Digital Commons Network^™

Language, Equity, And Power: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Student Conduct Policies At Unl, Mandi Laib

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study conducts a Critical Discourse Analysis of student conduct policies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1977 to 2003 to examine how language reflects and reinforces institutional power structures. Utilizing Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory, this research investigates how conduct policies have historically marginalized Students of Color, LGBTQ+ students, and those facing economic hardship. Through a deductive coding process, themes such as institutional control, surveillance, and punitive framing were identified across four decades of student handbooks. While there are moments where student rights and restorative justice are acknowledged, these are often overshadowed by dominant discourse that prioritizes compliance …

Implications Of Type Iv Pilus Retraction For Dna Uptake By Acinetobacter Baumannii, Yafan Yu

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

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) via natural competence allows bacteria to incorporate extracellular DNA (eDNA) into their genomes, facilitating genetic diversity and adaptation. In Acinetobacter species, natural competence depends on DNA binding and uptake mediated by type IV pili (T4P). T4P are dynamic extracellular filaments composed primarily of the major pilin subunit PilA, along with a few minor subunits. T4P drive a range of cellular functions including twitching motility, biofilm formation, and DNA uptake, with some functions dependent on pilus retraction and others not. However, how Acinetobacter T4P bind DNA and how T4P/eDNA interactions impact biofilm formation remain unclear. Here, I …

Mechanisms Of Perennial Sorghum Resistance To Sugarcane Aphid Infestation, Esha Kaler

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, the fifth most-grown cereal crop in the world, is a versatile crop, grown across different agro-ecological regions. Sorghum has numerous uses ranging from food and forage purposes to biofuel production. Sugarcane aphid (SCA; Melanaphis sacchari) is a major threat to sorghum production, accounting for 50% to 100% yield loss under heavy infestations. Perennial sorghum can be a sustainable and climate-resilient alternative to the current cereal farming systems. The development of perennial sorghum offers numerous benefits, such as reduced economic inputs, more carbon sequestration, better soil health, and sustainable yields. We employed host plant resistance …

The Product Of Property Tax: How Property Tax Affects Agricultural Production In Nebraska, James L. Kriz

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

The question of what level of property tax is acceptable has become an increasingly prominent question within agriculture, which is shown by the rise of interest groups and bill introduction in Nebraska. As such, this paper examines how property taxes affect Nebraska's agricultural output. The study employs a quantitative analysis of all Nebraska counties over 21 years from 2000 to 2020. This study hypothesizes that as property tax rates increase, farm outputs will decrease. The study offers a new analysis in an understudied subsection of the agriculture policy literature and points towards a new direction in which the field can …

Coming Back To Bite: Reflecting On Constructs Of Adolescence And Girlhood In Young Adult Vampire Media, Gwendolyn Grace Klinkey

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The YA vampire genre has experienced a great amount of success throughout the past two decades with titles including Joss Wheadon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy. Within this group, two of the most widely successful examples are Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga and the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, both of which have had a significant impact on Western popular culture. In this thesis, I use these two texts to explore the constructs of adolescence and girlhood that manifest as a result of the literary moves the writers seem to make in an effort to invite …

Assessing Spatial And Temporal Variation In Photoprotective Responses Of Deciduous And Evergreen Tree Canopies With Leaf Spectroscopy, Alexander Piper

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

Environmental conditions frequently prevent carbon fixation by plants, leading to the absorption of excess light that can damage photosynthetic machinery if not dissipated. To do so, plants utilize several photoprotective mechanisms, some detectable remotely using Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI). Two components of PRI correspond to the facultative engagement of the xanthophyll cycle (ΔPRI) and constitutive changes in xanthophyll pigment pool sizes (PRI0), representing distinct mechanisms regulating shorter and longer-term photoprotection, respectively. Our understanding of interspecific and intraspecific variation in these mechanisms is limited, primarily because PRI components are often not clearly distinguished. This study aimed to assess the variation in …

Culture And Context: How Frames Of Teaching And Of Learning Mathematics Form And Change For Graduate Student Instructors, Johan Benedict A. Cristobal

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Why do instructors teach the way that they do? This question is key in understanding how and why asset-based or deficit-based practices are enacted in the classroom. In consequence, this question also gives insight into how the environment where students learn is shaped. Mathematics education research, in particular, has been concerned with how instructors respond to students’ contributions in the classroom and how these ways of responding can (dis)empower students.

One way to answer this question is to understand how instructors frame their own teaching and their students’ learning. Frames are mental constructs which help individuals filter details, interpret information, …

Drainage Area Limitations Of Single Watershed, Peak Flow Estimates From Nrcs Methods, Timothy A. Maughan, Rollin H. Hotchkiss, Riley Hales

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Most state Department of Transportation roadway design sections predict peak flow for culvert design using, amongst other approaches, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) TR-20 technology. Even though this technology is more than 50 years old, there are no clear guidelines for how large a single watershed drainage area may be while remaining appropriate for predicting peak discharge with this method. Our objective was to identify the drainage area where TR-20 peak flow predictions significantly deviate from flow frequency predictions. We developed flow frequency estimates for 130 small-area stream gage sites in rural Nebraska and compared the calculated return period discharges …

An Empirical Study On The Economic And Policy Drivers Of Livestock Risk Protection Utilization, Milan Chauhan

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Federally supported risk management programs for livestock producers have existed for the last twenty years. Among these, Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) is a federally subsidized insurance tool available for cattle producers to manage downside price risk. In recent years, participation in LRP has surged. This paper examines the key economic and policy variables that partially drive LRP utilization and analyzes the role of risk management educational efforts in the decision to participate and the intensity of the insurance utilization using unique state-level panel data from 2003 through 2023.

The study analyzes three complementary metrics of insurance utilization: market volume (policies …

Strategies For Reducing Racial Disparities In Maternal Health Outcomes: An Examination Of The Role Of Doulas, Samavi Rafique

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Comparatively high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality remain a significant concern in the United States, particularly for Black women, who face a risk of maternal mortality that is four times higher than that of white women. Realizing the historical context of this burden requires tracing American obstetric and gynecological medicine to its 19th-century roots, where the medical experimentation of enslaved Black women occurred largely unopposed by the voices of those in power. The legacy of this is embodied in the modern maternal health crisis, marked by stark racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. As non-clinically trained professionals whose supportive …

He's A Pirate: Greco-Roman Pirates In The Eastern Mediterranean, Nathan Hill

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

For as long as people have traveled by sea, pirates have looked to rob and steal from them. This danger was especially true for travelers in Ancient Greece and Rome. While many ancient sources mention pirates, it is usually just in passing. However, even those few small references allude to a far more important role in history. Through the use of the ancient written sources, inscriptions, and archeological evidence, it becomes apparent that the pirates were an integral part of local economies and politics. Many city-states employed their own sailors in piratical raids against their enemies in and out of …

A Case Study On Readiness Of Engineers In Agricultural Technology Start-Ups, Katie Marie Mowat

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

This dissertation explores the perceptions of practicing engineers regarding the skills necessary to be workforce-ready at agricultural technology (ag-tech) start-ups in the Midwestern United States. A qualitative case study methodology is leveraged, combining both interview and job description data. Given their uniqueness, the study divides the ag-tech start-up industry into two subcases: livestock and cropping systems. The Work Readiness Integrated Competence Model (WRICM) is used as the theoretical framework for this study and informs the conceptual framework and analysis processes. The study identified skills that fit into thirteen distinct categories, which are further grouped into four overarching resource groups. Skills …

“Re-Storying” Anne Shirley And The Adhd Child: A Crip Genealogy Of Anne Of Green Gables, Darian Aleyna Wilson

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the contested nature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focusing on its cultural and historical constructions. While ADHD has been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since 1980, its legitimacy remains a subject of debate across medical, disability studies, and historical scholarship. Using Eli Clare’s critique of diagnosis as a tool rather than a fact, this project examines how ADHD is both pathologized and re-storied within societal and medical discourses. It highlights the tension between medical classifications and lived experiences of those diagnosed with ADHD, particularly in the context of girlhood.

The central …

Learning Educational Technology Prototyping With Generative Ai, Justin Olmanson, Azadeh Hassani, Gretchen K. Larsen

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

In this study, we use ethnographic methods, grounded theory, and an iterative analytical approach to explore participant experiences and strategies for engaging generative AI in support of both learning how to prototype educational technologies and learning to code. We examine how ChatGPT and Giuseppe (a scaffolded co-coding interface of our own design) influence students’ approaches to prototyping and programming. This study contributes to the field by: identifying specific challenges and affordances of generative AI in prototyping and educational technology development contexts; and offering insights into how educators, students, and learning technology developers can integrate generative AI in formative educational technology …

Exploring Constructionist Pathways For Generative Ai In Education, Gretchen K. Larsen, Justin Olmanson, Azadeh Hassani

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

In this study, we aim to better understand the effects of generative AI within a constructionist learning design. We explore participants’ experiences in a graduate level course on Artificial Intelligence in Education, where generative AI is studied as: a cultural object to understand and critically evaluate, an interactive learning technology, and a creative material generator. Students explored AI in education via Python, philosophical and empirical scholarship, and generative AI. They applied this knowledge to the design and prototyping of a learning technology related to their professional backgrounds and interests. Methodologically, our study offers an ethnographic description of constructionist approaches to …

Digestibility, Palatability, And Nutrient Composition Of Three Species Of Whole Prey In Three Species Of Snakes, Morgan R. Kienzle

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

Snakes in human care often lack diversity in the diet. Rodents account for the majority of meals, while wild snakes are consuming a varied diet composed of multiple different whole prey species. By feeding only one species of prey, the chance of nutrient deficiencies and other health concerns increases. To promote variety in the managed diet, two commercially available whole prey species (mice (Mus musculus) and chicks (Gallus spp.)) and one novel species (Seba’s short-tailed bats (Carollia perspicillata)), were analyzed for their dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fat …

Evaluation Of Two Different Sweet Bran Products On Beef Cattle Digestion Characteristics And A Review Of Ramp As An Alternative Step-Up Program, Emily K. Hoefling

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

Two Sweet Bran products were evaluated at 13%, 18%, and 23% inclusion of the diet on total tract digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters. Seven ruminally cannulated, heifers were used in a 6 x 7 row-column design with 21-d periods consisting of 16-d adaptation period followed by a 5-d collection. Dietary treatments were designed in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement with 6 periods. Factors included two Sweet Bran products that differed in particle size (Sweet Bran-SP; GMD = 1.79 mm or Sweet Bran-LP; GMD = 2.51 mm) and three dietary inclusion (13%, 18%, or 23% of diet dry matter). The …

Sisterly Bonds Beyond The Grave: The Ethical Implications Of Posthumously Publishing Jane Austen’S Persuasion, Ashleigh Jay

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

By the time that Jane Austen died in 1817, she had only published four novels. After her death, her family retained her other writings. Later that year, they published one of Austen’s finished manuscripts which became the novel Persuasion. This act of posthumous publication invokes inquiries into whether the action was ethical. In order to better understand the ethics of publishing Persuasion posthumously, one can look at information from Jane Austen’s life and ideas around posthumous actions. Even though Persuasion by Jane Austen was published posthumously, Austen’s choice to leave the manuscript with her sister and her completion of …

Dutch Bros Coffee Strategic Audit, Parker Barry, Olivia Palmer, Cade Swanson, Braden Starck, Jacob Whiston

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This case study focuses on Dutch Bros, a leading drive-thru coffee chain. A strategic audit was conducted to understand the company’s strategic management principles: external and internal factors, performance and competition, business level strategy, corporate level strategy, and organizational design and governance. In addition, the audit studies the implications of their recent strategic decisions to expand roasting facilities and move towards corporate-owned stores rather than operating a franchise model.

The research contained in this audit used publicly available information, including Dutch Bro’s financial statements, information from their website, annual reports, IBIS industry reports, and online press coverage.

Culture And Context: How Frames Of Teaching And Of Learning Mathematics Form And Change For Graduate Student Instructors, Johan Benedict Arroyo Cristobal

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

Why do instructors teach the way that they do? This question is key in understanding how and why asset-based or deficit-based practices are enacted in the classroom. In consequence, this question also gives insight into how the environment where students learn is shaped. Mathematics education research, in particular, has been concerned with how instructors respond to students’ contributions in the classroom and how these ways of responding can (dis)empower students.

One way to answer this question is to understand how instructors frame their own teaching and their students’ learning. Frames are mental constructs which help individuals filter details, interpret information, …

Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 In Interferon Gamma Receptor Signaling And Cancer Immunology, Zachary P. Guinn

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

Every year millions of people die from cancer throughout the world, and tens of millions of people are diagnosed with cancer worldwide. When surgery is not an option, treatment options commonly rely on the host immune system for optimal treatment efficacy. The expression of Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) by host immune cells is often associated with favorable antitumor immune responses. How IFN-γ is optimally induced in immune cells, and how IFN-γ promotes the transcription of genes downstream of the Interferon gamma receptor (IFNGR) is incompletely understood. Understanding how to induce immune cells to express optimal IFN-γ …

The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade And People Capable Of Pregnancy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Carrie Bohmer

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

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) overturned Roe v. Wade in their decision within Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, removing the constitutional right to abortion within the United States (US). Leading up to this anticipated and highly politicized case, 13 states passed preemptive legislation (i.e. “trigger bans”) that immediately made abortion illegal following the Dobbs decision. Limited research has explicitly explored the intersection of sexual health and reproductive health from a psychological perspective. Grounded in a reproductive justice framework, this interpretative phenomenological analysis sought to understand how people capable of pregnancy living …

Kansas City, Kansas, Vida Davidović

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS is a thesis that operates in the tradition of expressionist dramaturgy and playwriting, taking up themes of abuse, imperialism, war, trauma, womanhood, Balkan identities, history of the Balkans, as well as the discourses of psychoanalysis and postcolonial theory. The use of different theoretical frameworks related to both international and personal politics, which are shown to be intertwined, suggests a strong relationship between political processes in the Second World Countries that had experienced many occupations throughout their history and the way women in those countries relate to the questions of body, authority, feminity, and interpersonal relationships. The play …

Mash Crashworthiness Of Work Zone Devices And Breakaway Luminaire Poles, Mohammadreza Rajaee

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis presents a study on the crashworthiness of two commonly-used roadside safety devices: Type II barricades and luminaire poles supported by TB1-17 transformer bases. The first part focuses on designing and evaluating a non-proprietary, Type II barricade that meets MASH criteria. A validated LS-DYNA model, based on a previously-tested Type III barricade, was used to guide the design. The proposed Type II system was evaluated through simulation and confirmed with full-scale crash testing. The second part of the study investigates luminaire poles supported by the TB1-17 transformer base. A previously-developed LS-DYNA model was updated and validated using test No. …

Where Is Your Crop Insurance Agent? Understanding The Geographical Distribution Of Agents, Cory Walters, Nathan Delay

Cornhusker Economics

Following the modifications to the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA) in 2010, there was limited understanding of the impact of policy changes on agent availability. Our objective is to construct a model of the equilibrium supply of crop insurance agents and to test hypotheses regarding the factors influencing agent concentration, such as commissions, competition, and risk. We developed a theoretical equilibrium model of the federal crop insurance market, which encompasses three tiers: insurance companies, agents, and farmers. The model incorporates key features of the federal program, including government-set premiums and the stipulation that agents cannot refuse coverage or modify premiums for …

Restoring Exotic Cool-Season Grass Dominated Landscapes With Clethodim And Glyphosate, Eleanor J. Muzzy, Joshua D. Wiese, Abraham J. Kanz

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

A major threat to grasslands around the world is the spread of exotic cool-season grasses (ECSG). ECSG dominate vegetative communities and degrade critical habitats. One of the most common methods to treat ECSG is herbicide. To compare how the widely-used, non-specific herbicide glyphosate compared to the grass-specific herbicide clethodim, we conducted a fall spray in November 2023 at two different sites located in the Central Platte River Valley of Nebraska. The following June, we used a modified Daubenmire frame sampling method to gather data on relative cover, species richness, and community composition. After analysis, glyphosate appeared to be more effective …

Systemic Failures Of The Criminal Justice System, Isabella Lucero

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

America’s history as a nation that was founded on the unjust treatment of the people of color has forever shaped the way our justice system has evolved. From slavery to “Black Codes” to Jim Crow Laws, the system has never been set up for equal administration of justice. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate how the Criminal Justice System disadvantages and targets individuals at all stages of justice involvement, with a particular focus on individuals from communities of color.

Parody And Mis-Unda-Stendings In Comics Art World: Bridging The Gap With New Criteria, Yannis Koukoulas

SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

The word parody and its many cognates such as appropriation, adaptation, pastiche, travesty, forgery, homage, tribute, swipe, etc., have often been at the centre of fierce debates within the traditional Artworld and various criteria have been proposed for the critical evaluation of visual and literary works. In particular, parody as a dominant practice in postmodern art is a concept that is subject to misunderstandings as to its content and meaning. In Comics Artworld, however, within which recontextualizing practices are very common, often with humorous content, the attempt to describe artists' works and intentions by the criteria applied to other arts, …

Creating Meaningful Proportionality Review: Expanding The Universe Of Cases For Nebraska’S Capital Punishment Scheme, Kyle Jedlicka

Nebraska Law Bulletin (Selected Issues)

Analyzes the Nebraska Supreme Court’s proportionality review to show why Nebraska should expand its universe of “same or similar” cases to include all first-degree murder convictions. Discusses the federal case law relating to the death penalty and how Nebraska statutes responded. Considers how various states reacted to the Court’s decision in Pulley v. Harris. Offers a new perspective on Nebraska’s proportionality review for death sentences to show why a more expansive universe of cases will allow Nebraska to achieve true proportionality in its death penalty scheme.

Water Current, Volume 57, No. 1, Spring 2025

Water Current Newsletter

No abstract provided.