Digital Commons Network^™

Road Surface And Subsurface Monitoring Using Machine Learning, Koduah Amoako

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a comprehensive, non-invasive framework for real-time monitoring of road surface and subgrade conditions using acoustic sensing and machine learning. Traditional Tire-Road Coefficient of Friction (TRCF) estimation techniques often rely on intrusive sensors, offline data analysis, or laboratory measurements, making them impractical for real-time applications. The present research introduces an alternative approach that utilizes the acoustic emissions generated by tire-road interaction to infer both surface friction and subsurface integrity dynamically.Measurement microphones were mounted beneath a test vehicle to record tire-road noise signatures across different pavement textures and vehicle speeds. The collected acoustic signals were processed using Fast Fourier …

Differential Photometric Analysis Of Exoplanet Candidates Toi-1362.01, Toi-2290.01, Toi-6010.01, And Toi-6324.01, Samantha Buck

Theses and Dissertations

To maximize the science return from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP) was created to network scientists and observatories to conduct follow-up observations of potential exoplanets. As members of TFOP-Subgroup 1, we observed four exoplanet candidates: TOI-1362.01, TOI-2290.01, TOI-6010.01, and TOI-6324.01 using the University of North Dakota Space Studies Observatory. The TOI observations were conducted from 31 October 2024 – 15 November, 2024 UTC. AstroImageJ software was used to perform differential photometry and, if a transit event was observed, determine orbital parameters and physical characteristics. Each of the target’s light curves was modeled and …

Culture-Dependent Characterization Of Microbial Succession And Persistence In The Integrated Lunar/Martian Analog Habitat (Ilmah), Haley Olivia Boles

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines culture-dependent microbial monitoring in a closed lunar/Martian analog habitat, focusing on viable community dynamics relevant to long-duration missions. A standardized sampling and cultivation pipeline was implemented in ILMAH to track microbial succession and persistence under realistic operational conditions. Surface samples were collected across eight habitat zones at five mission timepoints (Days 0, 5, 10, 15, 20) during a 21-day crewed mission. Samples were concentrated post-collection and plated on chromogenic film media to quantify total aerobic bacteria (AC-R), fungi (YM-R), E. coli (EC), and S. aureus (SA). Plates were imaged and enumerated digitally; representative colonies were isolated and …

Resistance Through Policy: Documenting Lgbtq+ Advocacy In Public Education, Rhys Mitchell Fryar

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines how educational policies related to LGBTQ+ students are constructed, interpreted, and implemented across federal, state, and district-levels. It asks whether institutional intent reflects authentic commitment to equity or functions as symbolic compliance in politically contested environments. Using Portland Public Schools (PPS) as a case study, the analysis situates the district within Oregon’s affirming policy landscape and the Trump administration’s restrictive federal mandates. PPS has adopted policies, such as Administrative Directive 4.30.061 AD (2023b) and the Gender Identity Support Guide (2023a), to support queer and gender-expansive students; however, it faces a federal investigation (U.S. Department of Education, 2025b, …

Data-Driven Evalutation And Optimization Of Fishbone Well Configurations For Geothermal Energy Recovery In The Red River Formation, Cedar Creek Anticline, Candace Proksch

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates the geothermal potential of the Red River C interval at the Cedar Creek Anticline and develops a workflow for screening fishbone multilateral designs in a heterogeneous carbonate reservoir. Regional heat-flow and depth maps delineated Cedar Creek as a thermally favorable site and the lower dolomite as the primary reservoir target, supporting construction of a 3D Petrel model that captured the five-member C-interval architecture, petrophysical properties, and temperature field. A multi-stage Particle Swarm Optimization and fast-marching framework used this model to generate and rank fishbone injector–producer configurations, and a line-source approximation combined with a fixed-efficiency Organic Rankine Cycle …

A Space Propulsion Concept Based On Inertial Confinement: Exploring Nuclear Fusion Utilizing Polywell Geometry, Preeti Nair

Theses and Dissertations

Nuclear fusion propulsion represents a promising solution for future interplanetarymissions due to its high energy density and potential for continuous power generation. However, existing fusion propulsion systems face significant limitations, particularly in achieving stable plasma confinement. The Polywell concept, introduced by physicist Robert Bussard in 1985, offers advantages through its compact, polyhedral geometry that is wellsuited for spacecraft applications where mass and volume constraints are critical. Despite these advantages, Polywell designs have encountered stability challenges in maintaining the electric potential well over time. Plasma instabilities induced by magnetic fields disrupt containment and reduce fusion efficiency, limiting overall performance and scalability …

Exploratory Study Of Relationships Between Law Students' Well-Being, Academic Success, And Perceptions Of Passing The Bar Exam And Admission, Pamela Shea

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the experiences of law students that impact their perception of being prepared for the Bar Exam and Bar admission. Analyzing the stressors law students face during law school reveals the essential need to incorporate the eight dimensions of well-being into curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities for students to flourish as they prepare for post-graduation success. Using the data from the 2021 Survey of Law Student Well-Being, which surveyed 5,865 law students from thirty-nine ABA-accredited law schools, a three-factor model was created to group students’ concerns into academic and health concerns, social and environmental concerns, and well-being behavioral …

Microbial Communities And Host Plants Of Megachilidae In The Greater Grand Forks Area (Ggfa), Sara Margit Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Although Megachilidae are important pollinators in the United States, there is still much to learn about the health and functionality of these bees. Megachilids are threatened by competition from non-native pollinators and other environmental factors. The species distribution and composition of the gut microbiome in megachilid bees are not well known for the Greater Grand Forks Area (GGFA). My research seeks to answer the questions: what megachilid species are in the GGFA, where are they, and what symbionts are in their gut microbiomes? I collected and identified solitary bee specimens from North Dakota and Minnesota, dissected their gut contents, and …

Understanding Ai Literacy: Implications For Practice​, Devon Olson, Janet Anderson, Sara Westall

Librarian Publications

Presentation from the 2025 Mountain Plains Library Association Tri-Conference, held in Grand Forks, ND. This presentation provides an overview of basic AI concepts and frameworks for AI literacy, discussing the impact of different patron and learner demographics on learner needs, competencies, and instructional strategies.

Financial And Behavioral Health For Helping Professionals, Jeffrey Anvari-Clark

Books

This open access book brings together decades of research and practice on the intersections among financial and behavioral health concerns. By framing financial health as comprised of financial precarity, financial efficacy, and financial well-being, this new addition to the field of behavioral health helps readers understand and address the surge of interest in financial health and wellness from a holistic, psychosocial perspective. The text explores not only how financial difficulties impose hardship on individuals, couples, and families, but also how these concerns shape our feelings, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors and thereby our health. Case examples throughout illustrate the concepts and …

Imposter Phenomenon In A New Library Position, Karlene T. Clark

Librarian Posters and Presentations

This past year, Karlene moved into a reference position and went through a period of self doubt. This presentation will provide resources for others going through transitions at work, including academic resources and ways to calm and reassure yourself.

Leads Data Insights: Affinity Core Value Metrics Summary — Fall 2025, University Of North Dakota

LEADS Development Documents

Summary and analysis of Fall 2025 metrics for the AFFINITY core value of UND LEADS. The document reviews levels of achievement and changes since Spring 2025 for Affinity strategic priorities, including campus environments, workforce retention, first-year experience, athletic excellence, global engagement, and military-friendly initiatives.

Who Owns Our Knowledge: Open Access Week 2025, Devon Olson, Rosemary Pleva Flynn, Zeineb Yousif

Librarian Publications

Commemorating Open Access Week 2025, this zine includes educational content on concepts central to open access scholarship as well as games and activities, and comics illustrating reader feedback to works posted on UND's Scholarly Commons.

Leads Data Insights: Affinity Core Value Metrics Summary — Fall 2025, University Of North Dakota

LEADS Implementation Documents

Summary and analysis of Fall 2025 metrics for the AFFINITY core value of UND LEADS. The document reviews levels of achievement and changes since Spring 2025 for Affinity strategic priorities, including campus environments, workforce retention, first-year experience, athletic excellence, global engagement, and military-friendly initiatives.

Leads Data Insights: Affinity — Fall 2025, University Of North Dakota

LEADS Implementation Documents

Presentation of Fall 2025 data insights for the AFFINITY core value of UND LEADS. The slides summarize Activity Inventory and UND Today story coverage, compare Affinity progress between April 2025 and January 2026, and review outcome measures connected to belonging, workforce retention, first-year experience, athletics, global engagement, and military-affiliated students.

Comprehensive Library Access For Hybrid And Remote Researchers, Tressa M. Graves

EERC Publications, Papers, & Presentations

As hybrid and remote work continues, special libraries are continually evolving to meet the needs of their communities. This includes remote and hybrid researchers at the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). While the EERC is physically located in eastern North Dakota, EERC employees are scattered throughout Mountain Plains Library Association states. Using embedded librarianship principles, the EERC’s Library & Information Services team fulfills complex and time-sensitive information needs by providing creative solutions and building partnerships with researchers.

Leads Data Insights: Affinity — Fall 2025, University Of North Dakota

LEADS Development Documents

Presentation of Fall 2025 data insights for the AFFINITY core value of UND LEADS. The slides summarize Activity Inventory and UND Today story coverage, compare Affinity progress between April 2025 and January 2026, and review outcome measures connected to belonging, workforce retention, first-year experience, athletics, global engagement, and military-affiliated students.

Temporal Landscapes: Prairie, People, And Place, Eric Castle

The Cicadian

No abstract provided.

Matrescence, Erin Kunz

The Cicadian

Kunz reflects on her transformation into motherhood, describing the physical, emotional, and psychological shifts that accompany the process known as matrescence. Through vivid memories of childhood and early parenting, she explores the complexities of maternal love, especially for women who did not receive unconditional love themselves. Her rocking chair becomes a symbol of nurturing and endurance, where she gave everything to her children while grappling with her own identity. Erin also highlights the supportive role of her partner, challenging traditional gender norms and celebrating shared caregiving. As her children grow, she mourns the environmental changes that have altered the …

Flowing Knowledge: Connecting Education, Watersheds, And Our World, Taylor Lemieux

The Cicadian

The main theme of Taylor Lemieux’s story is the transformative power of experiential environmental education. Through personal memories and professional experiences, she illustrates how hands-on learning in nature fosters curiosity, resilience, and a deep sense of stewardship. Her journey emphasizes that meaningful education goes beyond textbooks—it connects learners to the world around them.

Gardens As Pathways To Environmental Education For All Ages, Lacey Anderson

The Cicadian

Gardens provide hands-on opportunities for environmental education that extend beyond food production, encompassing ecological literacy, sustainability practices, experiential learning, and community engagement. This article uses a creative nonfiction approach to examine the author’s personal journey from reluctant gardener to advocate for learning gardens. Through narrative reflection of her own family’s gardening experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the author illustrates how gardening fosters intergenerational learning, socio-emotional development, and curiosity-driven exploration of ecological systems. The article highlights how gardens function as accessible entry points for lifelong learners of all ages, demonstrating that environmental literacy can emerge outside of traditional scientific expertise. Ultimately, …

“Grow Your Plants, But Most Importantly, Grow Yourself”: Women, Resilience, And Cultural Continuity In Jamaican And Diaspora Gardens, Giovanni Whyte

The Cicadian

This essay explores the cultural, personal, and transformative power of gardening through the stories of four women—Brenda, Linda, Keisha, and Janice—whose lives span Jamaica and its diaspora. Their narratives reveal gardening as more than food cultivation but the practice of resilience, healing, and cultural continuity. Brenda honors her ancestral legacy in St. Elizabeth; Linda finds solace after loss; Keisha fosters socioemotional growth among urban students; and Janice embraces sustainability in suburban America. Together, their experiences illustrate how gardening nurtures identity, strengthens communities, and connects people to land, memory, and future generations.

Where The Earth Meets The Sky, Ashlyn Ed Herron

The Cicadian

A reflection of finding one's place in an ecosystem that raised them, and a long overdue love-letter to the prairies

Introduction To Our Inaugural Issue, Lacey Anderson, Mary Moroney-Fernandez, Giovanni E. Whyte

The Cicadian

No abstract provided.

Additively Constructed Plain Concrete Pipes: Structural Performance And Site Implementation, Alireza Hasani, Boshra Besharatian, Sattar Dorafshan

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Worldwide, extrusion-based additive construction of cementitious materials or 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) has gained significant momentum for large-scale construction in recent years. This technology has advanced building construction across the world; however, it is rather underdeveloped in transportation infrastructure construction. This paper addresses major hurdles hindering the wider adoption of 3DCP for unreinforced/plain pipe culvert construction. More specifically, the authors investigated the load-bearing capacity of large-scale pipes under the three-edge bearing (TEB) test. Additionally, the effects of printing discontinuities or seam sections on the structural behavior of 3DCP pipes, and their site implementation considerations as culvert structures were studied in …

U.S. Incentives To Capture And Store Co2, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet on the 45Q tax credit. 45Q was created in 2008 as a tax credit to incentivize the development of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects.

Effect Of Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet On Ldl Cholesterol: A Scoping Literature Review, Joel Gregory Mueller

Nursing Capstones

Background: The whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet includes whole grains, whole plants, unrefined sugars, beans, and legumes. The diet excludes meat, dairy, and added fats. The diet has been popularized by documentaries .The diet claims to lower total and LDL cholesterol to a safe level as both a primary and secondary mode of prevention.

Purpose: Review existing studies to see whether the WFPB diet will lower LDL cholesterol in adult males over a 14 day or more duration.

Methods: A scoping literature review was completed of the University of North Dakota’s library system for keyword combinations. The returned 102 studies were …

Investigation Of Wireless Communication Sub-Optimizing Factors And Ai-Based Optimization For Ber Reduction, Lalan Jee Mishra

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing demand for high-throughput, low-latency, and reliable wireless communication has led to significant advancements of cellular wireless technologies since the early ‘80s. However, in dynamic and interference-prone environments—particularly those involving Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)—signal degradation due to pathloss, multipath propagation, co-channel interference, and weather-induced attenuation continues to undermine performance. These factors contribute to elevated bit error rates (BER), inefficient spectrum usage, and unreliable communication links, thereby limiting the practical utility of wireless systems in aerial applications. Traditional mitigation techniques, while effective under certain conditions, often fail to adapt to rapidly changing wireless environments. This shortcoming underscores the need for …

Flight Instructor Enhanced Qualification Training Program, Brendan Aug

Aviation Student Publications

Due to December 2024 regulatory changes made to 14 CFR Part 61.195(h)— Qualifications to provide ground or flight training to initial flight instructor applicants—a new training program, titled the Flight Instructor Enhanced Qualification Training Program (FIEQTP), must be developed under 61.195(h)(3).

The purpose of this packet is, in response to regulatory changes, to conduct a thorough training needs analysis, and utilizing its conclusions, develop a new 14 CFR Part 141 course and assessment plan that meets the requirements of Part 61.195(h)(3) Flight instructor enhanced qualification training program.

Edmore And Webster Coulee Hydrologic Simulation Data, Sharhad Wainty, Taufique H. Mahmood

Datasets

The authors compiled a hydrologic model for the Edmore at Edmore and Edmore at Webster Coulee Basin using Cold Region Hydrologic Platform. The datasets include observed and simulated streamflow, observed climatic data, land use maps and hydrological representative unit maps (HRU) maps. This study detected a mechanism of hydrologic change to wetting using a cold region hydrologic model during 1991-2024 period.