Digital Commons Network^™

Dimensions Of Green Crabs, Carcinus Maenas (Linnaeus 1785), And Oysters, Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin 1791), In Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, Kelsey Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations

Invasive species may alter how an ecosystem functions, such as the Great Bay Estuary (GBE) inNew Hampshire. In GBE, an invasive species of particular interest is the green cab (Carcinus maenas) because historically (and currently) there are no mitigation or eradication plans that have been implemented. It is not well-known how green crabs are interacting with oysters in GBE, whether that be wild, restored, or aquacultured. The aim of this dissertation was to document NH oyster growers’ perspectives on the issue of green crabs and oyster predation, understand their abundance, distribution and diet among natural/restored oyster areas and oyster farms …

Double Segregated Districts And The Persistence Of The Education Debt: A Study In Three Research Essays – Desegregation, The Education Debt, And Brown To Brownsville: A Case Study., Shantel Palacio

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the persistence of double segregation—the racial and socioeconomic isolation of students—in New York City public schools. Using a three-article, mixed-methods design grounded in Gloria Ladson-Billings’ education debt framework, it explores how legal precedent, school-level demographics, and community perspectives interact to sustain unequal educational opportunity.The first article provides a legal-historical analysis tracing desegregation efforts from Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) to IntegrateNYC v. State of New York (2024). Using the IRAC method, it examines how federal courts shifted from enforcing desegregation to limiting race-conscious remedies, leading advocates to pursue equity through state-based legal strategies. The article highlights the increasing …

Age Distribution Of Minors Portrayed In Image-Based Sexual Abuse And Child Sexual Abuse Material, Samantha Jean Sutton

Doctoral Dissertations

Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) poses a significant threat, especially in the current technological age. A better understanding of victim characteristics is needed to direct investigation and prevention efforts properly. However, determining the age distribution of children in CSAM has been difficult due to numerous factors, including differing laws governing CSAM, the priority placed on investigating younger victims, and the difficulty of determining from images alone the age of young people. This meta-analysis sought to understand the proportion of image abuse victims who are under the age of 13 compared to those who are 13 years or older and whether …

Responding To Range Expansion: Assessing Insect Communities, Tree Decline Symptoms, And Tree Mortality Risk As The Southern Pine Beetle Moves North, Caroline Rachel Kanaskie

Doctoral Dissertations

Climate change is shifting species distributions. In New England, warmer winters allow southern species to survive further north. The northward range expansion of the tree-killing southern pine beetle is the focus of this dissertation. Outbreaks of this beetle cause both ecological and economic damage, which threaten the globally rare pine barrens ecosystem. I used an interdisciplinary approach to study this insect: 1) I synthesized literature on the beetle’s natural enemies; 2) I used a suite of chemical attractants to investigate the insect community attracted to the beetle’s pheromones and assessed the diversity and abundance of its potential predators; 3) I …

Molecular Simulation Studies Of Peptide Transport Across The Mitochondrial Membrane, Son Nguyen

Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular transport across membranes is an important biophysical process. Designing molecules capable of crossing cell membranes and targeting specific organelle is becoming necessary in treating many diseases and disorders. In recent decades, cell-penetrating peptides have been studied and utilized to deliver a variety of cargoes. My dissertation work focuses on studying the molecular details of the peptide translocation process across a cell membrane. Specifically, I investigated the dynamics of mitochondrial-targeting peptides and their mechanisms of translocation across the mitomembrane. I conducted molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of model mitochondrial-targeting peptides with distinct physical and chemical properties such as sequence lengths, functional …

Deciphering Tragedy: Understanding Student-Teacher Ratio's Impact On School Shooting Outcomes, Samantha Sutton

Master's Theses and Capstones

Increasingly fatal school shootings present an urgent challenge for researchers. Apart from issues surrounding firearms, factors that can reduce outcomes from school shootings events are increasingly sought after. Student-teacher ratios are associated with outcomes of school based juvenile delinquency and deviance, where more ideal ratios are linked to lower outcomes and less ideal ratios are linked to higher outcomes. Using this background knowledge, this paper tests for associations between student-teacher ratios and the outcomes, in terms of both casualties and fatalities, of school shooting events. Two different theoretical frameworks are tested to determine which better predicts results: social disorganization theory …

Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In A Suburbanizing Watershed, Bailey Mullins

Master's Theses and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent man-made chemicals that accumulate in aquatic environments due to their widespread industrial and commercial use and resistance to degradation. Understanding their spatial distribution and relative abundance in streams draining suburbanizing watersheds is crucial for effective watershed and water quality management. This study investigates how the concentrations and composition of PFAS in surface water and sediment are impacted by urbanization. PFAS were quantified in the Lamprey River watershed, a coastal watershed in southeastern New Hampshire that is experiencing ongoing suburbanization. Sampling sites include tributaries, mainstem, and estuarine areas. Surface water, sediment, and well water …

Understanding The Epigenetic Role Of Prmt5 Inhibitors In Rna Binding Proteins And Histones Involved In Merkel Cell Carcinoma Tumorigenesis., Devya Gurung

Master's Theses and Capstones

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer with a 30% mortality rate. In the United States, 80% of MCC cases are linked to the integration of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), while the remaining cases are associated with excessive ultraviolet (UV) exposure, leading to UV-induced DNA damage. The therapeutic targets for MCC remain largely unknown. Elevated expression of Protein Arginine Methyltransferase-5 (PRMT5) has been observed in various cancers. My research aims to investigate how arginine methylation impacts the regulatory mechanisms of RNA-binding proteins and histone residues during neuroendocrine transdifferentiation in MCC. Recent studies suggest that low …

Fine-Scale Movements And Inferred Behavioral States Of Jonah Crabs (Cancer Borealis) In Relation To Size, Sex, And Claw Removal Using An Acoustic Telemetry Positioning System, Maureen Estella Madray

Master's Theses and Capstones

AbstractJonah crabs (Cancer borealis) are an economically and ecologically valuable fishery species found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. As fishing pressure on Jonah crabs in US waters grows, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) has declined in recent years. The notable decline in CPUE seen in the US Jonah crab fishery indicates that alternative fishery practices, such as claw-only harvesting, should be further investigated to determine the potential utility in improving the health and sustainability of this evolving fishery. Claw harvesting, one potential relief to fishing mortality, may offer a decrease in crab mortality but is also affected by removal technique as well as …

Interpretive Rules Are The New Regulations: Agency Guidance After Loper Bright, Gwendolyn Savitz

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

The Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright to end formal deference under Chevron to administrative agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous statutes forces agencies into an unprecedented situation. Courts had deferred to agencies’ interpretations of binding rules since before the Administrative Procedure Act was passed. Now, for the first time, agencies are functionally unable to create new regulations with any confidence they will be upheld. This understanding is reinforced by the Court’s pivot to Skidmore deference. The Skidmore case, and Skidmore deference, only arose because the agency at issue in Skidmore had not been given the authority to create binding regulations by …

The Loper Bright Two-Step: A Reply And Comment To Professor Savitz, Darren Bush

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

No abstract provided.

Design And Development Of Systems For Wave-Soil-Structure Interaction Modelling In A Geotechnical Centrifuge, Mark Justin Adler

Master's Theses and Capstones

As hurricanes, and therefore storm surges, become stronger on average, civil engineering research has increasingly focused on the impact of flooding on coastal communities. While hurricane-induced flood scour has been understood to be a mechanism of structural failure for decades, there is still not a complete model for scour in the near-coast environment. To build on the current body of scour research, an apparatus for the physical modelling of wave-soil-structure interactions has been developed for the University of New Hampshire geotechnical centrifuge laboratory. The new model container design is capable of wave generation, wave absorption, and the real-time measurement of …

Bridge To Real World Communication: Evaluating The Ecological Validity Of Narrative Performance Measures In People With Aphasia, Abigail L. Rowe

Master's Theses and Capstones

Purpose: Standardized aphasia assessments focus on diagnosing and measuring language impairments, but do not capture how well individuals with aphasia (PWA) communicate in everyday contexts. Thus, there is a mismatch between the clinical measures used to quantify aphasia severity and real-world communication. This study aims to bridge that gap by employing naïve listeners’ in an effort toward social validity of a measure of lexical typicality (CoreLexicon) by establishing its relationship with aphasia severity and communicative successMethods: Audio samples of picture descriptions from twenty-four people with aphasia were gathered from existing data at two timepoints (mean between testing = 15.4 months) …

Faculty Senate Xxix 2024-2025 - April 21, 2025 Agenda, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

University Of New Hampshire 2024-2025 Faculty Senate Xxix - April 21, 2025 Minutes Summary, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

Anchoring ‘Neo-Hahnian Outdoor Education’ In The Cold War Era: A History Of Character Building In The Outward Bound Movement, Jayson Seaman

Faculty Publications

The invitation to comment on a foundational early article from the JAEOL provided a welcome opportunity to engage with Andrew Brookes’s trilogy of ‘neo-Hahnian outdoor education’ critiques (Brookes, 2003a, 2003b, 2023). In this article, I approach outdoor education’s character building ideology by using archival and secondary sources to situate its evolution in four periods corresponding with major geopolitical and cultural movements: (1) 1941–1945 when Outward Bound (OB) was established; (2) 1946–1952 when Hahn exported OB from his perch at Gordonstoun; (3) 1953–1967 when OB expanded to the U.S. and replicated globally, and (4) 1968–1976 when human potentialism replaced muscular Christianity …

A Relational Approach To Workplace Leadership, Nathaniel J. Hunt

M.S. in Leadership

This research project examines relational leadership as an ethical and strategic foundation for fostering effective workplaces. Motivated by the growing importance of human connection in leadership, the study integrates philosophical insights, particularly Emmanuel Levinas’s ethics of the face of the Other, with empirical evidence on workplace relationship-building. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining a structured survey of 32 professionals with thematic analysis of qualitative responses. Results confirmed that strategies such as encouraging knowledge-sharing and cultivating positive relational climates significantly enhance employee well-being, psychological safety, and organizational performance. Knowledge-sharing emerged as the most effective strategy, while relationship-building was found to be …

Crusading Against Vice In The Progressive Era: American Anti-Profanity Leagues And Their Legacy, Evan J. Christensen

Roland D. Sawyer Scholarship Papers

During the Progressive Era in the United States, the rise of Anti-Profanity Leagues—such as those led by Roland D. Sawyer and Arthur S. Colborne—mirrored a growing national moral sentiment against profanity that aligned with broader ideals of social reform and public virtue. These leagues responded to widespread concerns about the perceived erosion of public decency and sought to promote “clean speech” through grassroots organizing, religious engagement, and civic advocacy. This paper situates the Anti-Profanity Leagues within the larger framework of Progressive Era moral reform movements, including temperance, anti-vice campaigns, and social purity efforts. Drawing on period newspapers, archival materials, and …

The Semantics Of Sin: Profanity, Reform, And Cultural Authority In Progressive America, Evan J. Christensen

Roland D. Sawyer Scholarship Papers

During the Progressive Era, language reform movements such as the Anti-Profanity League sought to regulate everyday speech as part of broader efforts to preserve public morality and cultural identity. This paper examines the rhetorical strategies and cultural assumptions underpinning the anti-profanity crusade, focusing especially on Reverend Roland D. Sawyer’s leadership. Using historical sources including league literature, newspaper accounts, personal letters, organizational records, and sermons, it argues that profanity was framed not merely as a religious or moral failure but as a threat to social cohesion, character, and national values. Efforts to suppress swearing reveal how language functioned as a marker …

Understanding The Conceptions Of “Fascism” In Our Contemporary Political Climate, Travis Dean-Ploof

Inquiry Journal Spring 2025

The prominent “checklist” and analogical approaches of trying to pin down the characteristics that do and do not constitute fascism cause consistent disagreement around the meaning of the term (e.g., How many traits make a regime fascist?). This distracts us from understanding what fascism is and recognizing its potential presence and implications in our modern politics. Without developing a critical understanding of the term, I fear that its use will develop into an empty political smear that distracts from genuine concern about oppressive politics. In this project, funded by a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, I geared my inquiry toward the …

The Two Men Named Perez Andrews Of Oxford County, Maine, Kathrine C. Aydelott

Faculty Publications

This article resolves a long-standing genealogical confusion between two men named Perez (or Peres) Andrews, whose overlapping names, lifespans, and locations in 19th-century Maine have led to persistent misidentification in published genealogies and family trees. Drawing on extensive primary source research—including land records, censuses, court cases, and vital records—this study reconstructs the distinct lives of Perez Andrews (b. ca. 1767) of Bakerstown, Minot, Buckfield, and Bradford, Maine; and Peres Andrews (b. 1797) of No. 2 Plantation and Sumner. The paper not only separates their identities and lineages but also probes possible familial connections among the Andrews families of western Maine. …

Rhode Island Disapproves Of Trump Handling Of War In Ukraine, Tariffs 3/27/2025, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Six in ten Rhode Islanders disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the war in Ukraine and most believe it was started by Russia. On the economy, only one-third of state residents approve of Trump's use of tariffs and four in ten approve of Trump's overall handling of the economy. A majority of Rhode Islanders support banning transgender female athletes from participating in women's sports.

Massachusetts Residents Strongly Disapprove Of Trump On Economy And Tariffs, Most Expect Recession 3/27/2025, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Two-thirds of Massachusetts residents disapprove of Donald Trump's performance as president. Approval of Trump's handling of the economy is particularly low, and a majority disapprove of Trump's use of tariffs and expect a recession within a year. On foreign policy, most disapprove of Trump's handling of the conflict in Ukraine and see Ukraine as an ally or friend of the United States. On transgender policy, nearly two-thirds of Bay Staters believe transgender female athletes should be barred from participating in women's sports.

Approval Of Trump's Handling Of Economy Declines In Nh, Most Support Transgender Sports Policy 3/27/2025, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Support for President Trump's handling of the economy has fallen since February. A majority disapprove of Trump's use of tariffs and most see Canada and Mexico, two targets of Trump's tariffs, as allies or friends of the United States. A slim majority disapprove of Trump's handling of the war in Ukraine. Most believe Russia is responsible for starting the war and a majority view them as an enemy of the U.S. A majority of Granite Staters agree with Trump's directive to forbid transgender female athletes from competing in women's sports.

Connecticut Residents Disapprove Of Trump On Economy, Foreign Policy, And Overall Performance 3/27/2025, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

A majority of Connecticut residents disapprove of President Donald Trump's job performance, his handling of foreign affairs, and the economy. More than two-thirds expect a recession in the near future and a majority disapprove of Trump's use of tariffs. Most Connecticut residents agree with Trump's executive order banning transgender female athletes from participating in women's sports.

Trump Approval Slips, Mainers Oppose Transgender Participation In Women's Sports 3/27/2025, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Amid ongoing acrimony between Maine Governor Janet Mills and President Donald Trump, nearly two-thirds of Mainers agree with Trump that transgender women should be barred from participating in women's sports. Mainers increasingly disapprove of Trump's performance as president, particularly his handling of the economy and use of tariffs, and most expect a recession within a year. On foreign policy, most Mainers disapprove of Trump's handling of the conflict in Ukraine and disagree with Trump's contention that Ukraine started the war.

Vermonters Strongly Disapprove Of Trump Presidency, Most Expect Recession 3/27/2025, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Two-thirds of Vermont residents disapprove of President Trump's performance as president, with many claiming he is undermining democracy or the Constitution. Most also disapprove of Trump's handling of the conflict in Ukraine. Concerning the economy, seven in ten Vermonters expect a recession within twelve months and most disapprove of Trump's use of tariffs. A majority of state residents support forbidding female transgender athletes in women’s sports.

University Of New Hampshire 2024-2025 Faculty Senate Xxix - March 10, 2025 Minutes Summary, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

Standing To Enforce The Future: Citizen Suits And Climate Change, Jordan Budd, Margaret Sova Mccabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article takes as its starting point the premise that Congress, facing an existential climate catastrophe, might choose to impose direct and significant restrictions on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Were it to do so, federal policy would require powerful enforcement mechanisms to reach the myriad emission sources fueling the nation’s vast contribution to global warming.

Among the most potent and far-reaching enforcement tools available to Congress are citizen suits—actions brought by private litigants to enforce federal regulations and to hold agencies accountable for related inaction. Private enforcement in the context of climate change, however, faces a nearly insurmountable barrier—Article III …

Disapproval Of Mills Climbs In Maine; Majority Support Increase In Teacher Pay, Cigarette Tax 2/24/2025, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Mainers are divided over Janet Mills' performance as governor of Maine, with half of her detractors mentioning her handling of the state's budget or finances as the reason for their disapproval. Housing remains the most important problem in the minds of Mainers, but the state budget and taxes are growing areas of concern. A plurality believe Maine spends too little on education and most support a proposed increase in teacher pay. Most also support a $1 increase in the cigarette tax and a slim majority support a proposed constitutional amendment related to noncitizen voting.