Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies For Writing Synthesis To Learn: A Case Study Among Sixth-Grade Social Studies Students, Kalie A. Chamberlain

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Writing instruction that emphasizes strategy use helps students become better writers, especially when tackling difficult writing tasks, such as writing from sources or writing syntheses. Strategic writing instruction also supports student learning in content areas like social studies. This project examined whether Strategies for Writing Synthesis to Learn (SWSL), a mode of strategic writing instruction developed by researchers in Spain, would be effective in a new context. It also sought to understand how SWSL was perceived by students and teachers. A mixed-methods case study was used to explore both quantitative (e.g., student growth) data and qualitative (e.g., student and teacher …

Designing Accessible And Dependable Tools For Vocational Rehabilitation Data Analysis, Ruth E. Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Since 1973, the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has partnered with state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to help individuals with disabilities achieve meaningful employment and independence. RSA-911 datasets play a crucial role in this effort by capturing detailed participant data, but their complexity can hinder effective analysis.

To simplify this process, we present an R software package to streamline the cleaning and analysis of RSA-911 and Transition Readiness Toolkit (TRT) data, a new measure of program effectiveness. We also deliver a user-friendly dashboard, empowering both VR researchers and counselors with the opportunity to conduct analyses. Using our developed tools, we …

Contrastive Representation Learning For Highly Imbalanced Multivariate Time Series With Extreme Instance Strategy, Onur Vural

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Time series data refers to a sequence of data points collected or recorded at regular time intervals. In many fields including space weather, healthcare, and finance, predicting events from such data is crucial because these predictions can help protect infrastructures, improve healthcare outcomes, and forecast financial trends. However, one challenge in working with time series data is the presence of rare events, which are often underrepresented in the data. This imbalance makes it difficult for traditional prediction methods to provide accurate results, as they tend to focus more on the more frequent events and overlook the rare ones. To tackle …

Laboratory Earthquakes In Heterogeneous, Meter-Scale Faults: Collaborative Research With Utah State University, And University Of Texas At Austin, Srisharan Shreedharan

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Stock Pitch: Robinhood Markets (Hood), Morgan Cole

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This capstone project presents an in-depth analysis and valuation of Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD). Robinhood Markets is a revolutionary fintech platform aiming to democratize finance and investing.

The company was founded in 2013 in Menlo Park, California by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt. The co-founders created an intuitive mobile trading platform and were the first to offer commission-free trading. Robinhood has opened the door to investing to a new demographic through the easy-to-use mobile app, the ability to buy and sell fractional shares (this makes purchasing shares of companies with high share prices accessible to more individuals), in-app financial …

Engineering Planktonic And Biofilm Microalgae Systems For Productivity, Power Requirements, Cost, And Scalability, Dallin Chugg

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Microalgae cultivation offers dual benefits as an effective wastewater treatment method and a sustainable source of valuable bioproducts, such as biofuels, bioplastics, and feedstocks. This approach supports sustainability by transforming waste into high-value products while minimizing environmental impact. However, scaling microalgae cultivation to industrial levels presents significant challenges, particularly in optimizing harvesting efficiency, reducing mixing and transport costs, and managing large water requirements.

This report compares the productivity, scalability, cost, and energy requirements of two primary cultivation systems: planktonic and biofilm. Planktonic systems, such as open raceway ponds (ORPs), excel in light distribution and nutrient uptake due to continuous mixing, …

Gravity Wave Breaking Over Northern Utah With An Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper And Sodium Lidar, Eric Davis

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Considerable progress has been made in recent decades in the understanding of gravity wave (GW) dynamics. However, there remain important aspects and effects that are poorly understood. In particular, the coupling and deposition of their energy and momentum into the mesosphere lower thermosphere (MLT) region and the interaction and instability dynamics that are directly associated with GW breaking. Using an Advanced Mesosphere Temperature Mapper (AMTM) several strong wave breaking events were observed in the summer of 2015 at USU’s BLO research station. These events have exhibited high momentum fluxes and associated strong wave breaking, prompting detailed data analyses. Rossby waves, …

Geometric Algebra For Field Theory In Curved Spacetime, Kevin Rhine

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Physics seeks to understand the universe by uncovering the fundamental laws that govern matter, energy, space, and time. At its heart lies the challenge of unification: finding a mathematical framework that consistently describes these interactions across all scales, from the subatomic to the cosmological.

This thesis explores geometric algebra, a mathematical language that unifies algebra and geometry, as a tool for advancing this understanding. By extending this framework to curved spacetimes, where gravity influences the structure of space and time, we investigate its ability to describe physical phenomena such as electromagnetism and general relativity. A notable contribution includes the geometric …

Aleci: An R Package For Non-Parametric Confidence Intervals On Accumulated Local Effects Plots, Matthew R. Lister

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Machine learning models can take a collection of inputs and craft an output. The mathematical formulas these models use to calculate their outputs easily become too complex or time consuming for a human to analyze. Collectively, we refer to these as black box models. Accumulated local effects plots (ALE) are a method for adding interpretability and visibility into the effects that individual variables contribute to the predictions made by black box models. The method designed by D.W. Apley calculates equally spaced point estimates of the response value to construct a graph across the range of the variable of interest. AleCI …

Increasing The Use Of Data-Based Individualization And Data-Based Decision-Making In Secondary Resource Settings, Melissa D. Garside

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Data-based decision-making (DBDM) and data-based individualization (DBI) are two evidenced-based and high-leverage practices that improve student outcomes when implemented with fidelity. Unfortunately, these practices face various implementation obstacles, particularly when applied to students with intensive academic, functional, and behavioral needs in a secondary school setting. With this project, I aimed to improve my personal practice to provide secondary special education teachers in my district with professional development and support to understand, implement, and sustain the implementation of DBDM and DBI. Report 1 describes a day-long professional development session about DBI as applied to intensive reading interventions provided by middle school …

Climate Prediction As An Adaptive Force-Multiplier: Reasons For Hope In A Rapidly Changing World, Matthew D. Laplante

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

It's not unreasonable to feel pessimistic about our future under climate change. But "believing the science" doesn't require you to accept that we are headed toward apocalypse. It is true that human-caused climate change is real, it is underway, and our societies face many increased risks because of it. But that's just part of what climate science tells us about our future world. This same field is responsible for the recent and rapid development of tools and techniques that permit the identification of patterns in our oceans and atmosphere that will aid us in making increasingly accurate predictions about climate—the …

Game Changing Education: Empowering High School Stem Teachers To Teach Engineering Using Games, Leslie Brown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In response to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) released in 2013, there was a nationwide push for K-12 schools to include engineering concepts in science classrooms. However, there is an overall lack of teacher preparedness and training towards engineering topics as shown by common engineering misconceptions. To improve this issue, I initiated a qualitative study to describe the strategies and attitudes of high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers that have implemented game-based, engineering activities into their classroom. Game-based learning is an instructional framework that utilizes game-like elements in a classroom and was used in this study …

A Model Of Changeover Behavior In Concurrent Schedules Of Reinforcement, Matias A. Avellaneda

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Animals in the wild have access to a variety of food sources, and they must allocate their time between them in an efficient manner. This requires deciding when to depart from the source currently being exploited to travel to a different one. A general model of this decision process can be derived from three assumptions well supported by the learning literature. The first one is the so-called matching law, which says that the proportion of time allocated to any one behavior equals the proportion of total value obtained from that option. The second one is that the dwell times (i.e., …

Potamogeton Crispus Invasion: Impacts On Native Aquatic Plants And Associated Faunal Habitat, Meghan-Grace Slocombe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Aquatic invasive plants are non-native plants that invade a water body and displace native aquatic plants. Invasion depletes the native plant community's ability to provide ecosystem services, including improved water quality, decreased problematic algae, and increased animal habitat. The loss of these ecosystem services reduces the value of fishing, boating, and swimming opportunities in aquatic ecosystems. The potential changes in plant communities and services are particularly important at sites targeted for restoration because project goals typically include increasing ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat. Curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus L.) is a problematic invasive species in North America. To better manage …

Calculation Of Aerodynamic Surface Sensitivities Using The Adjoint Method In A Subsonic/Supersonic Panel Code, Nathan H. Hoch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

An aircraft’s shape has a direct impact on the lift and drag it produces. In the early stages of designing an aircraft on a computer, engineers work to improve aircraft performance and efficiency by considering various shapes and configurations. Engineers use computer programs to analyze different designs and predict how each would perform in real-world conditions. Once an approximate aircraft shape is selected, adjustments to the shape can further improve the aircraft’s lift and drag characteristics. Engineers calculate a set of values called sensitivities that indicate which parts of the geometry should be changed to increase lift or reduce drag. …

Describing Functionality In Natural Language May Improve Decomposition Behaviors, Matthew R. Burns

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Problem decomposition—the ability to break complex problems into simpler parts—is a critical skill for computer programming that many beginning students struggle to develop. This research examines how using natural language to describe program functionality can help students develop better problem-solving approaches.

We created a tool called ”Natural Language Functions” (NLFs) that allows students to write descriptions of what they want their code to do in plain English, which then generates working Python functions. We studied how students used this tool compared to students who solved programming problems in traditional ways.

Our findings show that students who used the NLFs tool …

Managing For Disturbance: Trade-Offs Associated With Population Resilience And Ecosystem Size, Ellie Wallace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Populations can recover from and withstand disturbance through characteristics such as reproduction and maintaining large abundances. While these traits are beneficial to native species conservation, they can simultaneously challenge effective invasive species management. Effective invasive species control requires sufficient efforts to overcome a population's ability to recover from disturbance, such as harvest. My dissertation aimed to address how the size of an invasive population and its ability to recover from disturbance impact a suite of invasive species control methods, including those that (1) target mainly larger and older individuals (i.e., mechanical removal), (2) target all sizes of individuals (i.e., targeted …

Advancing Multi-Agent Robotics Simulations Through Heterogeneous Reinforcement Learning In Isaaclab, Jacob R. Haight

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Robots increasingly operate in collaborative teams across domains such as search-and- rescue, warehouse automation, and autonomous driving—scenarios that demand advanced coordination strategies enabled by multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL). However, existing simulation frameworks often struggle to balance realism, speed, and scalability, especially when supporting diverse, heterogeneous robot teams. This research extends Isaac Lab, a high-performance robotics simulator, by integrating heterogeneous-agent reinforcement learning (HARL) capabilities. The result is a flexible and GPU-accelerated platform for training both homogeneous and heterogeneous robot teams in complex, physics-based environments. These enhancements significantly narrow the gap between simulation and real-world deployment for multi-robot systems.

On The Challenges Posed By Non-Machian Solutions To Relationalism In General Relativity, Zachary Matthew Zito

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The relationship between Mach’s Principle and solutions to Einstein’s field equations is examined, with special attention to Friedmann-Lematre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmology. Mach’s Principle is outlined, and the extent to which general relativity fulfills Machs vision is assessed. It is argued that several important solutions to Einsteins equations, particularly the FLRW cosmological models, embody key Machian features. In order to elucidate the FLRW cosmological model, the associated energy-momentum tensor for a perfect fluid under the assumptions of large-scale homogeneity and isotropy is derived and used to obtain the Friedmann equations that govern cosmic expansion. It is shown that FLRW cosmology can be …

The Art Of The Duo And The Value Of Collaboration, Rebecca Farmer

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Art of the Duo and the Value of Collaboration explores the duo as a laboratory for understanding the collaborative process between musicians and non musicians focusing on three central points. First, this project is a means to showcase and broaden my skills as a composer. Second, this project demonstrates my understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of common and uncommon instrumental pairings. Third, this project explores interdisciplinary collaboration. This project resulted in a public lecture recital featuring six duets I composed for various instruments: violin, bass, percussion, saxophone, voice, and piano.

I studied works by Debussy, Bartók, and Paganini, …

Reevaluating The Drumian Carbon Isotope Excursion (Dice) In Western-Central Utah, Michelle M. Norman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Drumian Stage of the Cambrian Period is defined by the First Appearance Datum (FAD) of the cosmopolitan trilobite Ptychagnostus atavus in 504.5 Ma strata deposited on the slope and shelf of the Laurentia margin. The Drumian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), showing the best preserved example of P. atavus compared to global outcrops, is defined in the Drum Mountains of west-central Utah. Due to the inconsistent nature of fossil preservation, researchers have sought secondary proxies to identify Drumian-aged strata in the absence of age-diagnostic fauna. One key proxy is the Drumian Carbon Isotope Excursion (DICE), an ~-2.5‰ carbon …

Data Science For Engineers, Heidi Moulton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Undergraduate research is a core pillar of Utah State University’s College of Engineering. Many students become involved with research during their Junior and Senior years and begin to generate various forms of data. Most students, however, have received little formal education on how to process data, and there are currently no readily available resources within the College of Engineering. As a Mechanical Engineering and Data Science double major, I found the data processing techniques I learned in my Data Science courses invaluable as an undergraduate researcher, and now as a Mechanical Engineer at Apogee Instruments, I frequently draw upon these …

The Stem Gender Gap: Can It Be Closed?, Makenna Roberts

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Despite increasing gender parity in many professional fields, women remain underrepresented in STEM industries, particularly in math-intensive areas such as engineering, computer science, and physics. This report explores the persistent gender gap in STEM through analysis of two data sources: gendered differences in the US national Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) performance and post-graduate employment patterns among scientists and engineers.

The first portion of the analysis examines SAT score data from 2018 to 2024, with a focus on high-performing test-takers. Using Python and R, data was extracted and visualized to compare male and female performance on the Math and Evidence-Based Reading …

To Bee Or Not To Bee: Investigating Pesticide Behavior Inside And Outside Of Semi-Field Cages, Mallory Bingham

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Bees play an important role in ecosystems and food production through pollination. One such bee, the alfalfa leaf cutting bee (ALCB) is a very efficient pollinator and is essential in alfalfa seed production. However, bees face increasing harm, most notably due to the deleterious effect of pesticides used in agriculture, and much research is dedicated to investigating the extent of effects that pesticides have on different bee populations. One common tool used to study the effects of pesticide exposure on bees is semi-field cages. These cages have some key advantages, such as restricting bee foraging to plots sprayed with pesticides …

Evaluating The Self-Healing Capabilities Of Engineered Cementitious Composite Mixtures, Emma W. Baggett

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) is a class of ductile fiber-reinforced concrete designed to exhibit strain-hardening and multiple fine microcracking, instead of large brittle cracks, under tensile loading. The presence of high volume of non-hydrated cement particles in ECC have demonstrated self-healing potential of cracks in ECC. This study evaluates the influence of two ECC additives, limestone powder and crumb rubber, on the self-healing performance of ECC. Three ECC mixture designs were developed: a control mixture, a limestone powder-modified mixture and a crumb rubber modified mixture. Self-healing was monitored over a period of 90 days under alternating wet and dry conditions …

Development Of Saddlepoint Methodologies For Sparse Sample Multiple Parameter Generalized Linear Models And Correlated Data Scenarios, Christopher Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Parameter estimation using maximum likelihood techniques may be biased when sample sizes are small, event rates are low, or otherwise sparse counts exist in a parametric model. This in turn may lead researchers to draw invalid statistical conclusions when conventional methods are utilized. The saddlepoint approximation has potential to lessen the degree of bias in sparse data conditions through its use of moments beyond the mean and variance, which allows for more accurate approximations using a smaller number of observations. We propose two novel saddlepoint methods for use in practical analysis scenarios, as an alternative to maximum likelihood estimation. First, …

Learning Intentions, Success Criteria, And Metacognition: The Influence Of A Professional Development For Grades Three To Five Teachers, Jason Hart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Formative assessment is a strategy that teachers use to improve student learning. This study explored how professional development focused on assessment for learning practices (AFL), with the main emphasis on learning intentions and success criteria, influences teacher use of those strategies and changes in teacher and student metacognition. The overarching research question was: How does professional development on AFL practices influence teachers' reported use of AFL practices and teacher and student metacognition? This study utilized a mixes-methods research design and provided professional development on AFL practices to 16 in-service elementary mathematics teachers and measured changes to their AFL practices and …

A Comparison Of Principal Motivational Orientation And The Orientation Of Principal Actions To Motivate Teachers, Charles K. Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study was planned and conducted to evaluate the correlation between a principal’s dominant motivation type (intrinsic or extrinsic) related to their dominant method to motivate others (intrinsic or extrinsic). The study included nine elementary school principals who led schools to high levels of academic performance. Three participating principals were selected from a school with high poverty rates. Three other principals were selected from schools with medium poverty rates, and three more were selected from schools with low poverty rates.

The researcher collected information from the nine participating principals regarding factors that motivate them to improve student learning at their …

Determining The Structure And Function Of Type Iv-A Anti-Crisprs, Olivine Redman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Bacteria face a constant existential threat in the form of infection by viruses along with other forms of mobile genetic elements, such as bacteriophage and transposable elements. To survive, bacteria and other prokaryotes have evolved various immune systems to evade these would-be invaders. One such immune system is the CRISPR-Cas system, an adaptive immune system able to record the genetic signature of invading viruses in order to recognize and destroy them should they be encountered again in the future. In this thesis I present data that sheds light on the mechanism of one particular subtype of CRISPR-Cas systems: the type …

A Survey Of Master's Qualifying Exam Practices And Content In Real Analysis, Zachary M. Coverstone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Graduate programs in mathematics are intended to develop experts in mathematics. As part of a graduate program, many students are expected to engage in a qualifying examination that can serve myriad purposes. This dissertation investigates real analysis qualifying examinations at the master's level through a nation-wide survey of institutions in the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). This study reveals the practices in administration of real analysis qualifying exams, institutions reported offering traditional, pencil-and-paper exams and generally asked students to prepare individually using previously administered exams. The survey results show that approximately two in three APLU institutions offering master's …