Digital Commons Network^™

Reconstructing Central American Hydroclimate Changes Across Time From Isotopic Signatures In Modern And Paleo-Rainfall Records, Giuseppe Lucia

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tropical monsoon rainfall is a key component of Earth’s climate system and supports the livelihood and economy of billions of people. Yet, projections of future monsoons remain highly uncertain, particularly in regions with distinct physiography and complex land-ocean-atmosphere interactions like Central America, where long and continuous high-resolution paleoclimate data to test climate model simulations are still limited. This series of studies aims to reconstruct monsoon dynamics and underlying forcing controls in Central America on multiple timescales by the analysis and integration of stable isotope data in modern and paleo-rainfall records from Guatemala.

In Chapter 2, I present a daily-resolution, two-year-long …

Ankimedbench: Evaluating Hierarchical Medical Knowledge In Language Model Embeddings, Neel Patel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite achieving over 90% accuracy on medical benchmarks, recent studies show physicians cannot effectively leverage language models to improve clinical reasoning. Current benchmarks test isolated factual recall, but clinical practice requires hierarchical navigation through diagnostic categories—starting broad and narrowing systematically from chest pain to cardiovascular pathology to myocardial infarction to specific STEMI types. Existing evaluations cannot measure whether models preserve this taxonomic structure essential for clinical reasoning.

We introduce AnkiMedBench, built from 16,512 medical flashcards used by students preparing for licensing exams. Cards are organized across six hierarchy levels spanning 16 broad medical specialties to 672 specific diseases and conditions. …

A Competency Based Pressure Injury Management Program, Madina Qadir

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project aims to implement a simulation-based wound management program to address critical gaps in nurses’ competencies for managing pressure injuries (PIs). The initiative seeks to enhance nurses’ knowledge, clinical skills, and confidence in wound assessment and advanced therapies, fostering evidence-based practice and consistent care delivery. Effective PI management is vital for improving patient outcomes, reducing healing times, and minimizing complications. Yet, nursing education and competency gaps often lead to inconsistent care and increased healthcare costs. A structured competency-based pressure injury management (CB PIM) program integrates evidence-based didactic lectures and interactive simulation-based skills stations to cover essential topics, including wound …

Perceptions And Behaviors Of Female Title I Principals And Faculty Trust In The Post-Covid-19 Educational Environment, Jessica A. Robbins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Faculty trust in principals is essential to a healthy school culture, yet it remains one of the most fragile and complex aspects of leadership, particularly in Title I schools (Tschannen-Moran, 2007, 2014; Tschannen-Moran et al., 2015). While trust has been widely studied, fewer investigations have focused on the specific behaviors female principals use to build trust in the post-COVID era (Berkovich, 2018; Bukko et al., 2021; Handford & Leithwood, 2013; Jeanquart-Barone, 2013; Zajda et al., 2023; Zheng et al., 2021). Research suggests that women in leadership must be deliberate in fostering trust, yet their behaviors are often judged more harshly …

“I Can Gossip With Anybody, I Can’T Chisme With Everybody”: Chisme, Gossip, And Identity In Latina-Americans, Alexa B. Romero

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As individuals adjust to their belonging to two distinct cultures, there are various ways of adapting to their navigation of the two cultures (Berry, 1980). The way(s) an individual chooses to adjust to their two cultures can have varying effects on identity. When directly translated, chisme (Spanish) means gossip. Although the two include overlap in function and uses, chisme offers unique purposes for the Latinx community and further, Latina-Americans (González Ybarra & Player 2024; Gutierrez, 2017; Uribe, 2025). By using the communication theory of identity (Hecht, 1993) the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the role of chisme and …

Understanding The Musical Theatre Female Mixed Belt Through The Lens Of The Operatic Tenor: A Comparative Study, Courtney Schwalbe

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since its emergence in the early 20th century, the female belt voice has become central to musical theatre, yet it still receives less systematic attention than classical singing in both scholarship and collegiate pedagogy. This document frames the contemporary female belt, especially the high or mixed belt, in dialogue with the Western operatic tenor to demystify belt production for teachers trained in classical vocal pedagogy. Drawing on historical context, voice science, and applied pedagogy, the study compares defining characteristics, vocal challenges, registration, and resonance strategies across the two traditions. Both voices extend chest-dominant qualities above the primary register transition and …

Las Voices: The Impact On Black Young Males In A Critical Mentorship Program In The Las Vegas Valley, Sean C. Tory

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In America, Black young males face an enormous amount of pressure regarding their social and racial identity. They battle with racial macro/microaggressions, stereotypes, racism, and socialization from various industries and systems. The community organization, King of Jewels, has been able to adopt effective strategies to help Black young males navigate these issues through critical mentorship. This paper will first demonstrate the importance of critical mentorship, Black Racial Identity Development, and will then outline the steps necessary to fill the gaps found in mentorship and Black Racial Identity Development literature. This qualitative study investigates the use of critical mentorship (CM) and …

Examining Religiosity, Suicidality, And Internalized Homonegativity Among Ethnoracially Diverse Sexual Minority Students, Danica Christy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual minority (SM) individuals are at an elevated risk for suicidality, particularly those who hold multiple marginalized identities, including religious and racial minority statuses. While religiosity is generally protective against psychological distress and suicide for heterosexual individuals, its impact on SM individuals is more complex. It may function as both a risk and a protective factor. The current mixed methods study explored the relationships between religiosity, internalized homonegativity (IH), and suicidality among an ethno-racially diverse sample of college students (n = 246). Quantitative analyses revealed that SM participants (n = 123) reported significantly higher rates of suicidality than their heterosexual …

Enviromental Dna (Edna) Tools For Invasive Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis) Surveillance At The Shoshone Pupfish (Cyprinidon Nevadensis Shoshone) Refugium, Yusuf Olamilekan Umar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Spring-fed aquatic ecosystems of the North American Southwest and U.S. Great Basin hosts a plethora of endemic fish species due to the effects of hydrologic fragmentation that resulted from Pleistocene aridification. Threats to endemic fishes worldwide include human intentional or unintentional release of exotic species into their habitats. Early detection of invasive species, while corrective actions are still possible, is critical for management, yet traditional survey methods are often disruptive to sensitive ecosystems, costly, and limited in sensitivity. The recent development of environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches offers powerful alternatives for invasive species monitoring in aquatic systems. In this study, a …

Pavements And The Urban Heat Island Effect: A Network Analysis Of Research Trends And Knowledge Structure, Fouzieh Rouzmehr, Saman Jamshidi

Architecture Faculty Research

The urban heat island (UHI) effect is one of the most pressing challenges associated with rapid urbanization. It arises primarily from the replacement of natural vegetation with impervious surfaces, alterations in surface energy balance, and heat emissions from human activity. Mitigating these drivers has become a global priority, particularly in fast-growing cities. Pavements play a central role in UHI intensification due to their large surface coverage, low albedo, and capacity to retain heat. This study adopts a bibliometric approach to systematically map the knowledge structure and research trends in pavement-related UHI studies. A dataset of 834 publications from Web of …

Gambling Behaviors, Perceptions, And Risks Among Nevada Adults, Andrea Dassopoulos

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

This study presents a statewide assessment of gambling behaviors, perceptions, and gambling-related risk among 1,078 Nevada adults. Using a mixed-source, population-calibrated survey developed by UNLV and NORC, the research measures gambling participation, motivations, venue exposure, and attitudes toward harm, treatment, and regulation. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) identifies substantial levels of harm: nearly half of past-year gamblers show some degree of risk, with the highest rates among younger adults, racially diverse groups, gaming and hospitality workers, and those who gamble in neighborhood bars or slot parlors. The survey also documents public beliefs about gambling addiction, youth exposure, stigma, and …

The Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Economy In The Mountain West, 2025, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Sean Curry, Krish Sharma, Kristian Thymianos, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet reports on the artificial intelligence (AI) readiness of five Mountain West metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Salt Lake City-Murray, UT; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO; Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV; and Albuquerque, NM. Using data from the Brookings Institution's “Mapping the AI Economy” report, the MSAs are benchmarked based on their overall population, employment, talent, adoption, and innovation.

Reported Value Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices Of Virginia Agricultural Education Teachers, Natalie K. Ferand, Kendrick Spencer, Bradley Bowen

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

To address the increasing diversity in schools and the monolithic culture of teachers, researchers have called for pedagogies that reflect the diverse and pluralistic identities of students. While core academic areas have long adopted culturally relevant pedagogy, school-based agricultural education (SBAE) has lagged behind. This study aimed to determine the views of agricultural education teachers in Virginia on culturally responsive pedagogy dispositions and identify areas of professional development need. Teachers valued the differences among students and the communities in which their schools are located. However, results revealed a need for professional development in using the local community as a resource …

Online Experiential Learning In Career And Technical Education, Matthew Bornak

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This scoping review investigates the integration of OEL into Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s five-step scoping review framework, articles were identified through ERIC and Google Scholar and managed in Zotero. MAXQDA was used for coding, revealing thematic clusters related to modalities (synchronous, asynchronous, hybrid), technologies (LMS, AR/VR, simulation tools), and learner characteristics (nontraditional students, CTE-specific learning styles). The review highlights the conceptual anchors of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, Carver et al.’s Experiential E-Learning Model, and Baasanjav’s online experiential design. Findings reveal that while OEL in CTE remains underexplored, it offers potential to increase accessibility, inclusivity, …

Protrack3d: A Comprehensive Tool For Segmentation And Tracking Of Proteins With Split And Fusion, Ramu Gautam, Yang Jiao, Yasong Pang, Mo Weng, Mei Yang

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

Background: Quantitatively tracking subcellular protein puncta over time is critical for understanding protein functions and related cellular processes, as many proteins assemble into discrete protein puncta when performing functions. Monitoring these protein puncta over an extended period enables the quantitation of their dynamic behaviors, such as repositioning, remodeling, and inter-object interactions such as fusion and split. These characteristics are essential for deciphering the underlying regulatory mechanisms of protein function. However, tracking protein puncta is challenging due to these clusters undergoing rapid and complex temporal changes.

Results: To address these challenges, a comprehensive tool ‘ProTrack3D’ is developed. It implements a multi-stage …

Immigration And The U.S. Economy Under Obama And Trump, Eliz Gevorgian

Political Science Student Research

This paper examines the economic effects of the United States' immigration policy under President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump. Between 2009 and 2017, the Obama administration introduced programs such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and expanded access to student and work visas. These actions coincided with steady GDP growth averaging about 2 percent per year and a decline in unemployment from 9.9 percent in 2009 to 4.7 percent in 2016. The Trump administration, in office from 2017 to 2021, implemented more restrictive immigration measures, including the 2017 travel ban, reduced refugee admissions, increased H1B visa scrutiny, and …

The Impact Of Food Insecurity On The Physical And Mental Health Of Food Service Workers And Their Households, Pedro Andrade

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Food insecurity in the United States continues to be a persistent problem, as this household stressor has worsened in the past decade. The prevalence of food insecurity varies by demographic; however, income is a key factor when discussing food security status. One group experiencing food insecurity, but often overlooked when talking about solutions, is food service workers. This research sought to understand the impact of food insecurity on food service workers and their households. A literature review was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the associations between food insecurity and physical health, mental health, household health, and occupational and …

Structural Equation Modeling Of Educational Factors Associated With Racial Trauma: Belonging, Efficacy, And Persistence Among Bipoc College Students, Miguel Castano, Richard Chang

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Racial trauma refers to post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms from repeated exposure to racism and racial discrimination, generally expressed as hypervigilance and lack of safety, negative cognitions causing bleak perceptions of oneself and the world, and difficulty coping through reduced ability to manage distress. Literature shows that BIPOC students encounter racism on university campuses more frequently than non-BIPOC students, suggesting they are more vulnerable to racial trauma. Racial trauma has been linked to negative mental health outcomes; however, little is known about its impact on educational outcomes. Academic belonging, self-efficacy, and persistence are key educational factors tied to academic performance and …

School Shooting Drills Across Grade Levels: What We Know And Don't Know About Student And Teacher Experiences, Katherine Cutié

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

School shooting drills have become a standard component of school safety procedures in U.S. K–12 education, yet their psychological effects remain under-researched. This literature review synthesizes findings from 39 studies published between 1999 and 2025 to describe patterns in how students and teachers experience these drills across grade levels and drill types. Across the literature, anxiety and fear were the most frequently examined student outcomes, while teachers commonly reported stress, concerns about developmental appropriateness, and increased emotional labor during drills. Lockdown procedures were most frequently examined in the reviewed studies, with less research addressing ALICE, Run–Hide–Fight, and simulation drills. Few …

Exploring The Stability Of Misophonia And Other Auditory Affective Experiences Throughout Development, Erika Foregard, Rose De Kock, David Vollweiler

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Sounds can give rise to powerful affective experiences, both positive and negative. Misophonia is an intensely negative response to sounds such as chewing, whereas autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and musical chills result are experiences as positive and pleasant. Anecdotally, all of these experiences occur as early as childhood, but we know relatively little about how they develop. We investigated this question longitudinally.

Gendered Patterns Of Trauma & Ptsd Symptoms Among Latine Americans: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, Abigail Panariso, Gerardo Garcia, Melanie Garcia, Yajairy Carbrales, Mariam Sultan

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Latine communities in the U.S. experience disproportionate exposure to traumatic events, contributing to behavioral health disparities such as elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and underutilization of mental health care. Gender, as a key social determinant of health, influences both types of trauma encountered and the severity of symptoms. Little research has tackled how gender intersects with structural inequities within Latine populations, such as discrimination, immigration stress, and socioeconomic marginalization. This mixed-methods study assessed gender differences in trauma experiences and PTSD symptoms among 328 Latine American adults (148 men, 180 women) recruited through an online survey. We predicted gender …

Extremely Low-Income Renter Households In The Mountain West, 2023, Anthony Arroyo, Yiselle Olivas Ruiz

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Our presentation, based on research conducted with Brookings Mountain West here at UNLV, will focus on the number of extremely low-income renter households, affordable and available rental homes, and associated cost burdens that renters face in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. We will present data from our recently-published fact sheet, “Extremely Low-Income Renter Households in the Mountain West, 2023,” which derives data from the 2025 National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) report, “The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes.” which reported annual rental housing shortages in the United States. We will …

Rail Anomalies Dataset For Semantic Segmentation Analysis, Saarah Majid, Arian Izadi, Paul Stanik

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Rail maintenance is a core necessity of upkeep, maintenance, deterioration, and safety implications of large rail systems. Doing so in an orderly and uniform way, however, has proven difficult with the thousands of miles that railways span. Use of computer vision on locomotives during normal operation can allow for a more streamlined process that would eliminate the need for costly specialized equipment and disruptions of normal operations. This project aims to efficiently detect vegetation overgrowth, mud-pumping, and standing water on railways. With the use of machine learning algorithms and dataset curation, models can be trained, allowing them to gain a …

Effect Of Neuroinflammation On Exploratory Behavior In Mice, Gage Pompa, Ariana Mitic, Yader Gomez, Lilian Hagos, Orlando Montiel

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Introduction: Mice have been observed in both laboratory and field settings to exhibit a tendency to remain near corners and walls. This trait is known as positive thigmotaxis. Thigmotaxis has been recognized as a fundamental aspect of rodent behavior and used extensively as an anxiety index in mice. Although this characteristic has been recognized as a fundamental aspect of rodent behavior, thigmotaxis has been extensively studied in rectangular and circular environments. However, there is a notable lack of understanding of how alternative geometric configurations can influence this behavior.

Methods and Approach: Using a grid overlaid on the environment the mice …

Synthesis Of Disulfide Triazole Phosphorus Fire Retardant Via Photochemical Conditions, Jason Liu

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

The development of fire retardants is critical to enhancing fire safety and advancing fire science. The novel synthesis of a disulfide triazole phosphorus thiolacid fire retardant under photochemical conditions, along with relevant testing on plume generation performance, aims to answer our research goals.The proposed specific synthesis and conditions provide for a more efficient and environmentally greener route compared to conventional methods, utilizing photochemical click reactions. Furthermore, the addition of sulfur element to conventionally sole phosphorus-based FR reduces the chance of leaching by increasing the molecular weight of the compound and overcoming the obstacle of low molecular weight problems while also …

Household Food Insecurity And Its Impact On Feeding Practices In Hispanic Families Of Young Children: A Scoping Review, Miriam Alvarez

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Household Food Insecurity and Its Impact on Feeding Practices in Hispanic Families of Young Children: A Scoping Review Abstract: Household food insecurity disproportionately affects Hispanic families in the United States and may influence parental feeding practices associated with early childhood obesity. While existing research suggests a relationship between food insecurity and non-responsive feeding practices, the specific impact within Hispanic households is limited. This scoping review explores this gap in the literature and synthesizes current evidence on how current food insecurity impacts the feeding practices among Hispanic parents of children aged 0-5 years old in the United States. Following the PRISMA-ScR …

The Silent Concert: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist, 35 Years Later, Lauren Beals

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Beals, Lauren. 2025. The Silent Concert: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist, 35 Years Later. UNLV Undergraduate Law Review. Background and objectives: In March of 1990, thieves stole 13 pieces of artwork from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. This study strives to discern a proper punishment for the elusive culprits of the Gardner Museum Heist, and highlight the importance of missing cultural property. Methods and approach: This study relies on the testimony of the United Nations in their 1970 "Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer… of Cultural Property,” …

The Digital Economy And Equitable Access To Jobs In The Mountain West, 2023, Isabelle Graham

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

This fact sheet presents data from a Brookings Institution report, “The future of the US digital economy depends on equitable access to jobs,” which compares the share of 2023 employment in highly digital jobs among women and minority groups for select U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). This fact sheet reports data for nine Mountain West MSAs: Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV; Albuquerque, NM; Colorado Springs, CO; Denver-Aurora- Lakewood, CO; Tucson, AZ; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; Provo-Orem, UT; and Ogden- Clearfield, UT.

Perception Of Emotion In Autism With Controlled Elicitation (Peace), Austin Gillespie, Rachel E. Dewald

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

It is possible that autistic people find it easier to socialize within their own peer group (Beaupré & Hess, 2006), by recognizing socio-emotional nonverbal cues, due to a shared neurodivergence. To assess this, it would be helpful for researchers to have a database of emotional stimuli, validated for use with autistic individuals. Unfortunately, this does not exist. This current study’s objective is to create such a database that evokes natural emotion, rated by autistic individuals to be used in future research. All participants completed the Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) which measures the participants’ ability to identify and describe their own emotions …

The Emotional Climate Crisis: An Integrative Review Of Mental Health Outcomes From Climate-Related Disasters, Vidhani Goel, Roberto Sagaribay

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Introduction: Climate change is a planetary and public health crisis. Between 2000 and 2019, over 1.2 million deaths and 4 billion individuals were affected by climate-related disasters. These events often impact mental health. This integrative review synthesizes evidence on mental health outcomes particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and eco-anxiety among populations affected by climate disasters. Methods: Using Whittemore and Knafl’s five-stage framework, this integrative review is in the preliminary analysis stage. A systematic search will be conducted for peer-reviewed studies published globally from January 1995 to March 2024. Eligible studies include quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research on mental health …