Digital Commons Network^™

Balancing Native Wetland Types And Ecosystem Function Conservation In The Face Of An Aggressive Plant Invader, Aubin A. Douglas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wetlands provide a multitude of ecosystem services that are important to people including water filtration, flood attenuation, carbon sequestration, and recreational opportunities such as birding and hunting. Wetland plants support these services by performing important underlying ecological processes called ecosystem functions which include removing heavy metals from water and providing habitat for migratory birds. The provisioning of these functions varies through space and time, by vegetation type, and via impacts from other factors like climate and management actions. Wetland managers are responsible for maintaining these functions and services within their management complexes to align with their agency’s mandates. Unfortunately, managers …

[M]Otherhood: Navigating Work-Family Constraints And Strategies In Pink-Collar Jobs, Madison Brunell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Working mothers continue to confront cultural norms and workplace practices that frame paid labor as incompatible with caregiving. In the workplace, these norms often result in motherhood bias and discrimination due to the incompatibility between norms of the ‘ideal worker’ and the ‘ideal mother’ (Acker 2006; Williams, Blair-Loy and Berdahl 2013). This tension is especially acute in pink-collar jobs, women-dominated occupations in service and care sectors, which are often mischaracterized as mother- friendly despite offering limited flexibility, low pay, and minimal structural support (Sartor, Lange, and Tröster 2023; Deming 2022; Ervin et al. 2022). While prior research has explored the …

Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences And Bullying Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Alyson Connelly Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and bullying can lead to psychological distress, causing both short- and long-term health and mental health problems. Children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN), including those who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), face a higher risk of ACEs and bullying, which can affect their well-being.

This study builds on existing literature by (a) reviewing ACEs and bullying in CSHCN, especially those who are DHH, and (b) using data from the 2016-2022 National Survey of Children's Health to analyze ACEs and bullying in children who are DHH, DHH+CSHCN, and CSHCN. The literature review found that disability …

Setting Salinity Water-Quality Standards Protective Of Aquatic Life: Insights From Analyses Of The Effects Of Salinity On Stream Insects, Katlyn M. Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Freshwater ecosystems are becoming saltier due to human activities like agriculture, urbanization, and resource extraction. This change in salinity is important because we know very little of how stream salinity affects aquatic insects at natural concentrations, much less at elevated concentrations. Increases in salinity may harm aquatic macroinvertebrates, which play important roles in stream food webs and are widely used as indicators of ecosystem health. Understanding how salinity affects aquatic insect growth, survival, and distribution is critical for developing effective criteria protective of aquatic life, but existing methods often rely on field surveys where multiple environmental factors covary, making it …

Operation: Twisted Arm, Paul Burdiss

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This science fiction novella explores the postcolonial tensions that can exist between a settler population and the native population of the land they have colonized. It uses the science fiction genre to translate modern issues into a fully fictionalized setting and is written in novella form to best fit the form of the story. This novella is accompanied by a Critical Introduction which explains the methodology and rationale for many of the choices made in its construction, and references both literary works read in preparation for this project as well as works by other writers regarding fiction writing techniques. The …

Political Violence, Electoral Behavior, And Their Interaction With Identity, Zeeshan Saeed

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The research takes Pakistan as a case-study to explores how political violence shapes electoral behavior by focusing on two forms of violence: terrorist interventions by non-state actors and political repression by state institutions. Analyzing multiple elections and regional contexts, the study investigates how fear inflicting non-state violence can discourage voter participation, while state sponsored violence can drive communities by triggering anger, particularly those with strong ethnic identities leading to a higher voter turnout. Overall, this work highlights how different types of violence have varying effects on voter participation, and how these effects are conditioned.

Examining The Development Of Collective Classroom Efficacy At The Secondary Level, Bradley K. Dutson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

How can educators develop cohesive and productive learning communities at the secondary level? Prior research has investigated how classrooms develop collective classroom efficacy (CCE) or the shared belief that, as a classroom, they can achieve their learning goals together as a community. Previous studies suggest that CCE at the elementary level is developed with a teacher acting in the role of a community organizer. The teacher employs social and academic practices which incorporate the use of relevance, relationship, and responsibility. These help to establish four key elements of developing CCE which include: 1) a positive classroom environment, (2) persistence and …

Pressure Recovery Analysis Downstream Of Valves And Meters: An Experimental And Numerical Investigation, Stephen J. Sanders

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In pressurized water systems, flow control devices such as valves and meters cause pressure losses that can affect energy efficiency and measurement accuracy. Industry standards assume that all devices recover within the same distance downstream, but this may not be true for all device types. In this study we used laboratory testing and computer modeling to determine how far downstream pressure stabilizes after flowing through various valves and meters. Devices like Venturi meters recovered pressure quickly, while orifice plates required longer distances and resulted in greater permanent energy loss. In most cases, pressure recovered within four to six pipe diameters. …

"Why Does Coach Do That?" Exploring Influences Of Coach Behavior In Non-Elite Women's Artistic Gymnastics, Katherine Vernay Adams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This two study dissertation explores coaching in women's artistic gymnastics, as the sport has been criticized for harsh and controlling coaching methods. The first study investigated whether coaches who experienced mistreatment as young gymnasts were more likely to adopt controlling coaching practices. While there was no direct link, those with a history of mistreatment tended to struggle more with managing their emotions. The second study tested whether coaches view controlling coaching as more acceptable for younger or more advanced gymnasts. The results showed that neither age nor skill level made a difference—controlling coaching was generally viewed as unacceptable, while supportive …

Drawing On The Past: Understanding Japanese American Internment Through Camp Newspaper Comics, Rory Olsen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

When studying the past, what artifacts are left behind for us to study? In understanding Japanese American internment in the United States during WWII, camp newspapers help give a look at the reality of camp life, which included the ongoing issues of a lack of supplies,, the generational divide between older and younger Japanese Americans, and even the racist leanings of some members of the camp. With a balance of humor and seriousness, as well as reality and the abstract, three artists - Roy Kawamoto, Harry Kuwada, and Michiko "Rosie" Arima - who were interred in Camp Jerome (located near …

Studies In Number Theory: Reciprocity Laws And Fundamental Domains, C. Xavier Parent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis consists of two sections. The first section is an introductory survey of number theory discussing the reciprocity laws with a focus on accessibility. Number Theory has always been a fundamental area of mathematical study, with Gauss calling it “the queen of mathematics”. The reciprocity laws are a classical set of results from number theory which have driven number theory for quite a long time. Unfortunately, these results, while important, have always been very inaccessible to undergraduate students, making it hard to start studying the field. This survey attempts to help bridge that gap, giving a resource for novices …

Gender-Diverse Individuals' Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Aliya Halterman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many factors influence how well someone learns and achieve in school and daily living, with motivation being especially important. One key part of motivation is something called self-efficacy, which refers to how much someone believes they can successfully do a specific task (Bandura, 1986; 1997). Research has shown that self-efficacy plays a major role in how well people do, and the quality of their efforts (Pintrich & Schrauben, 1992; Weinstein & Mayer, 1986; Zimmermann, 2000). Additionally, mathematics skills are tied to better outcomes in school, careers, and in daily life. Mathematics also has also had a complex history when it …

Exploring Methods For Quantifying Uncertainty In Neural Network-Based Turbulence Closures, Cody Grogan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Machine Learning (ML) is a very promising field for data-driven modeling of different phenomena. In the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), ML is an enticing alternative to traditional methods to improve the accuracy and computational efficiency of simulations. However, many ML models, like Neural Networks, don’t quantify their uncertainty or indicate their confidence in a prediction to those who wish to use them. This is especially important because the use of inaccurate ML predictions in a CFD simulation can greatly impact the validity of a simulation. However, with uncertainty quantification, an ML model can indicate to a modeler the …

An Evaluation Of Interactive Computerized Training To Teach Preservice Speech Language Pathologists To Implement Brief Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement Preference Assessments, Mattie L. Mecham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Positive reinforcement is often used when teaching new skills. When working with individuals with developmental disabilities, it can be difficult to determine reinforcing items. Preference assessments can be used to identify items that may function as reinforcers. A multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessment (MSWO) produces a ranking of preferred items and can be conducted quickly. Researchers have utilized interactive computerized training (ICT) to teach behavior analytic skills and procedures. The present investigation aimed to extend previous MSWO training and ICT research by developing and evaluating the effects of an MSWO ICT implemented with speech language pathology graduate students. The …

An Investigation Into The Principle Of Symmetric Criticality, Guillermo Frausto

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In physics, symmetries help us understand complex systems by revealing conserved quantities and simplifying equations. In the context of general relativity, where spacetime is curved and dynamic, these symmetries become especially important when trying to reduce or solve the equations that govern gravitational and matter fields.

This dissertation investigates a mathematical principle known as the Principle of Symmetric Criticality (PSC), which helps determine when symmetries can be used to simplify physical theories without losing essential information. While often assumed to be valid, PSC does not always hold, and understanding when it does is critical for the reliable use of symmetry …

Examining The Predictive Validity Of Adolescent Complete Mental Health On High School Academic Performance, Nai-Jiin Yang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This multiple-paper dissertation examines how adolescent complete mental health, based on the Dual-Factor Model, predicts high school academic performance. The Dual-Factor Model considers both psychological distress (such as internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and subjective wellbeing (such as life satisfaction and positive affect). The main research objective is to determine whether this comprehensive framework offers stronger predictive power for academic success than symptom-based approaches alone.

Two studies were conducted using self-report mental health data collected at three time points during an academic year. These data were analyzed alongside end-of-quarter grade point averages in English Language Arts, math, and overall GPA using …

Enabling Sustainability Transitions For Great Salt Lake: Framing Of Public Opinion, Boundary Work, And Policy, Anna Mcentire

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation explores how people think about, talk about, and take action to save Great Salt Lake, which reached historic low levels in 2021. Using surveys, public records, and legislative documents primarily from 2022 to 2024, the research examines public opinions, collaborative efforts, and policy changes related to the lake. The first chapter looks at what people value about the lake and what actions they want to see taken. It finds that people are very concerned and want significant efforts to stop the lake's decline. The second chapter investigates how different groups work together publicly to negotiate new understandings, create …

Linking Variation In Mule Deer Nutritional Condition And Age To Population Performance In A Temperate Environment, Kent R. Hersey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The amount of body fat animals have as they enter and exit winter can have major impacts on how well they survive and reproduce. Mule deer are widely distributed herbivores whose survival and reproduction are strongly tied to weather patterns and the quality of vegetation they consume, which in turn impacts nutritional condition. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify the factors (animal specific, climatic, or habitat) influencing mule deer body fat during both summer and winter in Utah and examine how nutritional condition influences survival. We found December body fat was most affected by December lactation …

An Ant-Colony Approach To Scheduling Charging Sessions Of Electric Vehicle Fleets With Heterogeneous Scheduling Constraints, Derek D. Redmond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Electric vehicles and electric-vehicle fleets are gaining widespread usage. A major challenge of managing an electric-vehicle fleet is scheduling when the vehicles can charge and when the vehicles can complete their tasks. Finding smart ways to schedule electric-vehicle charging reduces both the cost of charging vehicles and increases the health of the grid and the environment. This best-of-both-worlds outcome is because of the pricing structure that electric utility companies use. When minimizing the cost of charging the vehicles, it is important to consider that vehicle fleets have constraints on when they can charge. Vehicles are usually limited by the tasks …

A Focus On Student Education: Determining Student Attitudes Towards Transparent Autograding And Developing Artificially Intelligent Tools To Help Students Succeed, Andra Rice

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis is composed of two parts both relating to helping students succeed. First, the focus is on determining how we can help students feel more comfortable using an AI tool that can provide them immediate feedback. Second, machine learning algorithms are explored in relation to tracking student tasks to encourage healthy study habits.

The development of effective autograders is key for scaling assessment and feedback. While AI based autograding systems for open-ended response questions have been found to be beneficial for providing immediate feedback, autograders are not always liked, understood, or trusted by students. Our research tested the effect …

Impacts Of 4r Nitrogen Management And Water Optimization On Soil Health, Kamaldeep Kamaldeep

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Farmers in Utah and Idaho are facing growing challenges due to high fertilizer costs, limited irrigation water, and pressure to improve long-term soil health. To better understand current practices and grower attitudes, a survey was conducted in 2020 targeting 5,000 producers of small grains, corn, and potatoes. Although the response rate was low, 146 growers representing over 25,000 hectares of cropland participated. Survey results showed that most growers are open to improving nitrogen and irrigation practices and care about their soil health, even if not all are fully using 4R or precision agriculture methods.

This thesis includes two field studies …

Temperature Effects On Fruit Doubling And Bloom Prediction In Tart Cherry, Josette M. Moon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Tart cherry (Prunus cerasus) is a key horticultural crop in Utah. Extreme summer heat and cold weather in late spring are challenges to tart cherry production causing economic losses. These problematic weather conditions are influenced by the local landscape and are exacerbated by changing climate. This research explores (1) the impact of summer heat stress on fruit deformities, and (2) the accuracy of temperature-based predictions of spring bud development. High temperatures and water stress after harvest are known to cause a deformity known as twin or double fruits, resulting in unmarketable fruit. This disorder has been studied in …

Optimization And Utilization Of Microbial Electrolysis Cells In Waste To Product Applications, Hayden Harrison

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

As the world searches for cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions, turning waste into fuel is an increasingly attractive strategy. This research focuses on microbial electrolysis cells, a new technology that uses bacteria and a small amount of electricity to convert organic waste—like food scraps or wastewater—into useful gases such as hydrogen and methane. These gases can be used as energy sources to reduce dependency on more traditional fuels.

This thesis tackles two key challenges that limit the real-world use of microbial electrolysis systems. First, it introduces a simpler and more effective method to stop hydrogen losses in single-chamber cells. …

Authentic Digital Writing Parameters In College Composition: Design, Implementation, And Assessment Of A Culture Jam, Mary Ellen Greenwood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

As technology reshapes communication, college classrooms must adapt to prepare students for writing in a quickly changing world. This dissertation investigates how authentic writing—writing that feels meaningful, relevant, and tied to real-world purposes—can enhance student motivation, confidence, and writing skills in college composition courses.

The study introduces a multimodal assignment called a Culture Jam, where five participants critiqued and remixed media messages, such as advertisements or social media posts, to create their own critical digital compositions. Over three weeks, participants created their Culture Jams, shared feedback with peers, and reflected on their experiences. This project focused on five key elements …

The Final Girl Without The Slasher: Final Girls, Gender, And Community In Psych, Cassidy Crosby

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis focuses on the “Final Girl” trope, a hallmark of slasher films of the 1970s and 1980s, as it appears in detective procedural television show Psych to analyze what changes in the trope’s usage says about broader changes in American culture. I engage with two key episodes, “Scary Sherry: Bianca’s Toast” and “Tuesday the 17^th,” which contain the program’s most direct engagements with the Final Girl trope. Ultimately, I conclude that Psych rejects the hyperindividualism embedded in the Final Girl and some of the trope’s more binary gender norms, while also failing to interrogate other aspects of …

The Effects Of Temperature And Cardiotonic Steroids On Cardiac Function And Metabolism In Snakes, Hannah Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The function of the heart provides a window into the physiology of vertebrates and a means of evaluating their response to the stresses imposed by diverse activities. I developed a miniaturized instrument to record electrocardiograms (ECGs), using open-source Arduino technology, that a snake can wear as a backpack. The backpack can also be used when the snake is in a metabolic chamber, to record the metabolic rate and ECG simultaneously. I first used the ECG backpack to record the physiology of snakes under different temperature conditions, to verify that the system worked as expected. the backpack was then used on …

Graph-Based Machine Learning: Higher-Order Interactions, Guided Generation, And Knowledge-Graph Tools, Thomas J. Kerby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation brings the power of graph thinking to three key challenges in modern AI, making complex data more transparent, generative design more controllable, and scholarly exploration more intuitive. First, we introduce Local CorEx, a new machine learning technique that uncovers hidden relationships among variables, making it easier to understand complex datasets without heavy computation. Next, we show how to guide the creation of new molecules by viewing the generation process itself as a walk through a "state graph," letting researchers steer outcomes toward desired chemical properties—without any extra model training. Finally, we deliver an open-source toolkit that builds interactive …

Evaluating The Effects Of 3d User Interactions And Virtual Displays On Human Cognition And Perception For Immersive Analytics, Dongyun Han

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This research investigates how virtual reality (VR) can be utilized effectively for users to explore data. Traditional data analysis typically takes place on flat, two-dimensional computer screens. In contrast, immersive technologies like VR offer a three-dimensional environment where users can engage with data more naturally and intuitively. Such immersive experiences have the potential to improve comprehension, memory, and insight during data analysis tasks. Despite this potential, several challenges remain in making immersive analytics practical and effective. Key questions include which types of 3D interaction techniques are most helpful and how accurately people perceive visual information in immersive environments. To address …

Cultural Adaptation Of The Act Guide For Immigrant Community Members, José Manuel González Vera

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Undocumented immigrants face many challenges that can harm their mental health, such as anti- immigrant policies, the threat of deportation, and difficulty accessing mental health care. Online mental health programs can make mental health care more accessible. The ACT Guide is a self-paced online tool designed to help with anxiety and depression. While it has mainly been used by white college students, similar ACT-based programs have been effective for diverse communities worldwide. The first paper was focused on gathering feedback from community members and Latine psychologists. This was done in partnership with United We Dream (UWD) and the Latinx Immigrant …

Evaluating The Impact Of Maximum Aero-Thermal Heating On A High-Speed Fixed-Wing Atmospheric Aircraft Optimum Trajectory, Benjamin M. Ford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study explores how extreme heating affects the flight paths of hypersonic aircraft—vehicles that travel at speeds many times faster than sound. Analyzing how to fly a high-speed aircraft without overheating it can prevent structural failure while operating at maximum possible performance. The results shown in this section indicate that it is possible to operate at very high speeds in an aircraft while keeping peak vehicle temperature below our limits while saving fuel.