ability to respond to economic downturns through borrowing or monetary policy, making tax composition a key determinant of fiscal stability. This paper evaluates how variation in state tax revenue composition affects fiscal resilience during economic shocks, focusing on the Great Recession. While prior research shows that individual tax instruments differ in cyclicality, less is known about how overall tax structure shapes revenue performance during and after shocks. Using a panel dataset of U.S. states from 1988 to 2024, this study measures resilience through two outcomes: the magnitude of revenue decline …

Developing Spanish-Language Campus Tours To Enhance Accessibility And Competitive Recruitment At The University Of Mississippi, Caitlyn E. Culpepper

Honors Theses

This thesis proposes and outlines an initiative that would bring Spanish-language campus tours and visit resources to the University of Mississippi, increasing accessibility to the campus visit experience while also providing institutional benefits within a competitive recruitment landscape. Through a review of current literature on Hispanic/Latino students in higher education, institutional enrollment and recruitment data, comparative research on peer institutions, and conversations with university professionals, this project explores the role that language accessibility, family engagement, and campus visits play in the college decision-making process.

Findings suggest that Hispanic/Latino students remain an underrepresented yet rapidly growing population in higher education and …

Studying More, Not Less: Rethinking Test Anxiety In Undergraduate Biology Courses, Kailey E. Reeves

Honors Theses

This study investigates the relationships among test anxiety, study behaviors, and metacognitive evaluation in undergraduate biology courses. While prior research has established that study strategies and metacognition influence academic performance, less is known about how these factors interact with test anxiety in undergraduate Biology courses. Guided by the student approaches to learning (SAL) and metacognition frameworks, this study examines whether test anxiety is associated with the type and number of study strategies students use, as well as their ability to evaluate their own learning and preparedness. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, data was collected from 205 students enrolled in …

The Impact Of Patient Navigation On The Hepatitis C Care Continuum In Underserved Populations: A Scoping Review, Deauntaye Jones

Honors Theses

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a significant public health concern and is a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation when left untreated. Although direct-acting antiviral therapies have made HCV curable for most patients, many underserved populations continue to experience barriers to diagnosis, linkage-to-care, treatment completion, and sustained virologic response (SVR). This study evaluated how patient navigation programs influence progression through the HCV care continuum among underserved populations. Relevant studies published between 2014 and 2025 were identified through searches of PubMed and Embase using terms related to HCV, patient navigation, linkage-to-care, underserved populations, and treatment outcomes. Following title, …

How Ai Governance Differs Between Regime Type, Jackson T. Guillou

Honors Theses

This thesis will examine how artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and development differ across political regime types, arguing that governance outcomes are fundamentally shaped by institutional political structures. This thesis will draw on comparative frameworks analyzing democratic and authoritarian systems. This thesis will also include case studies of the European Union, the United States of America, China, and Russia. The study finds that democratic regimes tend to emphasize transparency, accountability, and rights-based regulation of AI. This often results in slow regulation of AI, but it is more ethically legitimate and constrained. In contrast, authoritarian regimes prioritize centralized control, strategic coordination, and …

Beyond Barriers: Understanding The Struggles And Support Systems For English Language Learners In Mississippi Public Schools, Gurkirt K. Sandhu

Honors Theses

English Language Learners (ELL) make up a growing portion of Mississippi’s public school population, yet questions remain about how effectively schools are supporting their academic development. This study explores the structure and implementation of ELL programs in the state of Mississippi, with a focus on how these programs are experienced by those directly involved: ELL administrators, parents, teachers, and former ELL students. By examining both institutional practices and personal perspectives, this study aims to better understand the strengths and limitations of the present Mississippi ELL support systems. This study employed a qualitative approach to gather insights from the above-mentioned individuals …

Learning Through Play: The Effects Of Play-Based Instruction On Literacy Development, Jherica Goodgame

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of play-based learning in early literacy development, emphasizing its impact on student engagement, executive functioning, and overall academic success. Drawing from research and personal experience, it argues that play is not separate from learning but a critical component of it. This thesis also highlights the benefits of play for diverse learners and examines the challenges teachers face in implementing play-based instruction. It provides numerous examples of play-based instruction practiced in a real classroom setting with 17 students who are varying from early kindergarten to late kindergarten levels. This thesis seeks to demonstrate the importance of …

What Do We Owe A Drowning Coast? Examining Louisiana's Coastal Crisis Through The Lens Of Environmental Justice, Owen M. Plaisance

Honors Theses

This thesis argues that human contributions to Louisiana’s coastal land loss constitute a form of environmental injustice that cannot be adequately addressed through frameworks focused solely on aggregate welfare or distributive fairness. While utilitarian and Rawlsian approaches offer important insights, both are limited in capturing the full scope of harm caused by environmental degradation. In coastal Louisiana, land loss undermines not only economic resources and physical security but also the substantive freedoms required for individuals and communities to live meaningful and culturally rooted lives, while disrupting ecological systems and non-human flourishing. To address these limitations, the thesis develops the Capabilities …

The Influence Of The Federalist Society On Originalism In Supreme Court Opinions, Edoardo Santopuoli

Honors Theses

This thesis will investigate the influence of the Federalist Society on the use of originalism in Supreme Court opinions. To investigate this influence, justices that served on the Supreme Court from 1994 to 2022 are categorized based on whether or not they are affiliated with the Federalist Society. Then using artificial intelligence (ChatGPT version 5.3), ten Supreme Court opinions known to be originalist are used as a baseline for artificial intelligence to know what an originalist opinion looks like. Then, all majority opinions of the Supreme Court from that timeframe are scored from 1-10, with 10 meaning an opinion is …

A Survey Of Lichen Native To Three Of Mississippi’S National Forests, William S. Granberry Iii

Honors Theses

Lichens are a major part of the environment for telling the air quality and the impact humans have on the environment. These signs go into how many species of lichen are present in a general area, and there has been a lack of a list of lichens that call Mississippi their home. The goal of this research is to help create this list through a survey of lichen in three of Mississippi’s National Forests: DeSoto, Homochitto, and Holly Springs. These three forests are ideal because they cover differing ecosystems and are in different parts of the state, heightening the chance …

Identity, Masculinity, And Stigma: Understanding Barriers To Mental Health Care Among African American Men, Landon H. Jones

Honors Theses

African American men are documented to underutilize health care services. Although the reasons for this pattern are complex, research suggests that both historical mistrust of the medical system and sociocultural expectations of strength, rooted in intersecting racial and masculine identities, might play key roles. These same factors may also influence attitudes toward mental health care. In the study, 267 African American men were randomly assigned to listen to a brief pro-health message delivered by either an in-group community member, a religious figure, or a neutral control speaker. Participants completed measures of racial identity importance, conformity to masculine norms, anticipated stigma, …

Just War Theory And Coercive Non-Proliferation: Ethically Evaluating Nuclear Prevention Efforts, P. Walker Jacklin

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the ethics of coercively addressing non-nuclear states who are attempting to acquire nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons pose a serious danger on a global scale, so ethical analysis should balance these consequences with the coerciveness of state intervention. Just War Theory provides a useful framework that balances these considerations.  Using the criteria of Just War Theory, this thesis examines two 21st century non-proliferation operations: Operation Orchard and Operation Midnight Hammer. I find that Operation Orchard fails the criteria of Just War Theory, while Operation Midnight Hammer satisfies the criteria. Making this determination is ethically risky, however, because our …

"En Papel,” Not In Practice: Indigenous Autonomy And The Structural Barriers To Land And Resource Control In Bolivia, Andrew F. Purcell

Honors Theses

This thesis examines why Bolivia’s 2009 plurinational constitution—despite its strong recognition of Indigenous autonomy, collective territory, and prior consultation—often produces rights that remain “en papel” rather than in practice. Based on one month of fieldwork in Tumupasa, Chojasivi, La Paz, El Alto, and Santa Cruz, the study draws on interviews, participant observation, and NGO documents to analyze the structural barriers that prevent constitutional guarantees from becoming enforceable governance tools. This gap between recognition and implementation structures the central research question: why do Bolivia’s constitutional and legal protections for indigenous land and resource rights function as symbolic guarantees rather than enforceable …

Stridevision: Automated Detection Of Running Form Deviations From 2d Pose Estimation And Machine Learning, Paulina Eguibar Ortega

Honors Theses

Running gait analysis plays a critical role in injury prevention and performance optimization, however, existing approaches often rely on specialized laboratory equipment or wearable sensors with limited interpretability. Recent advances in computer vision, particularly 2D human pose estimation, enable markerless motion analysis from standard video. However, progress remains constrained by the lack of publicly available datasets designed for running form analysis.

In this work, we introduce a preliminary dataset and benchmark for stride-level running gait analysis. The dataset consists of 73 treadmill running videos from 15 participants with varying experience levels, annotated with over 4,600 stride-level labels across multiple biomechanical …

Analyzing Best Practices In Large-Scale Digital Archaeological Databases, Chloe M. Vizier

Honors Theses

Archaeological databases, the foundation of archaeological analyses, have changed drastically alongside the rise of new digital tools in the twenty-first century. Digital databases, alongside other digital tools, must therefore be evaluated for their efficiency and effectiveness within the field. This thesis seeks to determine a set of best practices within large-scale digital archaeological databases through analyzing an existing example: The Paleoindian Database of the Americas (PIDBA). PIDBA is composed of multiple state-level datasets, a trait that both invited collaboration and creates discrepancies in data entry. Though examining both PIDBA's user-facing website and one of its most robust state-level datasets, the …

Expanding Expanded Access: A Case Of Onc201 And The Ethical Limitations Of Compassionate Use, Ava C. Hutchings

Honors Theses

This study examines the ethical and structural limitations of the Expanded Access program in the United States, with particular focus on its application to terminal pediatric illness. Although the program is intended to provide patients with life-threatening conditions access to investigational therapies outside of clinical trials, its effectiveness in serving critically ill children remains uncertain. This program is analyzed through careful consideration of regulatory review and ethical theory. Key policies governing Expanded Access are examined alongside scholarly discussions of pediatric autonomy and parental authority.

A case study of ONC201, a now-approved investigational drug, is used to illustrate how Expanded Access …

Optimization And Safety Protocols For An Acetone Production Plant, Holley J. Garrison

Honors Theses

The proposed acetone production plant, scheduled for start-up in 2028, is capable of producing 3,750 kg/h of 99.9 wt% acetone. Using an endothermic catalytic dehydrogenation reaction, a feed of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is reacted to produce 30,000 metric tons per year (MT/y) of acetone. Initial design and economic analysis of this process found that this plant will not be economically viable due to its Net Present Value (NPV) of -$132M. Optimization efforts prioritized reductions in raw materials and improved product recovery. Several optimizations were performed to reduce the feed rate, including switching to the low temperature catalyst, shortening the reactor …

From The Grove Into The World: Alumni Share Advice For New Graduates, Emily Howorth

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Commencement is as much a beginning as it is an ending. When the Class of 2026 gathers to celebrate years of achievement and turn their tassels on Saturday (May 9), they will join one of the most spirited alumni communities in the country.

Jtc 26: Dismantling Barriers, Building A Village, By Jennifer Parsons

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2026 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.

Jtc 26: Making Opportunity, One Intentional Step At A Time, Whitney Woods

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2026 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.

School Of Education Alumna Begins Second Term Leading Advisory Board, Don Feitel

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Kathleen Grigsby has been reappointed to a second term as president of the University of Mississippi School of Education board of advisers.

Two Faculty Members Honored As 2026 Distinguished Professors, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi professors Barry Babin and John Bentley were recognized this week as Distinguished Professors for their devotion to training the next generation of pharmacists and business professionals.

Jtc 26: Trusting Her Gut, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2026 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.

Exploration Of Ai-Based Method Feedback For Clinical Psychology Skill Development With An Emphasis On Deliberate Practice, Beckham G. Mccord

Honors Theses

Training competent psychotherapists requires substantial time, supervision, and performance-based feedback. However, traditional methods of providing feedback are resource-intensive and difficult to sustain outside of university and research settings. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have created new opportunities to automate aspects of psychotherapy fidelity assessment and provide trainees with more frequent feedback. The present study examines the implementation of Lyssn, an AI-based psychotherapy platform that provides clinical feedback to therapists, in a graduate-level course on Evidence-Based Services. Multiple years of course data were reviewed to evaluate therapist competence, therapist behaviors, and student engagement with AI-generated feedback. Particular emphasis was placed …