Digital Commons Network^™

Leading While Black: An Examination Of The Black Supervisor Experience Overseeing White Subordinates In Higher Education, Colette Marie Tobias

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

This study examines how systemic racism and social capital hierarchies shape the supervisory experiences of Black supervisors. While existing literature has explored leadership and race, it has not fully examined how systemic racism shape Black supervisors’ experiences or how social capital hierarchies play into the behavioral responses of white subordinates. This study addresses that gap by centering the lived experiences of Black supervisors within higher education.

Grounded in narrative inquiry, this research focuses on how participants make meaning of their experiences through their stories. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals with 19 Black supervisors who had at …

Empowering Educators, Elevating Students: A Multifaceted Approach To Improving Student Academic Success, Amanda Huebner

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

This proposal examines the interrelationship between teacher professional development, collaborative planning time, and student academic achievement in rural middle schools. Drawing on data from a central Nebraska district, the study analyzes how targeted, job‑embedded professional learning and structured planning practices empower educators, reduce burnout, and increase engagement among seventh‑ and eighth‑grade students. Using an improvement‑science framework, the research seeks to inform systemic strategies that elevate both teacher efficacy and student outcomes.

Investigating Book Challenges: Reasons For Challenges, Changes In Public Opinion, And Removals In U.S. School Districts, Makena Nail

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

The American Library Association documented an increase in book challenges in the U.S. in recent years. These are attempts to censor or limit access to books on library and book store shelves and are mostly brought by organizations and elected officials. There is much more research on which particular books are challenged and the reasons for the challenges than on general public opinion about the need for limiting access to books (PBS, 2022; American Library Association, n.d.). Previous research demonstrates that when books are challenged, the underlying goal is protecting community values by limiting access to ideas that some believe …

Dividing To Survive, Fight, Or Ally: Understanding Terrorist Group Splintering, Makayla Wendland

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

The splintering of terrorist groups is extremely common, with members breaking from the ranks of an existing organization to establish a new, independent organization. At times, the process of splintering has produced some of the deadliest terrorist groups globally, significantly affecting the trajectory and intensity of conflict. Conversely, there are times when splintering can produce groups that quickly dissipate without having an impact. This variation in lethality frames the question at the center of this dissertation: how do splinter groups behave and operate in their conflict landscape?

I develop a new theory-based typology to explain variations in the behavior and …

Perception Of 3d Data Visualizations, Tyler Wiederich

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

Data visualizations are powerful tools for communicating complex data structures. They are typically presented in 2-dimensional formats, such as on paper or computer screens. In recent years, technological advancements have enabled traditional data visualizations to be fully rendered in physical environments through 3D printing, offering more natural interactions. However, this style of graphical rendering remains largely unexplored in empirical evaluations with traditional charts. In this research, we conducted two experiments to assess ratio estimations across 2D and 3D charts in digital and physical environments. The first study partially replicated Cleveland and McGill’s (1984) work in perceptual tasks and expanded to …

Developing Best Recommendations For Aerial Application And Chemigation Of Insecticides For Western Bean Cutworm (Striacosta Albicosta Smith) Management In Corn, Andrea Rilakovic

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

Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith), is a univoltine moth in North America, recognized as an economic threat to both corn (Zea mays L.) and dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In the Midwest of the United States, S. albicosta can cause severe damage by reducing the quantity and quality of corn ears through larval feeding. Currently, options for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins that can effectively control S. albicosta are limited, relying on only one Vip3A effective protein, while other growers use insecticide application via airplanes or center pivot irrigation systems, known as chemigation. Given the importance …

A New Subspecies Of Papilio Indra (Papilionidae) From The West Desert Of Utah, Usa, Wayne H. Whaley, Alexander A. Jason, Todd L. Stout

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Papilio indra bonnevillensis is a new described subspecies partly based on taxonomic rearrangement of its larval host plant reproductive phenology relative to Wasatch Range nominate P. indra. It is geographically isolated in Utah’s West Desert from populations of ssp. nevadensis to the west and ssp. calcicola to the south. In addition to phenological differences compared to these two subspecies, it merits description based on host Lomatium depauperatum which recently speciated from L. grayi, neither of which is used as host by other subspecies of P. indra. The evolution of new host L. depauperatum is …

The Intersection Between Adolescent Pregnancy, Mental Health Concerns, Stigma, And Sex Education, Madelon Cox

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis discusses research from the past two decades focused on factors contributing to an increased risk of adolescent pregnancy and the lasting impact of that pregnancy. The consequences of being a pregnant adolescent can be compounded by race, gender, socioeconomic class, and access to education. Adolescent pregnancy also carries significant physical and mental health risk for the adolescent and the child. Awareness and various interventions can help pregnant adolescents or those who may be at risk for adolescent pregnancy to support them, prevent isolation, and reduce further negative mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.

Comparing Awssi And Traditional Winter Metrics For Predicting Overwinter Survival Of Juvenile Walleye (Sander Vitreus), Camille N. Shifrin

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Winter conditions are an important driver of recruitment variability in freshwater fishes, yet winter severity is often characterized using single climate metrics. These simplified approaches may not capture the cumulative stress experienced by fishes during winter. The Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI) integrates multiple components of winter climate and may therefore provide a more biologically relevant indicator of overwinter survival. In this study, we compared AWSSI with traditional winter severity metrics to explain interannual variation in overwinter survival of juvenile Walleye (Sander vitreus) in Harlan County Reservoir, Nebraska. Model comparisons using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) indicated that …

Narrating Experience: How Undergraduate Social Work Students See Themselves In The Social Justice Curriculum, Emily C. Soener

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

Social justice is widely recognized as a foundational value of the social work profession, yet research indicates inconsistencies in how social justice is defined, taught, and experienced within social work education. This study examines how undergraduate social work students make meaning of social justice learning in relation to their own lived experiences. Using a critical narrative inquiry approach grounded in constructivist qualitative methodology, this study explores how students narrate their experiences of social justice education and how those narratives reveal tensions between professional ideals and classroom realities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eleven undergraduate social work students enrolled …

Understanding Challenges Faced By Refugee Women And Women With Experiences Of Forced Migration In Entrepreneurship In The Midwest Region Of The United States, Ritu Jadwani

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

The labor market participation of refugee women was only 6%. The United States had the maximum employment rate for the refugee women population, which was 40%, as compared to 6% in Germany, Lebanon, and Jordan (Kabir & Klugman, 2019). Refugee women faced many challenges in labor force participation and especially in entrepreneurship. As demonstrated by Desai, Naude, and Stel (2020), refugees faced challenges like cultural integration, language barriers, level of education, and acceptance of education merits. This eventually led to disparities in income generation. Thus, many either remained in low-paying jobs or started their own business (Desai et al., 2020). …

Quantitative Genetics, Genomics, And Phenomics In Maize And Sorghum, Nikee Shrestha

Complex Biosystems Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Generating the best crop varieties and hybrids requires identifying genes associated with the phenotype of interest and screening thousands of varieties across multiple locations. Quantitative genetics, along with comparative genomics, phenomics, and machine learning approaches, can help us identify target genes associated with the phenotype of interest to develop the right genotypes. Satellite platforms offer logistical and technical advantages in scalability and accessibility and could facilitate plot-level predictions, especially with steadily improving spatial resolution, thereby empowering the large-scale screening of thousands of genotypes across diverse locations. In the first chapter, I evaluated over 20,000 plot-level images of over 80 hybrid …

The Goad, The Bad, & The Ugly: The Livestreamed Vice Signaling & Body Fascism Of Clavicular & Asmongold, Jacob T. Fry

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the rhetorical, material, and symbolic implications of fascist livestreaming in the United States through two popular streamers: Clavicular and Asmongold. These two streamers represent a small slice of the rise of different reactionary rhetorics online and how the use of different masculine subcultures—in this case ‘Looksmaxxing’ or Gamer inspired rhetoric—are used as ideological texts for white male supremacy. Whether in front of the glow of their gaming monitor or the flashing lights of a nightclub, the livestreaming of the body, home, relationships, and lifestyles challenge rhetorical conceptions of style, the ‘public/private sphere,’ and political communication. As different …

Beyond The Cycle: How Menstruation Influences Gender Identity And Well-Being In Binary And Non-Binary Adults, Rin Nguyen

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

Approximately 1.8 billion people worldwide menstruate, including transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people, yet their experiences remain underrepresented in research. Given that menstruation can affect gender alignment and psychological well-being, understanding its impact on TGD people is critical. Gender congruence, or alignment between one’s gender identity and expression, is a key factor influencing well-being, with research linking it to reduced depression and anxiety. Furthermore, emerging research on gender euphoria, the joy experienced when gender congruence is experienced, suggests it may serve as a protective factor for mental health and well-being. Gender euphoria has been associated with reduced psychological distress and increased …

Carcass Mass And Cooling Dynamics As Determinants Of Beef Color, Tenderness, And Dark-Cutting Risk, Grace C. Johnson

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

Discoloration in beef has important implications to the beef industry. Dark-cutting (DC) beef remains one of the most economically significant color defects; however, industry prevalence has only marginally declined (≈ 0.1%) despite mitigation efforts. This lack of improvement largely stems from research focused on pre-harvest stress and glycogen depletion leading to dark, firm, and dry (DFD) beef. However, not all darkcutting beef originates from DFD phenotypes. Atypical dark-cutting (ATDC) phenotypes have recently been observed and do not exhibit the classic metabolic indicators of DFD. This trend coincides with steadily increasing carcass weights in the beef industry and raises the possibility …

Program Factors Influencing Investment In Nhri Leadership Mentoring Relationships, Elizabeth A. Kenes

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to examine how specific programmatic factors influence levels of investment within mentoring relationships in a collegiate leadership mentoring program. Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of mentoring; however, much of this work has relied on self-reported data and has not directly linked program factors to clearly defined mentoring outcomes. This study addresses this gap by examining how relationship duration, meeting consistency, and training and learning predict mentoring investment using observational program data.

Using the Investment Triangle framework and an integrative theoretical framework as guiding foundations, this study examined mentoring investment within NHRI Leadership Mentoring …

Integrating Growth Performance And Pathogen Detection To Investigate Disease Resilience In Commercial Swine, Emmalise Hope Marie Meyer

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

Disease resilience is an important trait in commercial swine production, influencing both animal health and growth performance under natural disease challenge. The primary objective of this study was to integrate growth performance data with longitudinal pathogen detection to better understand factors contributing to disease resilience in commercial pigs. A population of 1,014 pigs across four batches was monitored from weaning through the grow-finish phase, with body weights collected to calculate average daily gain (ADG). Genome-wide association analyses were conducted using BayesC and BayesIM approaches to identify genomic regions associated with growth performance. Longitudinal pathogen surveillance was performed using pen-level oral …

Application Of High-Pressure Processing To Improve The Color Of Dark Beef, Kara Ann Reynolds

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

Deviation of beef from the bright cherry-red color preferred by consumers is often discounted or discarded at retail, resulting in substantial annual economic loss to the beef industry. One such deviation is dark cutting beef, which is characterized by a darker lean appearance that is undesirable to consumers and often rejected. Similarly, beef from mature cattle tends to exhibit a darker surface color, which can also reduce consumer acceptability. High-Pressure processing (HPP) has been investigated as a strategy to improve the color of dark cutting beef. Previous studies have focused on identifying pressure levels and holding times that optimize color …

Preclinical Animal Modeling To Investigate Redox-Mediated Molecular Dysfunction In Traumatic Brain Injury, Brandon Z. Mcdonald

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Impacts associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) induce a multitude of neurological morbidities mediated by a spread of biochemical dysfunction. Redox stress is a significant contributor to TBI pathophysiology and several redox stress markers have substantial evidence to support their role in diagnosing preclinical and clinical TBI. However, there is a critical need to verify their translational utility through correlations with behavioral, imaging, and molecular modalities. In chapter two, we examined the therapeutic efficacy of an antioxidant treatment (NPC3) using a controlled cortical impact (CCI) mouse model of TBI. NPC3 alleviated glial expression and reactivity while influencing the expression of …

Cytoplasmic Shift Of Interferon Regulatory Factors Co‐Evolved With Jawed Vertebrate Innate Immunity, Vanessa M. Hubing

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The emergence of jaws in early vertebrates introduced a novel feeding apparatus and powerful oral defenses, but it also increased the risk of physical injury and pathogen exposure. Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) play critical roles in orches-trating innate immunity and inflammation in response to invading microbes and tissue damage, with their subcellular local-ization being essential to some IRFs' function. Our results indicate that IRF members underwent independent expansion and diversification in two distinct vertebrate lineages: jawed and jawless vertebrates. The jawed vertebrate-specific factor, IRF5, has maintained conserved nuclear export sequences throughout evolution, while newly diversified IRF members in jawed verte-brates …

Assessing Trauma Competence Among Title Ix Practitioners: Analyzing Self-Perceived Capability And Associated Factors, Aliena Hansen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Sexual assault remains a persistent issue on college and university campuses, and the way institutions respond to survivors can significantly influence their well-being and willingness to seek support. Title IX Practitioners are often responsible for responding to reports of sexual misconduct, making trauma-informed approaches essential in their work. However, relatively little research has examined how practitioners perceive their own trauma-related capabilities. The present study examined self-perceived trauma competence among Title IX Practitioners and explored factors associated with differences in perceived competence. Participants completed a survey assessing their confidence in applying trauma-informed principles when working with complainants. Results indicated variability in …

Transforming Theory Into Action: Feminist Frameworks In Reproductive Justice Organizing, Ella R. Mitchell

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This honors thesis examines how feminist theoretical frameworks can be translated into practical strategies for reproductive justice organizing. Grounded in a reproductive justice framework and drawing on three key feminist frameworks, intersectional feminism, queer feminist theory, and feminist ethics of care, this paper explores how each provides critical tools for understanding and responding to reproductive oppression. Intersectional feminism illuminates how overlapping systems of inequality structure reproductive experiences and political marginalization. Queer feminist theory challenges heteronormative assumptions about family, gender, and reproduction, expanding reproductive justice discourse to include LGBTQ+ communities and diverse forms of kinship. Feminist ethics of care emphasizes relational …

Piano Composition And The Role Of Women In Nineteenth Century Europe, Khang Nguyen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In the nineteenth century, women underwent a social transition, slowly obtaining more employment and educational opportunities. The lives of women piano composers were similar, with their status as women affecting their compositional careers. This thesis explores the connection between piano composition and the role of women in the nineteenth century, with a focus on Western Europe. A brief history of Europe in the nineteenth century will be given, followed by an overview on how music and the music industry were gendered at the time. Then, the lives of Clara Schumann, Fanny Hensel, and Agathe Backer Grøndahl will be analyzed as …

Lewis Carroll’S Curious Creatures: Examining Carroll’S Use Of Animal Characters Within The Context Of His Life And Victorian Era England, Nima M. Faunce

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) has maintained a wide readership since its publication, but many aspects of Carroll’s original intentions and inspirations are lost on modern readers. By examining his animal characters through the lens of his personal life and Victorian England, a deeper understanding of his novel is uncovered. Some of his characters directly reflect individuals from his real life, such as the Liddell family, while other characters provide a window into Victorian beliefs and practices. This paper investigates each of Carroll’s animal characters in order of appearance and determines possible points of inspiration from his personal …

The Consumptive Female Ideal: The Case Study Of “Snow White”, Nayla G. Torres Ruiz

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Tuberculosis (TB), also known as “consumption” or “phthisis,” was one of the most pervasive and culturally significant diseases of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Despite its high mortality rate—claiming more lives than cholera and smallpox combined—TB was widely romanticized in art, literature, and popular culture, particularly as a feminine disease associated with beauty, purity, fragility, and moral virtue. The physical traits of consumption—pale skin, rosy cheeks, red lips, glassy eyes, and a slender, delicate frame—became an ideal of female beauty, one that many women sought to emulate through restrictive diets, toxic cosmetics, and evolving fashion trends, such as increasingly tight …

Hidden Word Treasure Hunt: Design Of Dyslexia Game-Based Intervention, Olivia N. Epp

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

For this creative project, a literacy intervention board game entitled Hidden Word Treasure Hunt was designed for elementary students with dyslexia. Developmental Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental learning disability which causes reading and writing difficulties. The goal of the intervention is to provide a fun and engaging way for students with dyslexia to practice skills like spelling, phonemic awareness, rhyming, and more. The game includes multiple choice question cards (treasure cards) and challenge spelling cards (key cards), and the student also has the opportunity to practice spelling the words with a whiteboard and marker. The student and SLP can play their …

Killing The Hot Vampire: Gender, Camp, And The Stakes Of Desire In Nineteenth-Century Vampire Fiction, Ella G. Kehr

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis examines the representation and destruction of the Hot Vampire in nineteenth-century vampire fiction, focusing on Dracula (1897), Carmilla (1872), and The Blood of the Vampire (1897). It argues that these texts construct the female vampire as a figure of excessive sexuality, independence, and deviance which causes both societal (patriarchal) and narrative disruption. In the male-authored texts, the construction of the Hot Vampire is exaggerated beyond the neat bounds of gothic excess and monster theory. The destruction of these vampires also follows this unbound extravagance. The Hot Vampire’s death becomes the ritualized restoration of patriarchal order, which is often …

Exploring Determinants Of Value For Money And Bundling Effects On Public–Private Partnership Projects: A Data-Driven Empirical Study, Gaurav Khadka

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Public–private partnerships (P3s) are widely used to deliver public infrastructure, yet current understanding of what drives variation in Value for Money (VfM) and the effectiveness of project delivery strategies such as bundling remains largely conceptual and grounded in perception-based evidence. Consequently, governments lack empirically validated guidance on which project, financial, and macroeconomic conditions meaningfully influence VfM outcomes and whether bundling improves project performance within the P3 context. This study addresses these gaps through an integrated analysis of 180 Canadian P3 infrastructure projects (1992–2020), one of the most comprehensive datasets of realized VfM internationally, incorporating project characteristics, financial arrangements, and macroeconomic …

Honeybee Colony Response To Probiotic Supplementation And Grazing Practices, Katya M. Busenitz

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Honeybee health is a complicated issue. Studies were conducted to scale honeybee (Apis mellifera) health from the microbiome to the landscape. Colony health parameters were measured in response to probiotic administration. Colony capped brood production, colony summer weight gain, and Varroa mite incidence were measured. I found that applications of over-the-counter probiotics did not improve the measured parameters of honeybee health compared to a control group. Results suggest that probiotic application was not beneficial but positive benefits may depend on application method, brand, or strain of probiotics used. I also examined how colony health metrics responded to different …

Undergraduate Design Spine For Biological Systems Engineering And Agricultural Engineering, David Mabie, Derek M. Heeren, Deepak R. Keshwani, Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, Nicole M. Iverson, Rachel Padrnos, Greg Bashford, Taryn King, Jenna Hefley, Curtis L. Tomasevicz

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

Engineering education is undergoing a shift toward preparing graduates with demonstrated capabilities that integrate technical knowledge, durable skills, and the ability to adapt in a rapidly evolving professional landscape. This paper describes a comprehensive redesign of the undergraduate curriculum in Biological Systems Engineering (BSEN) and Agricultural Engineering (AGEN) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The redesign is grounded in a “Design Spine” framework, which distributes and scaffolds design experiences across all four years of the program to support progressive development of problem solving, systems thinking, communication, and professional skills. The curriculum is organized around clearly defined capabilities and threads that connect …