Digital Commons Network^™

Standardized Training Methodologies For Medical Laboratory Science Students And Their Importance For Student Success, Maria Simpson

Medical Laboratory Science Independent Study Projects

Clinical education is a critical component of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) programs, serving as the primary bridge between academic instruction and professional practice. However, traditional clinical rotation training models often struggle to keep pace with rapid advancements in laboratory technology, expanding professional responsibilities, workforce shortages, and heightened patient safety expectations. The purpose of this capstone project is to examine the key factors driving the need to update training methodologies in MLS clinical rotations and to evaluate contemporary educational approaches that better prepare students for entry-level practice. This project addresses systemic challenges faced by clinical laboratories, such as staffing constraints, heavy …

Identification And Development Of Improved Monitoring For Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions In North Dakota, Lawson Frey

Theses and Dissertations

Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) represent a significant ecological and public safety concern across the United States, yet data collection systems in many states remain insufficient to capture the true magnitude and taxonomic breadth of collision-related mortality. North Dakota, where WVCs account for approximately 18% of all reported crashes, relies almost exclusively on law enforcement collision reports governed by high property damage thresholds, a protocol that systematically excludes the majority of species and underestimates total mortality. This study addresses these data gaps through three complementary approaches conducted in North Dakota from 2021 to 2025. First, we conducted systematic weekly carcass surveys across …

Understanding Health Literacy In Confinement: Intersectional Perspectives And Criminal Justice Implications, Laura Mishne Heller

Theses and Dissertations

Health literacy, defined as the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health information, is a critical determinant of health and health equity. Although national public health initiatives emphasize improving health literacy, incarcerated populations remain largely overlooked in health literacy research despite experiencing disproportionately high rates of chronic illness, infectious disease, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders. Using data from the 2014 U.S. Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Prison Study, this dissertation examined health literacy among incarcerated adults through three sequential analyses. First, literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving measures were evaluated as proxy indicators of health …

A Descriptive Mixed Methods Case Study: A Culturally Responsive Approach To Contact Tracing By The White Mountain Apache Tribe, Kamellia Kellywood

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian and Alaska Native communities experienced disproportionate impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need to better understand effective public health response strategies in tribal settings. The purpose of this convergent mixed methods case study was to examine the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT), COVID-19 response by exploring the perceived strengths and limitations of the WMAT contact tracing program and describing temporal patterns of COVID-19 transmission in relation to tribal mitigation mandates. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 key informants involved in contact tracing and COVID-19 response efforts. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Quantitative …

Impact Of Active Learning On Student Performance In An Introductory Atmospheric Science Laboratory Course, Kassidy Danae Kjos

Theses and Dissertations

Little investigation into pedagogy in atmospheric sciences has been conducted. While numerous studies across STEM disciplines have examined and demonstrate active learning (AL) is beneficial to student performance, fewer than fifty explored atmospheric sciences specifically. This study expands upon these few existing studies by evaluating a diverse set of AL strategies implemented into introductory meteorology laboratories. Five AL techniques (Think-Pair-Share, Game-Based, Role-Playing, Diagramming, and Gallery Walks) were implemented between two semesters across multiple laboratory sections. Student performance is analyzed using the laboratory and its accompanying lecture curriculum assessments, as well as through pre- and post-tests. Results indicate students exposed to …

Bridging Relational And Institutional Accountability: A Mixed Methods Study Of Implementing Sámi Ethical Research Guidelines In Finland’S Public Health Sector, Anna Charlotta Kihlstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The Ethical Guidelines for Research Involving Sámi People in Finland represent a critical step toward ethical Indigenous research; however, a gap remains between these principles and their implementation. This study responds to a research priority identified by the Sámi Social Affairs and Health Committee and examines how ethical research guidelines can be operationalized in the collaboration between the Sámi Parliament and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was employed, grounded in an Indigenous research paradigm and relational accountability. Extensive community engagement was carried out as a foundational part of the research methodology. …

Intragroup Marginalization, Multiracial Identity Development, And Subjective Well-Being: A Qualitative Analysis, Anna Kim Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

To date, there is little research on the relationship between multiracial identity, marginalization, and well-being, particularly research investigating whether identity can have a positive impact on well-being. The current study used live, semi-structured interviews and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to aggregate the narratives of nine multiracial participants to explore their lived experiences of intragroup marginalization, multiracial identity development and integration, and well-being. Within the frames of the Intersectional Model of Multiracial Identity and Social Identity Model, five superordinate themes emerged across participants: (1) early racial meaning-making and internalized tension; (2) developing and negotiating a multiracial identity; (3) seeking and constructing …

Strengthening Teacher Development Through School-University Partnerships: A Document Analysis Informed By Improvement Science, Holly Ripley

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher shortages have become a persistent challenge across the United States, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although alternative certification pathways have helped fill vacancies, many have also resulted in underprepared teachers entering the profession. This Dissertation in Practice addresses the need for sustainable solutions that strengthen teacher preparation while supporting school districts facing workforce shortages. Guided by improvement science and the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, this study investigates school-university partnerships as a strategy for addressing both teacher shortages and teacher preparedness. A qualitative document analysis was conducted to examine funded school-university partnerships and state policies that support their implementation. The study explored …

Testing The Efficacy Of A Non-Invasive, Epidermal, Marker-Based Method For Conducting X-Ray Reconstruction Of Moving Morphology (Xromm) On A Cadaver Chicken, Brian Skillman

Theses and Dissertations

X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) is widely used to understand the kinematics of living organisms. The first of two standard methods for utlizing XROMM is to surgically implant X-ray dense markers within the bones of interest and euthanize the subject at the conclusion of testing, referred altogether as marker-based. The other standard, known Scientific Rotoscoping, or markerless, involves using thorough videography of the subject and manual bone orientation within the data collection program. These standards both pose unique issues, such as post-surgery complications for marker-based and time constraints for markerless. We investigate an intermediate method for utilizing XROMM involving …

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention's Healthy Tribes Program: Uncertainty Around Executive Orders During 2025 - A Qualitative Study, Gem Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Programs that center culture as prevention are required for promoting holistic health and well-being in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, however limited research demonstrates how these programs are affected by federal policy instability. Securing and sustaining funding for culturally centered initiatives is essential not only for reducing health inequities, but also for upholding Tribal self-determination and the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations.

This qualitative study examines the impact of federal funding uncertainty related to executive orders issued in 2025 on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy Tribes program.

This Tribally driven study employed Knowledge Sharing Sessions, …

Emotional And Physical Neglect As Predictors Of Mcmi-Iv Personality Scales, Jenna Wolff

Theses and Dissertations

Theodore Millon (2011) proposed that specific developmental experiences and childhood adversities contribute to personality pathology, although these hypotheses have received limited empirical investigation. Participants (N = 490) completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-IV (MCMI-IV) and self-report measures of childhood adversity. Hierarchical ordinal regression analyses examined whether childhood adversities predicted elevations across MCMI-IV personality scales after controlling for age, gender, and co-occurring abuse. Although neglect was the primary focus of the study, childhood physical and emotional abuse emerged as the most consistent predictors across models. Both forms of abuse significantly predicted elevated masochistic, borderline, and schizotypal personality scores. Emotional abuse uniquely …

Funding Traditional Best Practices: Exploring The Impacts Of Multidimensional Funding Through The Centers Of Disease Control And Prevention's (Cdc) Healthy Tribes Project, Hannah Lorraine Youngdeer

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the experiences of Health Tribes recipients managing or participatingin more than one funding opportunity provided through the CDC Healthy Tribes program; offering an opportunity to share successes and challenges in multidimensional funding management, program implementation, and impacts, as well as recommendations for funders and other American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This qualitative study used document analysis and a focus group, with data analyzed using deductive thematic analysis to identify patterns and develop themes.

The findings highlight methods of funding management and factors, such as organizational structures, that drive the organization of funding management. The findings also …

Learning Through Loss: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Ecological Ethics In Parent-Child Encounters With Death In Nature, Lacey Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic study examines what it is like to raise children amid climate change, ecological loss, and uncertainty, with particular attention to how parents navigate children’s encounters with death in the natural world. Drawing on three vignette-based experiences within one family, the study explores how a parent interprets, responds to, and guides children’s meaning-making when they encounter the death of an animal. Findings suggest that parents mediate children’s understandings of death through a dynamic interplay of social modeling, cultural transmission, experiential engagement, and guided reflection. Learning emerges as relational, emotionally mediated, and place-based, grounded in everyday interactions and shaped through …

Cultivating Kalo In Diaspora: A Qualitative Exploration Of Growing And Harvesting Kalo And Its Connection To Health Among Native Hawaiian Adults In The United States, Nicole Lee Kamakahiolani Ellison

Theses and Dissertations

For Native Hawaiians, kalo, known in English as taro, is more than a traditional food; it is an ancestor. As Hāloa, kalo embodies genealogy, cultural identity, and foundational relationships with ʻāina. Today, the majority of Native Hawaiians live outside of Hawaiʻi, yet little research has explored the experiences of Native Hawaiians cultivating kalo while living in the continental United States. Understanding these experiences shows how Native Hawaiians in diaspora sustain cultural practices, identity, and relationships with Hāloa and ʻāina. This descriptive qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of growing and harvesting kalo among Native Hawaiian adults living in the …

Broadening The View Of Medical Education To Better Serve Indigenous Populations, Mangan Golden

Theses and Dissertations

This portfolio dissertation presents three independent deliverables: a grant application, a manuscript, and an Indigenous Health Curriculum Readiness Assessment Tool (IHCRAT). While all three products may stand alone, Indigenous health curriculum is the thread that connects them. The research grant application requests financial support for a translational mixed method convergent design study. The research aims to identify the capacity and barriers of clinic staff when placing students in rotations within the Indian Health Service/Tribal Clinic/Urban Clinic system of the Bemidji region in Minnesota. The second product, a manuscript, is an adapted community engagement assessment tool that was employed to assess …

Exploring The Effects Of Anti-Lgbtq+ Legislation On The School Ecosystem Based On The Perspectives And Experiences Of Public School Teachers, Kamryn Holtz

Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to qualitatively explore queer and LGBTQ+ allied k-12 teachers’ perceptions and experiences related to recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. As health disparities among queer youth worsen due to changes in the sociopolitical climate and political sphere (Chokus-Bradley et al., 2022; Kline et al., 2022), teachers have a unique opportunity to support queer students through their roles and relationships within schools. Researchers contextualized the affirming intervention strategies teachers utilized through the Systems View of School Climate (Rudasill et al., 2018). Through semi-structured interviews, participants shared how the legislative changes have impacted strategies they use to support queer students, as …

Tribal Reciprocity In Action: Good Medicine For Community & Academia, Keona Marie Manuelito

Theses and Dissertations

The practice of good medicine should be universal and accessible to all; however, for many Indigenous communities, equitable healthcare remains elusive. The historical trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples continues to shape health disparities and institutional mistrust, yet Indigenous communities persist through strength, resilience, sovereignty, and Indigenous knowledge systems. The products that follow embody strengths-based approaches that elevate and support Indigenous science, health, and self-determination. The manuscript identifies key elements necessary to establish the feasibility and institutional support for a peer-reviewed journal centered on Indigenous Health within the United States. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with journal …

Inline Spectroscopy Of Foley Drainage Urine Under Free-Flow And Chaotic Flow Conditions To Detect Optical Signatures Of Urinary Constituents And Measure Urine Quality, Kordell Mitchell Bernaldez Tan

Theses and Dissertations

Foley catheter drainage systems remain largely passive, and assessment of urine passage, drainage interruption, and changes in urine appearance continues to depend on intermittent visual inspection, nursing documentation, caregiver observation, or delayed laboratory testing. Optical monitoring through the drainage-tube wall could provide objective information without opening the closed drainage pathway or placing sensors in direct contact with urine. This dissertation investigated the feasibility of a clamp-on multispectral optical platform for detecting urine passage and measuring wavelength-dependent optical changes under static and free-flowing drainage conditions.The investigation followed a staged medical-device development approach. Literature reviews characterized monitoring needs in acute, chronic, community, …

Germany, Spencer Meeker

Floodwall Magazine

No abstract provided.

Poetry As Performance: The Case For "Camp" In Catullus, Jasmine Patera

Floodwall Magazine

No abstract provided.

An Extension To A. Goldshtein, Et Al, 2025, Manish Rami

Communication Sciences & Disorders Faculty Publications

This note extends the findings reported in “Onboard recordings reveal how bats maneuver under severe acoustic interference” available at:

Goldshtein, Aya, et al. “Onboard Recordings Reveal How Bats Maneuver under Severe Acoustic Interference.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 122, no. 14, Apr. 2025, p. e2407810122. pnas.org (Atypon), https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2407810122.

One-On-One Vs. Group Health Coaching: Impact On Weight, Knowledge And Well-Being., Julie Nelson

Nursing Capstones

This DNP scholarly project completed a retrospective review, comparing the effectiveness of one-on-one versus group-based health and wellness coaching in improving outcomes related to weight loss, health knowledge, and participant perceptions of well-being. The project reviewed existing, de-identified data from adults who previously completed a coaching program focused on healthy behavior change. Coaching was delivered in either a group or one-on-one format, and outcome measures included changes in weight, knowledge of healthy behaviors, and participant reported impressions of overall health and wellness. The aim of the project was to determine if the delivery method of coaching impacts outcomes, thus informing …

Spring Graduate School Commencement: May 16, 2026, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Spring Graduate School Commencement program from May 16, 2026.

In The Garden's Grasp, Lacey Anderson

The Cicadian

This piece pairs a close-up photograph with reflective creative writing to explore a fleeting moment in a backyard garden ecosystem. Among vivid dahlias and winding vines, a grasshopper emerges, captured both in image and in story. Together, the photograph and prose invite readers to witness how tending, noticing, and lingering can transform an ordinary patio into a world alive with quiet, electric life.

Nature Writing As A Bridge To Student Scientific Interest, Christine Mcgrail, John Kudukey, Colette Smith, Fnu Dharma

The Cicadian

Nature writing is an important pathway for preservice teachers’ engagement with science that can help more students recognize themselves as knowers and doers of science and better connect them and their students to the world around them. Nature writing allows all students, including those from non-dominant cultural backgrounds, to include their experiences and backgrounds in their science education. Nature writing also affords all students an opportunity to better understand the natural world they are a part of. Nature writing is typically written in first person and characterized as scientific observation of the natural world through a personal reflective lens. In …

From Sunshine To Sight Lost: Amd In North Dakota, Sidney J. Leciejewski, Diane Darland

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye disease that directly harms the macula, which could eventually cause vision loss. The macula is an area on the back of the eye that contains cone cells, which allow for our color vision. Its location also allows us to have our central vision. There are two kinds: the dry and wet form, where the wet form is more extreme. The disease, itself, is highly prevalent in North Dakota, which is why it is important to note its causes and prevention methods. Some causes of AMD include genetic risks,  health risks, and metabolic …

Skeletal Muscle Characteristics Long-Living Dwarf Mice In Response To High Fat Diet, Landon Schumacher, Matthew Johnston, Jaspreet Osan, Holly Brown-Borg

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

Introduction: The effects of high fat diet (HFD; 60% kcal: fat) on skeletal muscle in mice with postnatal growth hormone deficiency is relatively unknown. We compared the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle from middle aged female Ames Dwarf and Wildtype mice fed HFD for 16 weeks and standard diet (STD; 10%: fat) to see the impacts of a HFD on inflammation and fibrotic formation in the musculature.   Methodology: Mice were euthanized after diet duration (age 10-12 months), and TAs were collected and frozen in OCT for cross-sectional cryosection. Ten um thick muscle was fixed to slides and stained with Oil Red-O …

Jacksonian Democracy: Triumph Or Tragedy?, Gabe Blumer

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

This capstone paper analyzes Andrew Jackson's presidential impact on democracy and discusses its strengths and weaknesses as a whole. It goes over the impact on white men, black Americans, and Native Americans in particular.

Doctor Of Medicine Commencement: May 2, 2026, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Doctor of Medicine Commencement program from May 2, 2026.

The Effects Of Dynamic Blood Flow Restriction On Transmembrane Fluid Shifts, Parker Bradley Carroll, Caden John Heinert, Isaiah John Kludt, Lucas Robert Simon

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The benefits of blood flow restriction (BFR) training, particularly its ability to induce muscle hypertrophy, are well established. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying this hypertrophy remain unclear. This study hypothesized that fluid shifts within the skeletal muscle, specifically changes in intracellular fluid (ICF) and extracellular fluid (ECF) composition, contribute to hypertrophic responses following BFR exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate ICF and ECF dynamics in the lower extremity skeletal muscle using bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) following BFR in combination with submaximal resistance exercise. Additionally, the researchers aimed to determine the duration of fluid shifts by assessing ICF/ECF …