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Commonwealth Times 2026-01-21

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Bathroom: Systemic Barriers To Trans Student Success, Andrew Leclair

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

At the intersection of educational inequity and systemic marginalization, transgender youth face some of their greatest obstacles upon walking through the schoolhouse door—ranging from legislative attacks and gender negation to denied facility access and pervasive bullying. In rural K-12 public schools—where populations are often smaller, more demographically homogenous, and vie for more socially conservative policies—trans youth are particularly vulnerable. Within this context, this piece centers the experiences of transgender students in rural K-12 public schools—highlighting the sociocultural dynamics and systemic barriers that continue to marginalize them within the United States education system today. Through a blend of literature synthesis and …

"What Are They Going To Do? Fire Me?" The Paradoxical Empowerment Of Nonbinary Teachers In Rural South Carolina, Chris Cyan Divens, Jonathan M. Coker

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Nonbinary teachers are seldom the focus of teacher studies, particularly in challenging places such as the rural Southeastern United States. Through a critical ethnographic case study, we explored the stories of two nonbinary teachers who grew up and worked in rural South Carolina. We examined their cultural contexts, including legislative factors, school policies, and school cultures, and we highlighted how these systems created a hostile environment for queer and trans* individuals. Our participants shared how their lived experiences as queer and gender-diverse individuals provided them with an insider perspective about rural South Carolina culture and its limitations. We also found …

Sissies At The Cafeteria Table: Toward A Queer Black-Town Sense Of Place, Education And Life, Ezekiel Joubert Iii

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Contemporary research has shown rural communities to be places with diverse identities and ideologies, disrupting much of the mainstream images of rural spaces as isolated, White, monocultural, and conservative. However, the persistent tendency to imagine racial inequality and queer life as urban contributes to the invisibility of intersectional struggle. Drawing from Critical Pedagogy, Black geographies, Black Queer Studies, and Mobility Studies, this study examines the collective educational experience and storytelling of Black rural queers in a Metro-Rural community in the Upper Midwest. Using an autogeographic approach, building from auto-ethnography and archival praxis reveal how the spatial structures that reproduce educational …

Queer Kids In The Country: Challenges, Resources, And Queer Cultural Capital Of Rural Lgbtqia+ Youth, Michelle L. Page

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This qualitative study investigates the experiences of rural youth who identify as LGBTQIA+. Both rural young people and LGBTQIA+ youth are less likely to pursue higher education and more likely to report negative experiences in their schools and communities. Rural LGBTQIA+ youth face different challenges than do urban and suburban queer youth; therefore, different resources and strategies must be unveiled, developed, and employed in an effort to support rural LGBTQIA+ young people. This study explicates the challenges and assets of rural queer youth, finding that such young people continue to experience challenges in their schools and communities, particularly around identity …

“I’Ve Already Invested So Much Time, Effort, And Money Into This, So I Stay For Me”: A Case Study Of Paulina A First-Generation Trans Latina Rural Community College Student, Ángel De Jesus Gonzalez

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

While research continues to emerge on queer and/or trans (QT) experiences in higher-education, a paucity remains on the nuanced realities of those who exist at the intersections of identities, institutional, and regional contexts. Guided by jotería identity-and-consciousness, this intrinsic case study focuses on Paulina, a first-generation trans Latina rural community college student via queer pláticas. She informs ways that trans Latina students in rural community colleges exists and resists hostile ecological educational environments and in doing so generate queer futurities of rurality. Paulina’s jota-historia disrupts notions of QTs communities presence in rural spaces, rural spaces as synonymous with white, …

The Gsa Leadership Committee: Collective Liberation Through Community Building In Chicago Public Schools, Elizabeth A. Jarpe-Ratner, Corey M. Blake, Emilie L. Clark, Li Lichner, Meaghan L. Tomasiewicz, Nora Benomar, Jose Dominguez Magdaleno, Booker Marshall, Makayla Boyd, D. Little

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Strong evidence links Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) to improved outcomes for LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and questioning and other identities) students. Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) is known for being a leader in supporting LGBTQ+ students. Despite this, CPS’ size has made it difficult to support all schools in adopting recommended practices. Therefore, in 2020 CPS launched the GSA Leadership Committee (GSALC), which comprises teachers and other school-based staff leaders throughout the district, to support all schools in adopting practices known to support LGBTQ+ students. This paper draws on four years of interviews with group facilitators and focus groups …

The Physiology Of Burnout: A Neuro Sustainable Model For Social Work Stability, Mindi Radtke

Social Work Student Works

The Physiology of BurnoutThis independent study introduces NeuroSustainability, a professional framework designed to move the discourse of clinician endurance away from "individual grit" and toward the preservation of Cognitive Capital. In the modern social work landscape, practitioners are trapped in an Implementation Paradox, where the biological necessity of recovery is undermined by high-friction work environments and systemic noise. This chronic friction facilitates allostatic overload, a state of biological debt that triggers structural remodeling of the brain: specifically, the atrophy of the prefrontal cortex-the seat of complex decision-making-and the hypertrophy of the amygdala, which increases reactive anxiety.  The paper identifies three …

Bioprinted Scaffolds For Investigating Fibroblast Alignment, Lillian Thro, Daeha Joung Ph.D.

Undergraduate Research Posters

Fibroblasts play a vital role in tissue repair, ECM remodeling, and maintaining structural integrity in human tissues. However, their behavior in engineered 3D microenvironments remains poorly understood. Traditional 2D cultures fail to capture the complex cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions that govern fibroblast alignment, migration, and proliferation in vivo. To address this gap, this project uses bioprinted scaffolds that mimic native ECM structures and provide a platform for studying fibroblast behavior in controlled microenvironments. The project focuses on varying scaffold channel properties—such as width, depth, and geometry—to investigate how physical cues influence fibroblast organization and collective migration. A biodegradable gelatin-based ECM …

From Custody To Care: Understanding Mental Health And Recidivism In The Criminal Justice System, India Cox

Undergraduate Research Posters

Previous studies on genetic influences in mental health disorders have been shown to correlate with incarceration rates in families. Consequently, there are individuals within the criminal justice system under the clinical threshold of a mental health diagnosis; it has been found that almost half of the incarcerated population was arrested due to acting upon their mental health disorder, while 27 to 38 percent developed PTSD while imprisoned. Furthermore, the serious and exhausting cycle of recidivism within the criminal justice system highlights the failure to provide the necessary mental health treatment required to support rehabilitation while incarcerated and prevent reoffending upon …

Neuron-Enriched Extracellular Vesicle Micrornas Reflect Hormonal Suppression Associated With Oral Contraceptive Use In Young Women, Amulya Chowdhory, Rebekah Frye, Roxann Roberson-Nay

Undergraduate Research Posters

Hormonal contraceptives alter hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian (HPO) feedback, but their impact on brain-associated molecular communication remains poorly understood. Neuron- enriched extracellular vesicle (nEV) microRNAs (miRNAs), isolated from plasma, provide a minimally invasive window into brain molecular activity. This pilot study examined nEV miRNA expression in young women (ages 18–22) who were either naturally cycling or using a combined monophasic oral contraceptive (OC) pill. To identify hormonally responsive miRNAs, we calculated effect sizes (Cohen’s d) between the two groups and selected those showing large between-group differences (|d| ≥ 0.8). These miRNAs were entered into a principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce dimensionality, and …

A Novel 3d Imaging Approach To Study Evolutionary Innovations In Solanaceae Inflorescences, Devin L. Jackson, Joonseog Kim, Wenheng Zhang Dr.

Undergraduate Research Posters

Understanding the relatedness of angiosperms and the evolution of their inflorescence remains challenging, as these structures are highly modified and prone to convergent evolution. The current research describing inflorescence architecture, whether genetically or morphologically focused, typically relies on text based explanations, 2D images, or 3D based models created with CAD modeling software. This creates a disparity in the reader's understanding of these models since descriptions rely heavily on the author's interpretation of the inflorescence. The goal of our study is to bridge this disconnection by producing anatomically and color-correct 3D inflorescence models using Solanaceae flowers that readers can explore directly, …

Using Nature-Inspired Sustainable Design Via Biomimicry Of The Peregrine Falcon To Improve The Development Of Japan’S F-X Fighter Jet, Tvisha Datta

Undergraduate Research Posters

Modern fighter jets face a persistent challenge when it comes to improving aerodynamic efficiency without having to sacrifice high-speed performance or long-term sustainability. These aircraft rely heavily on high thrust and agility, and in doing so, they consume substantial amounts of fuel due to aerodynamic drag and limited energy efficiency. As a result of these constraints, advanced military defense development projects, such as Japan’s Mitsubishi F-X fighter jet program, have been delayed. This highlights the need for more sustainable solutions. Biologically inspired design, or biomimicry, has emerged as a potential and promising alternative. The peregrine falcon, notably the fastest bird …

Bridging The Gap: Why Circulating Micrornas Have Yet To Become Clinical Biomarkers For Endometriosis, Anisha Addepalli, Mary C. Boyes

Undergraduate Research Posters

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder in which endometrial-like tissue grows  outside the uterus, leading to pelvic pain, infertility, and diagnostic delays due to the current  reliance on invasive laparoscopy. Although imaging and hormonal assays offer limited accuracy in diagnosing the disease, circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in arterial blood have emerged as a  promising alternative method as noninvasive biomarkers because they regulate gene expression,  reflect inflammatory and angiogenic pathways, and remain stable in circulation. I propose  investigating miRNAs such as miR-17-5p, miR-451a, and the let-7 family because of their direct  involvement in the regulation of processes such as cell proliferation, immune …

Tms Phantoms For Investigating Multimodal Neuromodulation Procedures, Wesley H. Lohr

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests that combining deep brain stimulation (DBS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is potentially unsafe for certain TMS target locations, though TMS can alleviate several DBS-resistant PD symptoms such as speech impairment, freezing of gait, and dysphagia. Addressing this issue, head phantoms designed for TMS with embedded electric field (E-field) triaxial dipole probes (TDPs) are used to investigate a tunable magnetic shield that can protect implants from periphery E-fields and focalize magnetic fields. Through segmentation of MRI files, 3D printing, and injection molding of CNT-PDMS conductive composites, anatomical head phantoms are created. Anchoring TDPs to clinically relevant regions in …

Absolute Quantification And Identification Of Rna From Rna-Lipid Nanoparticles Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry, Jason C. Funderburk, Yasir A. Alshehry, Matthew S. Halquist Phd, Sandro R.P. Da Rocha Phd

Graduate Research Posters

Background

RNA therapeutics are a rising drug category with potential use for a range of conditions encompassing infectious diseases to therapies for cancer, diseases, and genetic disorders. RNA-lipid nanoparticles (RNA-LNPs) are the prominent delivery method for these therapeutics approved products include mRNA vaccines and polyneuropathy treatments. The emergency use authorizations and orphan drug status of current RNA-LNP drugs has allowed approval without finalization of the regulatory analytical procedures for quality monitoring. The objective of the study was to develop an LC-MS assay to simultaneously measure identity and concentration of two therapeutically relevant intact RNA constructs extracted from RNA-LNPs to enhance …

Differentiation Of Cell Populations In Saliva-Skin Mixtures Using Autofluorescence Profiling, Kara Fairfax

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

While DNA profiling of sexual assault evidence can identify biological contributors, determining the tissue source of recovered profiles remains a significant challenge, particularly in cases of suspected oral assault involving mixtures of epithelial cells. The initial goal of this study was to identify non-genetic signatures for differentiating two types of epithelial cells relevant to oral assaults, saliva epithelial cells and epidermal skin cells. To develop tissue-specific signatures, reference cell populations from saliva and epidermal skin surfaces were collected from 20 donors and analyzed using full spectrum flow cytometry.

Results from single-source reference samples showed that saliva-derived particle populations exhibited higher …

Substance Use Behaviors And Treatment Engagement In Individuals With Severe Psychopathology With And Without Comorbid Obesity, Rachel M. Madera-Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Research has found significantly higher rates of both substance use and obesity among individuals with SMI compared to population samples which in turn can lead to worsening health outcomes. Despite this, there is limited research on the co-occurrence of obesity, substance use, and SMI and how these conditions may interact to affect patient outcomes. In addition, there are many gaps in the research regarding the relationship between substance use and body weight, appetite and/or eating behaviors. This study conducted a secondary analysis of the NSDUH 2021 survey that characterized substance use and disorders among individuals who had severe psychopathology, examined …

Family- And Cultural-Level Influences For Latine Adolescent Nicotine Use: A Qualitative Study Informing Prevention, Cindy M. Hernandez Castro

Theses and Dissertations

Early tobacco use among Latine adolescents represents a critical public health concern, with 23.8% reporting current use and exceeding rates among other racial/ethnic groups (Birdsey et al., 2023; Gaddy et al., 2022). This early initiation elevates risks for nicotine dependence and related morbidity in adulthood (Tsao et al., 2023). Guided by Structural Ecosystems Theory (Szapocznik & Coatsworth, 1999) and contemporary grounded theory analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Charmaz, 2006; Noble & Mitchell, 2016), this study examined multilevel influences on nicotine-related attitudes among Latine youth, including: (1) familial factors (i.e., parental monitoring, caregiver-youth communication), (2) cultural dynamics (i.e., cultural values and …

Characterization Of Growth, Motility And C-Di-Gmp In Selenomonas Sputigena Atcc 35185, Margaret E J Stiker

Theses and Dissertations

Selenomonas sputigena is an obligate anaerobic, Gram-negative pathobiont that transitions from a low-abundance commensal bacteria to a structural component in dysbiotic oral biofilms associated with early childhood caries and periodontitis. Analysis of S. sputigena ATCC 35185 cultures optimized in TYGVS media revealed robust growth, characteristic crescent morphology with flagellar tuft motility, and strong monospecies biofilm formation comparable to Streptococcus mutans via crystal violet assays.

ELISA quantification demonstrated significantly elevated c-di-GMP levels in sessile biofilm fractions relative to motile planktonic cells (p=0.0009), establishing the secondary messenger’s correlation with the motile-sessile lifestyle switch. Recombinant expression and purification yielded PilZ-domain effector proteins, Selsp_1666 …

Environmental Monitoring In Shallow Lakes: Public Health Threats In Urban Waters, Kyleigh E. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Lakes are an integral part of urban and suburban communities, providing ecological, recreational, and public health benefits. Many of these lakes are located in densely populated areas and are subject to urban influences on water quality. Algal toxins and Escherichia coli are two common recreational concerns. Algal toxins come from harmful algal blooms that are influenced by nutrient availability and temperature, while bacteria are often introduced through run-off and animal waste. Sampling every 3-4 weeks from May-October 2025 allowed for the assessment of seasonal patterns and site-specific differences across nine lakes in the Richmond area. The highest bacterial concentrations appeared …

Mathematical Models With Clinical Applications For Improving Health Outcomes, Helen Harris

Theses and Dissertations

In clinical settings, patients are exposed to many risks and stressors that could result in adverse health outcomes. Here we present mathematical models that seek to address these risks. First, we present a Markov Chain model to investigate the effect of medication reconciliation (MR) completion on patient health outcomes in the intensive care unit. Using this model, we simulate the annual incidence of adverse drug events (ADEs) for three different ADE rates. Based on the simulated results, we conduct a cost-benefit analysis for various levels of compliance to determine the financial implications of increasing MR completion depending on the baseline …

Absolute Quantification And Identification Of Rna From Rna-Lipid Nanoparticles Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry, Jason C. Funderburk

Theses and Dissertations

RNA therapeutics are a rising drug category with potential use for a range of conditions encompassing infectious diseases to therapies for cancer, diseases, and genetic disorders. RNA-lipid nanoparticles (RNA-LNPs) are the prominent delivery method for these therapeutics approved products include mRNA vaccines and polyneuropathy treatments. The emergency use authorizations and orphan drug status of current RNA-LNP drugs has allowed approval without finalization of the regulatory analytical procedures for quality monitoring. The objective of the study was to develop an LC-MS assay to simultaneously measure identity and concentration of two therapeutically relevant intact RNA constructs extracted from RNA-LNPs to enhance quality …

In Search Of The Soul Of Creativity: Authorship, Agency, And Meaning In Refractive Collaboration With Generative Ai, Fatima Nazir

Theses and Dissertations

When images can be generated in seconds, what remains uniquely human in the act of creation? In Search of the Soul of Creativity: Authorship, Agency, and Meaning in Refractive Collaboration with Generative AI investigates where authorship, agency, and meaning reside within design practices mediated by generative AI. Rather than using AI to produce predictable results, this research deliberately relinquishes control to observe how generative systems interpret language through their own learned associations. Through a practice-led investigation across four generative models within the Higgsfield platform, user prompts were progressively shortened from full sentences to single words, revealing recurring patterns and cultural …

Magnetic Resonance Only Planning Validation Using Synthetic Ct By Mvision, Eric D. Brass Sr

Theses and Dissertations

Problems: Adaptive radiotherapy requires clinically practical methods for responding to patient-anatomy changes that occur between the original planning images and the day of treatment delivery. Registering a previously acquired computed tomography scan to a newly acquired magnetic resonance image can introduce cross-modality uncertainty and may delay replanning. This thesis evaluates whether synthetic computed tomography generated from same-day magnetic resonance imaging can reduce registration-related uncertainty while supporting rapid dose recalculation for fraction-level adaptation.

Procedure: Magnetic resonance imaging DICOM data were exported from the ViewRay MRIdian treatment planning system and uploaded to MVision for synthetic computed tomography generation. The synthetic computed tomography …

The Ethereal Being That Is Me, And Maybe You, Hwiy Chang

Theses and Dissertations

The Ethereal Being That Is Me, and Maybe You is a 23-minute video collection of short stories accompanied by an installation at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. This thesis explores the work’s creation as a visual and narrative meditation on self-transformation, drawing from personal experiences in therapy and philosophical texts including Carl Jung’s concept of the unconscious. The paper examines how each story represents a distinct stage of transformation—from recognizing patterns to confronting setbacks to reshaping internal dialogue—and how watercolor’s fluid, unpredictable nature serves as a visual metaphor for the process of change. The installation component …

Follow The Cyclists: Everyday Navigation Of Richmond's Bike Infrastructure, Emily E. Schreer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the embodied experience of cycling in Richmond, emphasizing the importance of centering firsthand, lived experience in cycling research and urban planning. While traditional transportation planning can often myopically prioritize efficiency and safety metrics to evaluate infrastructure, this project argues that such approaches overlook essential experiential, sensory, and emotional dimensions of cycling that determine how infrastructure is perceived, used, and ultimately succeeds or fails.

Through an ethnographic approach combining field observation of cyclist behavior and mental mapping sessions with Richmond cyclists, this study positions people who bike in Richmond as expert knowledge holders. Participant contributions, combined with observations …

A Mutant Perfect, Amelia R. Baxter

Theses and Dissertations

A Mutant Perfect examines how embodied knowledge can be made visible and transmissible through ceramic figures. The research asks what forms emerge when making is understood as a mode of thinking rather than a vehicle for pre-formed ideas, and how those forms might activate somatic recognition in a viewer. The primary method is coil-built ceramic sculpture. Color is applied in layered coats and removed by hand-sanding to expose varying strata beneath, producing a speckled, worn surface. In a second approach, pigment is built directly into the clay body through coil construction, making color structural rather than applied. Narrative prose and …

Characterization Of Microrna Expression In Neuron-Enriched Extracellular Vesicles During Early Life, Allison Molen

Theses and Dissertations

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound sacs released by cells that carry molecular cargo reflective of their cell of origin. EVs enriched using L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) as a marker of putative neuronal origin can cross the blood–brain barrier and provide a minimally invasive window into brain-related processes. Exosomal microRNA (miRNA) regulate gene expression and have been implicated in psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). However, measuring and analyzing miRNA from L1CAM-positive EVs presents substantial analytical challenges due to low abundance and sparse detection across samples.

Plasma samples from participants recruited through the Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry (MATR) were used …

Examining The Impact Of Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Meditation On Posttraumatic Growth Following Interpersonal Trauma: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Margaret Poandl

Theses and Dissertations

Research on interventions designed to increase posttraumatic growth (PTG) among interpersonal trauma survivors is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a six-week trauma-informed mindfulness meditation intervention on PTG. Additionally, I examined outcomes of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and loneliness, as well as analyzed the variables of dispositional mindfulness, hope, spirituality, and self-compassion to understand their potential role as mechanisms of change within the intervention on PTG. To answer these research questions, I conducted a randomized controlled trial study with 113 adults from a community sample who reported experiencing interpersonal trauma. Utilizing linear mixed modeling and …