Digital Commons Network^™

From Classical To Contemporary: Popular Music's Role In Shaping Opera And Vocal Training, Craig Allen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation advocates for the integration of contemporary popular music into classical voice education, addressing the evolving landscape of the performing arts. As the boundary between classical and popular music fades, incorporating popular elements into traditional opera training equips performers for modern industry demands.

The first chapter offers a historical analysis, tracing opera’s origins from the late 16th century and showing how popular music influenced its development. Composers incorporated folk melodies and dance rhythms into early opera, setting a precedent for blending styles. Contemporary operas, such as Nkeiru Okoye’s Harriet Tubman and Nmon Ford’s House of Orfeus, continue this tradition, …

Retrospective Of My Experience At The University Of South Carolina, Karl Dickey

Theses and Dissertations

Theatre is, by its very nature, a collaborative process. No show lives in true isolation. Even in its smallest version, it takes at least one to perform and one to listen. The theatre that is produced in the 21^st century is deeper and more complex a process than the finished and polished shows that are presented to the audience. Behind, underneath, and all around a single performer on a stage are hours of thoughtful contemplation and execution on the part of the director, designers, and fabricators. There is something to be learned and gained from every human interaction in …

Investigating Student Engagement Through The Implementation Of A Performance Task In Secondary Mathematics: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study, Sulema Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Through teaching experiences in the math classroom, students voiced that solving mathematical problems did not benefit them in the real-world. This study discussed the use of a performance task in a high school geometry class as a way to engage students, increase their confidence when solving math problems, and determine the impact they have on engagement compared to supportive assignments. Students' perspectives were used as one measure in determining engagement, alongside, my perspective of using a tally table. Through the use of a performance task that connected to the life experiences, students’ perspectives proved that implementation increased their engagement in …

Panic At The Library: Origins And Manifestations Of Library And Technology Anxiety In High School Sophomores, Kelly A. Guistwhite

Theses and Dissertations

Constance Mellon formally identified library anxiety in the mid-1980s. Library anxiety can result in students avoiding the library, its resources, and its staff. Students with library anxiety perform worse on academic tasks than their more comfortable peers. Library anxiety causes procrastination on assignments and undermines academic success. Technology anxiety has evolved with library anxiety changing as new information technology becomes available. This exploratory research investigated to what extent library and technology anxiety manifests among sophomore students, the relationship between library anxiety and technology anxiety, and the perception of online services at Maple Bluff and Scarlett Woods High Schools. This study …

Reframing And Advancing Academic Mentorship To Support New And Early Career Faculty Members, Juanita-Dawne R. Bacsu, Patricia C. Heyn, Steffi Kim, Zahra Rahemi, Monique J. Brown, Darina V. Petrovsky, Justine S. Sefcik, Jodi L. Southerland, Jeremy Holloway, Elyse Couch, Ayse Malatyali, Matthew L. Smith

Faculty Publications

Mentorship is critical to fostering professional growth and career development in academia. However, academic mentorship is often an informal activity that is overlooked and under researched. There is much ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding mentorship roles and strategies in academia. This paper provides recommendations and strategies to reframe and advance academic mentorship to support new and early career faculty.

Perceptions Of Virtual Reality In Cardiac Pharmacy Education, Morgan E. Mendes

Senior Theses

Background: The reformation of how educational content is portrayed is not a new phenomenon. However, the world of pharmacy has been slow to adapt, particularly considering higher education’s declining attendance rates and less engaging lectures. XR can be a great addition to learners’ curriculum, particularly VR, with various applications including adjunctive pharmacotherapy, patient counseling, pharmacist training, and pharmacological modeling. Despite the various barriers VR integration faces, the benefits of VR necessitate its future implementation into our COP curriculum as an augmentative form of learning.

Methods: An independent study of 11 students at the UofSC COP was conducted in the Spring …

Autonomous Real-Time Model Updating Within Digital Twin Frameworks For Thermal Systems, Braden Robert Priddy

Theses and Dissertations

As engineering systems increase in scale and complexity in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, data-driven solutions will become essential in enabling the next generation of these systems. One of the trending tools that can aid in this transition is digital twins. As physical systems degrade throughout their life cycles, their behavior also changes. Digital twins use data assimilation to continuously update virtual models to represent the current state of their physical counterparts. A reliable digital twin can be leveraged by a system operator to perform diagnostics, optimize, and tests without ever needing the physical system. However, implementing effective …

Augmented Reality (Ar) And Virtual Reality (Vr)-Based Data Visualization Frameworks For The Manufacturing Industry, Nitol Saha

Theses and Dissertations

Industry 4.0 is transforming the manufacturing industry by integrating digital technologies throughout the production lifecycle, leading to the development of smart factories. The integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) alongside smart manufacturing is transforming traditional industry practices by establishing a robust cyber-physical infrastructure, enhanced data visualization, and improved task execution. This thesis aims to develop AR and VR-based data visualization frameworks for the manufacturing industry, focusing on detailed implementation strategies, initial results, and key findings of these frameworks. One major focus of these frameworks is the generalization of the technological assets so that these frameworks can be …

Impacts Of Ing4-Deficiency On Hematopoietic Stem And Progenitor Cells & Characterizing The Concerns Of Novice Stem Graduate Teaching Assistant, Georgina Alice Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The hematopoietic compartment is tasked with the establishment and maintenance of the entire blood program in steady-state and in response to stress. Key to this process are hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which possess the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate to replenish blood cells throughout an organism’s lifetime. Recent work has illustrated the vast mechanisms involved in regulating stress-induced hematopoiesis, including cytokine-mediated lineage bias, gene signature changes in aged HSCs associated with chronic inflammation, the impact of clonal hematopoiesis and stress tolerance. Inhibitor of Growth 4 (Ing4) has been identified as a critical regulator of HSC homeostasis. We show that …

Inducing And Interpreting Physical Transformation In Electroacoustic Chamber Music Via Experimental Applications Of Modular Synthesizers, Joseph Samuel Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most rapidly evolving musical genres of the 21st century is interactive electroacoustic chamber music. This is primarily due to the ongoing developments in creative technology that have increased both the idiom's technical accessibility and its potential for artistic expression. In particular, modern modular synthesizers enable electroacoustic musicians to transform the physical characteristics of sound with an extremely fine level of control. This research project has three major goals. The first goal is to explore the relationship between the many disciplines involved in this genre of music through a review of the scholarship of Aleister Crowley, Edgard Varèse, …

Mitochondrial Function In The Maternal Brain: A New Perspective On Gestational Stress And Pathology Of Postpartum Depression, Erin Rene Gorman-Sandler

Theses and Dissertations

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major psychiatric complication of childbirth, affecting up to 20% of mothers, yet remains understudied. Mitochondria, dynamic organelles crucial for cell homeostasis and energy production, share links with many of the proposed mechanisms underlying PPD pathology. Brain mitochondrial function is affected by stress, a major risk factor for development of PPD, and is linked to avoidance and social behaviors. Considering the importance of mitochondria in regulating brain function and behavior, we hypothesized that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with behavioral alterations in a chronic stress-induced rat model of PPD. Chronic mild unpredictable (CMUS) stress during late gestation …

Plankton Dynamics In A Temperate Estuary:Size Structure And Trophic Implications, Nayan Mallick

Theses and Dissertations

Estuarine ecosystems provide goods and services to around 45% of the entire human population. In recent times, these ecosystems have been severely affected by multiple stressors such as pollution, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, sea level rise, and, most importantly, climate change. Increasing temperature associated with climate change can have pervasive impacts throughout the ecosystem’s functions and processes. Plankton, a conspicuous member of estuarine food web, are among the first to respond to the changes in temperature due to their high sensitivity to changing environmental conditions.

In this dissertation, I investigated the plankton dynamics in an estuarine ecosystem through a combination …

Practicing Strategy And Performance Preparation Of György Ligeti’S Musica Ricercata., Xiyao Wang

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923–2006) is renowned as one of the most significant composers of the twentieth century. Musicians around the world have admired his innovative musical language. “Through the 1950s and 1960s, he went from composing in the style of his countryman Béla Bartók to working at the cutting edge of the Western European avant-garde.” His folk elements and avant-garde compositional techniques expanded through various genres, including orchestral, chamber, and keyboard compositions. This study's primary purpose is to explore Ligeti's piano work Musica Ricercata and ultimately provide a resource to other musicians that will assist in preparing and …

Reaction Toward Potential Resurgent Multiple Risks: Understanding Risk Information Seeking And Behavior In The Post-Pandemic Era, Shudan Huang

Theses and Dissertations

This study applies the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model to understand how individuals seek and process information related to overlapping pandemics, including COVID-19, flu, monkeypox, and polio. These overlapping health crises have created a complex media environment, contributing to pandemic fatigue, information overload, and varied preventive behaviors. The research explores how pandemic fatigue influences informational behaviors—such as information seeking, processing, and avoidance—and how these behaviors, in turn, predict preventive behavioral intentions.

Using an online survey of 443 participants, structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that information insufficiency positively predicts both information seeking and …

Real-Time Robot Pose Estimation For Industry 4.0: Enhancing Motion Validation And Monitoring With A Vision-Based Framework, Jad Samaha

Theses and Dissertations

Amidst the era of Industry 4.0, robots became integral to automated production lines by performing complex tasks with high precision and adapting to changing production needs in real-time. Therefore, ensuring their precise and reliable operation is paramount for maintaining high-quality standards and operational efficiency. This invoked the need for an automated motion validation tool that guarantees accurate program task execution, by detecting deviations or anomalies that may indicate mechanical faults or software errors. Given the exponential advancements in AI, particularly in Computer Vision, a vision-based solution is ideal for ensuring the correct positioning of a robot in real-time. Operating independently …

The Effects Of Guided Induction Completed Individually And In Groups On The Development Of Negation In Palestinian Arabic An Analysis Of Accuracy, Processing, And Rule Structure, Hana Baalousha

Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness of different instructional interventions and the various ways such interventions promote L2 learning and processing has been the topic of recent research in the subfield of Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA). Previous research on the effects of guided inductive instruction (GI) in the second language classroom has left various lacunae to be addressed, such as the effect(s) of linguistic complexity, proficiency level, modality of instruction, and the target language (Ranta, 2022). A plethora of studies in the current literature compares the efficacy of GI to deductive instruction as students work individually in computer-assisted language learning contexts (CALL) revealing …

"I Don't Want To Be Anywhere Near That Word!": The Experiences Of Jewish College Students Navigating Antisemitism, Sandra Greene

Theses and Dissertations

This comics-based research study was guided by HebCrit (Rubin, 2020) and explored the experiences of eight Jewish college students navigating antisemitism. This study was guided by four research questions including, (1) What are Jewish college students’ experiences with antisemitism?, (2) How do Jewish college students respond to personal experiences with antisemitism?, (3) How do Jewish college students respond to rising rates of antisemitism?, and (4) How does antisemitism intersect with other forms of oppression (e.g., racism, misogyny, etc.) for Jewish college students?

This study was conducted at a predominantly white and Christian university in the Southeastern United States with a …

Creating A Quality Feedback System Between School Administrators And Teachers, Gerald Keith Price

Theses and Dissertations

After moving to a new school district as superintendent, I recognized early on that student achievement was low and intentional work needed to be done to bring about academic improvement. As the district leadership team began to explore causes and discuss possible solutions, we decided we needed to focus on changing the perception around instructional leadership. School administrators are much more likely to have mutual dialogue with their teachers when they assume the role of a coach rather than a superior. With open lines of communication, teachers and administrators are able to discuss ways to maximize learning time with students …

Does Digital Deepen Discourse? A Case Study Of How Middle School Teachers Use Eureka Math2 To Promote High-Quality Mathematics Classroom Discussions, Michael Wilson Street

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate how teachers use Eureka Math² (EM²) curriculum and technology tools to promote high-quality mathematics classroom discussions. Research has indicated these discussions improve students’ mathematical knowledge, reasoning, and conceptual understanding. However, orchestrating these discussions is challenging, requiring adaptive thinking, deep content knowledge, and an unfamiliar facilitation role; implementing technology presents an additional challenge. This study was guided by three research questions. First, how and to what extent do teachers use EM² curriculum and technology tools to promote high-quality mathematics classroom discussions? Second, what are the perceptions of teachers about …

Engaging Students In The Scientific Process: An Examination Of Active Learning Strategies In Introductory Geoscience Labs, Meryssa Piper

Theses and Dissertations

High-quality instruction of introductory geoscience courses entices students to major in geoscience fields and ensures undergraduate students have opportunities to learn and apply scientific information and practices. Prior studies indicate that active learning strategies in higher education settings can increase student knowledge and interest. This dissertation explores the integration of two active learning strategies in introductory geoscience laboratory courses: inquiry and gamification The first study housed in Chapter 2 investigates the level of inquiry used in introductory geoscience lab activities across the United States. Through a comprehensive analysis of these activities, this chapter assesses: (1) the degree to which instructor …

Leveling Up The Power Of Voice: The Impact Of Gamification On Speaking Participation Of Multilingual Learners In The Cybersecurity Classroom, Philip Peavy

Theses and Dissertations

The United States has a growing number of multilingual learners in its classrooms, but many schools are not prepared to support these students, especially in computer science education. There is a shortage of qualified teachers and few resources available in languages other than English. As a result, many multilingual learners are not actively participating in their computer science classes. This is a problem because computer science is a growing field with many opportunities for employment. One way to support multilingual learners in computer science education is through gamification. Gamification is the use of game-design elements and principles in non-game contexts. …

Popular Justice Or Populist Justice? Penal Populism And Its Impact On Democracy, Kuan-Wu Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Populism, a pervasive phenomenon in contemporary politics, manifests as an anti-establishment, anti-pluralistic, morally charged framing that advocates for direct rule between leader and populace. Among its variants, penal populism emerges as a particularly concerning manifestation. It is characterized by a leader's deployment of panicking, punitive, and politically targeted rhetoric to enhance social control and accrue political capital rather than address crime prevention. This research argues that penal populism poses the most significant threat to democratic rule, as evidenced by theoretical, framing, and mobilization analyses. A novel categorization of populist variants is proposed based on dimensions of social categorization and exclusivity. …

Providing A Social Emotional Learning Opportunity To Virtual Students Struggling With Social Anxiety: Group Counseling As An Intervention, Josie Kate White Ivey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods action research dissertation was to offer a social/emotional learning opportunity for virtual students struggling with social anxiety. A six-week group counseling experience was offered to on-campus high school students focused on social anxiety in order to determine is group counseling would be a beneficial intervention strategy for virtual students also dealing with social anxiety. An observer protocol was used to make note of participants responses and physical characteristics related to social anxiety and make reflective notes after each counseling session. Group participants also completed quick-check exit tickets to help the researcher determine the student’s …

The Fifth Element In Three Dimensions: Boron Systematics Along And Across The Aleutian Volcanic Arc, Owen Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses abundances and isotope ratios of the fluid-mobile element boron (B) to better understand the role of fluids in volcanism at the Aleutian arc in Alaska. In volcanic rocks from the Aleutian volcanic front, patterns in B abundance and isotope ratios (δ11B) point to three endmembers: a sediment melt, a slab interior melt, and a slab-top melt. Most lavas from the eastern Aleutian Islands have δ11B of -2 to +5‰, similar to Aleutian sediment. Hence, sediment is likely to be the dominant B source in the Aleutian Island samples. In lavas from the western Aleutian seafloor, high δ11B …

In Search Of Cognitive Justice: One District’S Approach To Implementing Culturally Responsive Practices, Anne Marie Mancini

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined district leaders' approach to integrating culturally responsive practices into classrooms in a medium-sized urban Connecticut public school system. The framework for this study was supported by two theories: transformative learning and culturally responsive pedagogy. Following a case study model of design, the project focused on the work of the Supervisor of Professional Learning and the Department Supervisor for English Language Arts (ELA) as they provided training, support, and resources to the Grade 7 team. Two research questions guided this study: (1) What successes, if any, did district leaders experience in implementing culturally responsive teaching practices …

Female's Digital Self-Making On Tiktok: Identity Construction Through A Framework Of Postfeminist Media And Neoliberalism (2016-2024), Lindsey A. Pritchard

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between TikTok's algorithmic design, women's identity construction, and the feminist historical context that shapes these constructions. In Chapter 1, "TikTok, Algorithmic Design, and Self-Making," I analyze how TikTok's algorithm functions and how these factors influence the curation and presentation of identity. This chapter establishes the foundational understanding of TikTok as a platform where identity performance is deeply intertwined with algorithmic design.

Chapter 2, "TikTok Feminism and Identity Commodification" examines the commodification of women's identities on the platform. It investigates the historical context of feminism and its evolution into postfeminism, analyzing how these narratives have been …

Development Of Avalanche Photo Detector For Uv-C Using Gallium Oxide Material System, Md Ghulam Ghulam Zakir

Theses and Dissertations

This work describes the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) optimization process for epitaxially grown gallium oxide (Ga2O3) layers, electrical field distribution, and the design for Avalanche Photo Detector (APD). MOCVD is a well-accepted process in the semiconductor industry, as it is well-known for its precise deposition of ultra-thin, high-quality semiconductor layers with extraordinary control over composition and thickness. The choice of Ga2O3 is due to r its distinctive properties of ultra-wide bandgap and low turn-on resistance. Thus, Ga₂O₃-based materials can withstand high voltage and current with the least energy loss, making them an attractive choice for …

Towards Understanding The Relationship Between Hearing Loss And Cognition In Healthy Aging, Samaneh Nemati

Theses and Dissertations

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) has been increasingly linked to cognitive decline, both directly and through structural brain changes. This study utilized data from the Aging Brain Cohort project at the University of South Carolina (ABC@UofSC) to investigate the relationships between hearing impairments, cognitive performance, and gray matter volume across key brain regions. Specifically, the study aimed to: (i) examine the mediating role of gray matter volume in the relationship between ARHL and cognitive impairments; (ii) investigate the role of regional brain age gap in mediating the relationship between ARHL and cognitive decline; and (iii) delineate the distinctive impact of ARHL …

Augmented Reality Based Maintenance Operations And Training, Victor Scott Gadow

Theses and Dissertations

Augmented Reality (AR) is the process of superimposing virtual information on top of objects or other structures in the real-world environment. It is considered one of many paradigms included in the idea of smart manufacturing and can enable a mixture of the other technologies involved. A large increase in research on AR has been seen in the past decade as technologies have begun to evolve to become more robust and reliable. It has been implemented into several key areas of manufacturing such as maintenance, assembly, training, and quality control. The rise of industry 4.0 is changing how data is used …

Factors Affecting The Transition From Pediatric To Adult Care Among Culturally Deaf Young Adults And Young Adults Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Anna Strickland Kell

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Adolescence to adulthood is marked by many transitions, including the transition from a pediatric to an adult medical home, also referred to as a health home. For young adults who are culturally Deaf, deaf, or hard of hearing, this transition may be complicated by population-specific needs related to language, literacy, and accessibility. Prior research with transition-age adolescents and young adults who are culturally Deaf, deaf, or hard of hearing has primarily focused on education or hearing health exclusively. The purpose of this research was to investigate the transition of health care from pediatric to adult services among culturally Deaf …