Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Green: Re-Reading "Wicked" As Anthropological Text, Tan Gia Bao Huynh

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This paper examines "Wicked" through the lens of cultural borderlands, revealing how the musical dramatizes the creation and navigation of social boundaries. By analyzing Elphaba's journey, the research demonstrates how her green skin serves as a powerful metaphor for cultural otherness, while her experiences at Shiz University and beyond illustrate strategies of resistance, accommodation, and identity formation familiar to those navigating between dominant and marginalized spaces. Particularly significant is the paper's examination of Oz's propaganda system, which demonstrates how cultures manufacture monsters and heroes through selective storytelling and public ritual. This analysis offers fresh insights into "Wicked's" enduring appeal, suggesting …

Identifying And Prioritizing Habitat For Ring-Necked Pheasants (Phasianus Colchicus) Conservation In Nebraska, Allison Joy Barg

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

As competing demands grow on agricultural landscapes, optimizing land use for economic and environmental benefit is crucial. A key way to improve conservation outcomes on working lands is to strategically target conservation efforts to land that is likely to provide the maximum benefit; however, this approach requires sufficient data to predict the outcomes of varying management decisions. Ring-necked pheasants are a recreationally and economically valuable species that were historically abundant in the agricultural regions of North America. The intensification and simplification of farm systems over the last half century have caused pheasant populations to decline, and while conservation programs such …

The Effect Of Cerebral Somatosensory Network Priming On Language Function In Chronic L-Mca Ischemic Stroke: A Companion Case Study, Mandelin E. Wollesen

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Chronic aphasia following a left middle cerebral artery (L-MCA) stroke is often associated with limited recovery beyond the acute phase, necessitating interventions that target neuroplastic mechanisms. This study examined the effects of somatosensory pneumotactile stimulation paired with cognitive-linguistic tasks on functional language performance in an individual with chronic aphasia. Using a single-subject pre-post design, the participant completed a 10-week intervention protocol involving repeated pneumotactile stimulation via the GALILEO system combined with language and motor tasks. Outcomes were assessed using standardized measures, discourse-based language samples, oral reading, repetition, and phonemic verbal fluency. Discourse was analyzed using Correct Information Units (CIUs), words …

Unl Emeriti And Retirees Association Newsletter, Spring 2019

UNL Emeriti and Retirees Association: Newsletters and Other Materials

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti and Retirees Association Newsletter, Spring 2019

Water Current, Volume 58, No. 1, Spring 2026

Water Current Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Exploratory Evaluation Of Handler Performance And Processing-Related Outcomes During Cattle Handling, Morgan Marquardt

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Animals have several critical roles in society, including the production of food and fiber, and companionship. Contact with animals has been shown to benefit human physical and mental health, yet little research has investigated the impact that humans have on animals. Handler skill may considerably affect the extent to which humans influence animal health and wellbeing, and this may be a critical consideration for animal agriculture. Objective assessment of cattle handler skill has received limited attention in the scientific literature, despite its importance to human safety and animal welfare. When compared to less skilled handlers, highly skilled cattle handlers may …

Factors Influencing Sex-Based Movement Patterns In The Banded Garden Spider, Argiope Trifasciata (Forskal, 1776), Brandon R. Marrone

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Movement is a fundamental ecological process shaping how individuals acquire mates, secure resources, and navigate heterogeneous landscapes. In species with extreme sexual size dimorphism (eSSD), such as the orb‑weaving spider Argiope trifasciata, males and females are predicted to experience different movement pressures driven by their reproductive roles. This thesis examines how individual traits and environmental conditions jointly influence movement across both sexes. Across two field seasons, we used intensive mark–recapture methods to quantify natural movement patterns of males and females within mapped prairie plots. The first chapter tested long‑standing predictions gravity hypothesis, which posits that smaller males benefit from …

Monitoring Terrestrial Ecosystem Productivity Using Hyperspectral Satellite Data, Serge Tuyambaze

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Accurate estimation of terrestrial Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is critical for quantifying global carbon sequestration and understanding the terrestrial carbon cycle. While eddy covariance (EC) towers provide standard flux measurements, upscaling these measurements to continuous global coverage remains challenging due to the sparse distribution of flux towers and their small footprints. Remote sensing (RS), especially coupled with eddy covariance data, has been used to estimate GPP at the global scale. Different RS derived productivity models have been developed, including vegetation indices, light use efficiency (LUE) models, solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), dynamic global vegetation models (DGVM), and machine learning. One widely adapted …

Detection And Quantification Of Allergen Cross-Contact In Shared Frying Oil Using Targeted Mass Spectrometry, Francisca Asigri

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cow’s milk and egg allergies are prevalent IgE-mediated food allergies that pose significant public health concerns worldwide. Although strict avoidance remains the primary management strategy, unintended exposure can still occur through allergen cross-contact, particularly in commercial and industrial food operations that utilize shared frying oils. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify allergen transfer in shared frying oil and assess the robustness of existing targeted mass spectrometry methods (LC-MS/MS) for detecting milk and egg proteins in heated oil matrices.

Heated oil spikes were developed by incorporating non-fat dry milk (NFDM) and whole egg powder (WEP) into oil …

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter Newsletter, Issue #69 Spring 2026

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter: Newsletters

President's message, Dustin Loy

Undergraduate Scholarship Awards

2026 Chapter Officers and Committees

Faculty Awards

Membership info and dues form

Grad Student Scholarship

Award of Merit

NU Foundation Fund

New Initiates

Save the Date

In Memoriam:
Kara Daye Heideman (March 31, 1980-December 11, 2025)
L. Dale Van Vleck (June 11, 1933-December 23, 2025)
James (Jim) Eugene Specht (September 12, 1945-February 13, 2026)
Irvin Thomas Omtvedt (June 12, 1935-April 6, 2026)
Fayrene L. Hamouz (June 6, 1946-April 8, 2026)
Robert L. Raun (April 22, 1928-April 22, 2026)

The Relationship Of Concussion And Alcohol Use: An Investigation Into Intervening Cognitive Mechanisms, Alexi Cranford

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and alcohol use are common and pervasive issues in society today. Alcohol use is frequently linked with brain injury even in its mildest form, concussion, also known as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The brain’s reward system has been shown to be involved in alcohol and substance use behaviors, and a neural basis has been demonstrated to underlie reactivity to alcohol cues. Learning theories such as classical and operant conditioning can also help conceptualize how these relationships develop. Reward sensitivity and executive functioning (particularly decision-making skills) are cognitive processes that may moderate the relationship between brain …

Effect Of Novel Antimicrobial Compounds On Fungal And Bacterial Pathogens, Megan Wilderman

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern in medicine¹ leading to a need for the development of novel compounds. Two compounds were tested in this study, 2-hydroxyethylhydrazine (HEH) and para-nitrophenyl-isocyanide (NPIC). HEH targets phosphatidylcholine (PC) production², and NPIC targets mitochondrial function³. Choline (Cho) is a compound that bypasses the inhibition of HEH through the Kennedy pathway.² Two-fold serial dilutions were conducted in 96-well plates to test the sensitivity of different bacteria to HEH and fungi to HEH and NPIC in different media types. A choline condition was also included in the HEH dilutions to test …

Interview With Orca Award Winner David Hage, Unl Chemistry; Drug-Protein Interactions, Mark Griep, David Hage

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Prof. David Hage was awarded the ORCA in 2018. He was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and earned a bachelor’s in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. Next, he earned a doctorate from Iowa State University and did postdoctoral work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In 1989, he joined UNL as an assistant professor of chemistry and quickly rose through the ranks. He has won many awards and, for the past 13 years, has been the James Hewet University Professor of Chemistry. Allow me to share some remarkable facts about Dave before we get into …

Extending The Geometric Phase To Relativistic Spacetime, Sajid Raihan Akash

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Berry phase [3] is traditionally understood as a geometric phase acquired during cyclic adiabatic evolution, often interpreted as the flux of an effective “magnetic field” through a solid angle in parameter space. In this thesis, we investigate situations in which a geometric phase arises even when no spatial solid angle is enclosed, revealing the limitations of the standard purely spatial interpretation. We first review the Berry phase for a spin-½ particle in a slowly varying magnetic field and analyze scenarios in which the system’s eigenstate is changed during the adiabatic evolution. We show that the resulting phase can be …

Louisiana Species Of The Genus Xestia Hübner And The Genus Agnorisma Lafontaine, Vernon Antoine Brou Jr., Charlotte Dozar Brou

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

We address three species of the genus Xestia Hübner recorded for the state of Louisiana: Xestia dilucida (Morrison), Xestia elimata (Guenée) and Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus), and we also address new state capture records for Agnorisma badinodis (Grote) and Agnorisma bollii in Louisiana.

Understanding Agtech Adoption: Evidence From The Farm Tech Adoption Challenge 2025, Ankit Chandra, Mark Stone

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

The Farm Tech Adoption Challenge (FTAC) examined how farmers evaluate emerging agricultural technologies through structured interactions with startups. Farmers assessed solutions based on their on-farm challenges and indicated adoption decisions. Results showed that adoption was driven by how well technologies addressed economic pressure, risk reduction, and operational simplicity. Startups aligned with these priorities were more likely to gain traction, with five out of nine receiving farmer commitments for adoption. However, adoption also depended on clear economic value, field validation, and system integration. Overall, the findings suggest that the primary bottleneck in agtech is not the lack of relevant technologies, but …

On Sovereignty, Outer Space, And Taxation, Erika I. Scuderi

Nebraska Law Review

This Article offers a comprehensive framework for States’ taxing powers in outer space. Beginning with an analysis of the legal status of airspace and outer space, the study addresses the taxation of commercial space activities, where traditional fiscal approaches of residence-based and source-based taxation break down. The discussion ultimately centers on Article VIII of the Outer Space Treaty, on which basis the present Article proposes the “Tax Jurisdiction by Registration Principle,” arguing that the act of registering a space object provides a legal basis for taxing income derived from its use. In doing so, the Article provides for a potential …

Let Them All Grow: Protecting Nebraska's Intersex Youth From Medical Intervention, Jori Peters

Nebraska Law Review

The Nebraska Legislature passed the Let Them Grow Act on May 22, 2023, which prohibits minors from receiving gender-affirming care in Nebraska. This Note argues that the Act violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it exempts intersex children—those born with ambiguous sex characteristics—from protections against unnecessary, irreversible, and nonconsensual medical procedures, while the Act protects those born with clearly male and female sex characteristics. This Note clarifies the distinction between the issues faced by intersex individuals and transgender individuals, and highlights the psychological and physical harms of early sex assignment surgeries. Further, this Note outlines the …

Three Butterfly Genera Across The Central Texas Suture Zone, Qian Cong, Jing Zhang, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Genome-scale analyses of butterfly specimens across the Central Texas Suture Zone revealed that several taxa currently treated as subspecies exhibit genomic differentiation similar to that observed between species. Further investigation and genomic sequencing of additional specimens from across the ranges of these taxa support this conclusion and result in the following changes to nomenclature and taxonomy. Two new subspecies of Nymphalidae Rafinesque, 1815 are described: Asterocampa louisa monterra Grishin, ssp. n. (type locality in Mexico: Nuevo León) and Asterocampa clyton plana Grishin, ssp. n. (type locality in USA: Texas, Denton Co.). The following taxa are recognized as species, not subspecies: …

Metabolic Responses To Freund’S Adjuvants And Oncolytic Viruses: Implications On Vaccines And Tumor Immunity, Kiruthiga Mone

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Freund’s adjuvants have been extensively used in experimental research, and they modulate immune responses through various mechanisms. While both complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) and incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (IFA) contain the same mineral oil base, CFA contains the killed extract of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) as an additional ingredient. Because the CFA contains mycobacterial content similar to that of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), which induces trained immunity (TI), we tested the hypothesis that CFA may elicit TI-like features. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming induced by CFA, with IFA and BCG as controls, in inbred …

Beneath The Northern Sky: A Family’S Story Of Faith, Work, And Loss In 19th Century East Friesland. A Generational Narrative For Descendants Of East Frisian Immigrants., Derek M. Heeren

Genealogy Resources

Beneath the Northern Sky traces the quiet endurance of one East Frisian family as they live, labor, and worship along the lowlands of northwest Germany in the early nineteenth century. At the center of the story stands Wessel Heeren, a farmer and shipmaster whose days move between the ledgers of the farm, the rhythms of the Gulfhaus, and the waterways that connect his village to the wider world for trade. Alongside his wife Foske and their growing family, Wessel navigates a life defined by faithful attention to land, to kin, to church, and to a tradition of self-governance known …

Spatial Variability Of Nitrates And Nitrogen Mineralization Kinetics And Their Effects In Long-Term Tillage Systems, Bibash Rokaya

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nitrogen (N) and water management are essential for water quality protection and crop production. However, soil N and water are spatiotemporally variable. Soil water spatial dependencies are described in the literature with known associations with preferential flows among other factors. In contrast, a knowledge gap exists on the spatial dependence of soil N mineralization kinetics. We hypothesize that soil N mineralization kinetics and soil water have distinct and cross-correlated spatial characteristics among soil management practices and climatic regions. For the field study, we measured soil-N mineralization kinetics, volumetric water content (VWC), and a suite of soil properties along ~70 m …

The Social And Biological Frontiers Of Polio: Comparing Global Eradication Strategies, Srisai A. Turangi

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the divergent global strategies for poliomyelitis (polio) eradication, examining the historical and structural contexts of developed nations – the United States and United Kingdom – alongside the enduring challenges in endemic regions such as Nigeria and Pakistan. Biomedical innovations like the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) have helped bring the world to a state of almost complete global eradication, but progress is still uneven due to variations in funding, healthcare infrastructure, and the legacy of colonialism. Studies reveal how a framework where global health inequalities remained, allowed for resource-rich …

Evaluation Of Publicly Available Maize Germplasm Adaptation To Environments In Nebraska, Garrett Snodgrass

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Publicly available maize germplasm represents an important resource for breeding programs seeking to expand genetic diversity and improve hybrid performance. However, effective use requires characterization of per se phenotypic performance of parental lines and evaluation of the parental line’s hybrid progeny adaptation to a given target population of environments. Furthermore, understanding population structure and heterotic grouping is imperative for maximizing efficiency of breeding decisions. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate phenotypic performance of parental lines and hybrids across environments in Nebraska, and to (2) refine heterotic group classification of parental lines within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Hybrid …

Comparison Of Analytical Techniques From The Extraction Of Bioactive Compounds From Kratom, Curry, Ginger, And Turmeric, Riley Bruno

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Plants, herbs, and spices have been used as medicines for thousands of years. Early civilizations often attributed healing properties of plants to magical or divine forces. However, as chemistry and analytical technology advanced between the 16th and 18th centuries, scientists began to understand that bioactive compounds within the plants actually caused these effects. Today, natural products remain extremely important in drug discovery. As the number of newly developed synthetic drugs declines, there has been renewed interest in identifying biologically active molecules from plants. Bioactive molecules are a group of diverse chemical compounds that stimulate a response in living tissues. The …

Observations Of Puddling Butterflies In Maryland, Usa, Aydin Örstan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Six butterfly species in four families were observed puddling on damp soil, scat and carrion in various locations in Montgomery County, Maryland and on small islands in the Potomac River. Four species preferred damp soil to nearby mud, but the reason for this behavior is unknown. The presence of butterflies on small islands in the Potomac River is documented for the first time.

A Taxonomic Overview Of The Apodemia Mormo Complex From A Genomic Perspective, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Genomic analysis of the Apodemia mormo group (Riodinidae Grote, 1895 (1827)) specimens across the range from southwestern Canada through much of the western USA and northwestern Mexico, complemented by phenotypic examination and photographs of live individuals to inspect eye color, partitions the complex into eight species, one of which is proposed as new: Apodemia (Apodemia) apache Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in USA: Arizona, Apache Co.), and three elevated from subspecies of A. mejicanus: Apodemia (Apodemia) maxima (Weeks, 1891), stat. rest., Apodemia (Apodemia) deserti W. Barnes & McDunnough, 1918, stat. nov., and Apodemia ( …

Development And Evaluation Of Lipid Nanoparticle-Encapsulated Dna Vaccines For Avian Influenza In Chickens, Sushmita Kumari

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Avian influenza virus (AIV) remains a major challenge for global poultry health, food production, and agricultural economies. Both low-pathogenic (LPAIV) and highly pathogenic (HPAIV) strains continue to circulate and evolve, creating an ongoing need for vaccines that can be updated quickly and provide broad protection. Although DNA vaccines offer a safe and flexible approach to rapidly incorporate new antigens, their use in poultry has been limited by poor delivery efficiency and the vulnerability of naked DNA to degradation. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which have proven highly effective for mRNA delivery, offer a promising solution, yet their potential for DNA delivery in …

Responsible Ai In Teaching And Learning, Asa B. Stone, Mark C. Stone, Derek M. Heeren, Santosh Pitla

PRAIRIE: Pioneering Responsible AI for Research, Innovation, and Education

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education presents both transformative opportunities and significant pedagogical risks. While AI tools are becoming embedded in academic and professional environments, their integration into teaching and learning raises critical questions about cognitive engagement, academic integrity, equity, and skill development. This white paper proposes a principled framework for the responsible integration of AI in higher education, grounded in the dual commitment to AI literacy and the cultivation of durable skills.

The framework articulates six core principles: purposefulness; transparency; integrity and attribution; critical AI literacy; equity and access; and privacy and data protection. …

Vultures, Bryan M. Kluever, Lee A. Humberg, Scott C. Barras

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Fact sheet about vultures including information about human--wildlife conflicts, the vulture roost, affects on livestock, structures, human health and safety, identification of damage, management methods, legal considerations, and economics. Also included is an overview of the species.