Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Fib-Based Sample Preparation On Semiconductor Strain Characterization, Daniel Carl Hedinger

Dissertations and Theses

Channel strain engineering has been an important topic in semiconductor manufacturing due to the significant carrier mobility gains it can provide. The need for strain characterization at the individual device level, combined with the rapidly shrinking size of semiconductor devices, has led to development of various transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based strain characterization methods including nano beam electron diffraction (NBD). These methods rely on focused ion beam (FIB) sample preparation to produce election transparent TEM samples. This dissertation studies the effect of different FIB sample preparation modalities on the measured strain in p-type 14nm FinFET devices. TEM samples were produced …

Navigating Homelessness And Housing Accessibility: An Ethnography Of Guests At Operation Nightwatch, Chase Kawika Patton

Dissertations and Theses

In 2025, over 7,000 individuals in Portland, Oregon experiencing unsheltered homelessness are without access to shelter or transitional housing. In this resource gap Operation Nightwatch (ON) provides material support for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in the University District neighborhood of downtown Portland. This study focused on the experiences of chronically homeless guests of Nightwatch as they navigated homelessness and housing access. The study relied on semi-structured interviews with staff and guests and on-site participant observation to determine the availability of support to access housing in a system governed by Coordinated Access and the Housing First model. Primary research took place …

Bl(U)E Crab: Bluetooth Low Energy Connection Risk Assessment Benchmarking, Dylan Christopher Conklin

Dissertations and Theses

The usage of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based tracker devices for stalking has become a salient privacy concern. Detecting unwanted or suspicious trackers is challenging due to their cross-platform compatibility issues, inconsistent detection methods, and lack of an industry-wide standard for detecting malicious devices. BL(u)E CRAB, Bluetooth Low Energy Connection Risk Assessment Benchmarking, scans data and generates risk factors about nearby devices to classify them as suspicious or not. These risk factors include the number of encounters the user had with a device, the duration of time a device has been near the user, the distance a device has traveled …

Evaluating The Implementation Of Oregon's Dsm-5-Informed Autism Eligibility Revisions: Interest-Holder Perspectives And Policy Implications, Bradley Josef Hendershott

Dissertations and Theses

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states establish their own autism spectrum disorder (ASD) eligibility criteria, resulting in substantial interstate variation and frequent misalignment with medical diagnostic standards. In 2019, Oregon revised its ASD eligibility criteria by directly incorporating DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, reflecting proponents' theory of action that this alignment would improve conceptual clarity, identification accuracy, and coherence across educational and medical systems. While an early implementation study documented generally positive early effects reported by evaluators, no research has systematically examined whether the DSM-5 alignment achieved its anticipated effects, how the revised criteria function after multiple years of …

Examining Fort Vancouver Curatorial Practices: How Do Museums Interact With And Represent The Public?, Karryn Meharchand Pillay

Dissertations and Theses

Historically, the work of curators has always been somewhat opaque and mysterious to the public, with knowledge of curatorial practices only being passed from mentor to student, creating a small elite of those in the know, which is something that has only begun to change in the modern era (Meyer-Krahmer 2015). So, if museum operations are not accessible to the public, what does that mean for communities whose culture and history are being presented by the museum? How are they meant to reclaim their cultural heritage? How are they supposed to approach conversations regarding misrepresentation in museum exhibits?

Through this …

Ureilite Meteorite Petrofabrics: Evolution And Formation Deformational Conditions, Benjamin Botwe Agyemang

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the origin and development of crystallographic fabrics in ureilites, which are primitive achondritic meteorites interpreted as residues of partial melting from a differentiated parent body. In this study, we evaluate three fabric-forming mechanisms: gravitational cumulate crystallization, shock-induced deformation, and flow alignment associated with melt extraction and convective stirring. A quantitative Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) analysis was conducted on six ureilitic meteorites to assess olivine Lattice Preferred Orientation (LPO), Shape Preferred Orientation (SPO), the connection between SPO and LPO, and other deformation metrics, including Grain Orientation Spread (GOS), and Crystal Rotation Axis (CRA). Our results suggest that most …

Setting The Recycling Narrative: A Thematic Analysis Of Recycling Webpages In The United States, Haley Nolde

Dissertations and Theses

Recycling is widely promoted in the United States as a central strategy for waste diversion and sustainable materials management, yet recycling outcomes remain inconsistent and public understanding is often fragmented. While substantial research examines recycling behavior, infrastructure, material science, and markets, less attention has been paid to how recycling itself is framed and communicated to the public. This thesis addresses that gap by examining narratives produced by recycling thought leader organizations (TLOs) in the United States. Using thematic analysis, this study analyzes publicly available recycling webpages from 99 TLOs, including state government agencies, state-level non-governmental organizations (NGOs), national and regional …

Where Mussels Hang Out: A Multiscale Analysis Of Zebra Mussel (Dreissena Polymorpha) Spread In South Dakota, Justin Verner Sorensen

Dissertations and Theses

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymrpha) poses significant ecological and economic threats to freshwater systems across North America. Understanding population dynamics and how this aquatic invasive species spreads is essential for making natural resource management decisions. South Dakota represents an active frontline of the zebra mussel invasion, highlighting the importance of understanding the spread in this region. Statewide habitat suitability modeling of available aquatic habitat was performed using MaxEnt, a robust machine learning algorithm. Individual waterbody suitability means were also extracted to rank waterbodies within highly suitable regions. This work revealed that South Dakota possesses widespread suitable …

Accelerating The Discovery Of The Genetic And Molecular Bases Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders In Vivo Using Breasi-Crispr, Claire Mae Kittock

Dissertations and Theses

Many neurodevelopmental disorders occur due to perturbations in prenatal brain development. More genetic variants associated with neurodevelopmental disorders are continuously being identified. However, there is a lack of understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms. Here, we describe a novel application of the technique Breasi-CRISPR in modeling specific patient variants in the embryonic mouse brain. Breasi-CRISPR is a highly efficient system combining in utero electroporation with CRISPR-CAS9 genome editing. We hypothesized that Breasi-CRISPR would be sufficient at inserting patient analogous variants into endogenous loci to be used as a new paradigm for modeling neurodevelopmental disorders. We aimed to test if Breasi-CRISPR could …

A Poor Man's Cup: Chicory Experimentation In Nebraska,1890-1900, Rebecca Hupp

Dissertations and Theses

“A Poor Man’s Cup” explores how Nebraskans actively confronted the problems of the late nineteenth-century through experimenting with new commodities. Prolonged severe drought, economic depression, and poor grain prices created a troublesome situation that grew in complexity as U.S. markets expanded globally and agriculture underwent professionalization. Some lay farmers, like Gabriel and Philomena Bazelman of Holt County, did not wait for new methods to find their way through the experiment station system and instead conducted trials themselves. Through piecing together the story of Nebraska chicory production with periodicals from the 1890s, experiment station bulletins, and Congressional reports, this thesis demonstrates …

Exploring The Role Of Pleasure In Cognitive Tasks, Nafisa Kazi Iqbal

Dissertations and Theses

The present study investigates whether the experience of a pleasant-valenced physical stimulus will positively influence performance on a cognitive task. The concept of hedonics is explored as hedonic responses, emotional reactions to stimuli involving feelings of pleasure and displeasure, play a crucial role in various psychological processes. There is a limited amount of literature regarding pleasant smell and its impact on the performance of cognitive tasks. The reported study addresses this limitation by comparing Stroop task performance of participants in two conditions, pleasant scent and neutral scent. These findings add to our understanding of the impact of pleasant smell on …

A Dual-Emission Polymer-Dots/Gold-Nanoclusters Nanohybrid For Ratiometric Fluorescence Detection Of Hg²⁺, Sha Wu

Dissertations and Theses

Heavy metals, such as Hg, Cd, Pb, and Cr, become a serious environmental problem because they are highly toxic, bioaccumulation, and long-term persistence, required a high sensitivity and selectivity detection method. Although laboratory testing instruments, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, offer high sensitivity, their practical application is limited because they rely on large-scale equipment and complex sample pre-treatment processes. Single-emission fluorescence probes are simpler but can be affected by variations in probe concentration, excitation intensity, and measurement conditions. In this study, a dual-emission nanohybrid that consists of poly(9,9-di-n-hexylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PDHF) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), termed as PDHF-Pdots/BSA-AuNCs nanohybrid, …

Holding The District Together With Duct Tape And Determiniation: A Study Of Superintendent Stress, Robert Orion Thompson

Dissertations and Theses

Researchers’ work found the superintendent role was increasingly complex. Superintendents experienced elevated stress, burnout, and turnover. However, the ways in which district context and coping strategies interacted to shape superintendent well-being remain insufficiently understood, particularly in rural settings. This study examined how school superintendents perceived and experienced occupational stress, the impact of that stress on their well-being and leadership, and the coping strategies they used. Notably, there was a focus on district size differentiation. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through two focus groups in the western side of a rural state with superintendents representing districts with large …

Covid-19 Pandemic-Induced Social Isolation: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration Of Age And Time, Renee Reedy

Dissertations and Theses

Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered social functioning, creating an urgent need to understand the lived experience of isolation across life stages. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how age and time shaped social isolation during the pandemic. Sixteen participants from three-generation households—adolescents (n=5), adults (n=6), and older adults (n=5)—were interviewed approximately five years post-isolation. Recruitment occurred through ResearchMatch, and interviews were conducted between February and March 2025. Participants represented diverse racial, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds, with isolation periods ranging from 27 to 426 consecutive days (¯x = 165 ± 124 days). Data analysis followed Gadamer’s hermeneutic circle …

Helpful Autism School-Based Services: Perspectives From The People That Received Services, Michael Angelo Grizzaffi

Dissertations and Theses

Transitioning high school students with autism, primarily with a level 1 diagnosis, from high school to independence in young adulthood has evidence-based practices. However, preferences of the students who are receiving services had not been considered before. This study reviews the thoughts of what prior high school students find helpful in the services they receive. Choosing individualized evidence-based practices is ideal for students. Prior high school students' experiences demonstrate the desire for more transition skills teaching. Leading special educators in the skills of some evidence-based practices is required for the individualization of these practices the students need to occur. Leading …

Large Language Model Communication And Data Transfer Across A Simulated Telephone Line, Jared Reyes

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis presents a proof-of-concept communication system in which two local large language model endpoints communicate across a simulated analog telephone line using legacy USB modems. The project combines modem voice mode, modem data mode, local speech processing, and structured machine messaging into a single staged session. During the voice phase, one endpoint places a call, the other answers, speech generated by a locally hosted LLaMA-family model is synthesized with Piper, transmitted through the modem voice path, captured on the remote side, and transcribed with Faster-Whisper to drive the next response. After the voice exchange, the system transitions to a …

The Rhetoric And Memory Of Kumeprɛko, Benedicta Harford

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the rhetoric of Kume Prɛko and asks what its major rhetorical appeals were both during 1994 and afterwards. First, I analyze major images and a speech from the protest and identify how it framed the VAT tax as an embodied, urgent issue for all citizens to resist. Then, I consider how Akufo-Addo silenced this "vernacular" memory in favor of his "official" narrative, drawing off the work of John Bodnar. Ultimately, this thesis shows how difficult it is for those in power to remember grassroots dissent in all their complexity but also how hard it is to completely …

Effective Practices In A School-Based Mentorship Program: Insights From An Elementary School Setting, Kimberly Noele Steger

Dissertations and Theses

(School-based mentoring programs) SBMPs have demonstrated beneficial outcomes for mentees, mentors, and overall school culture; however, their effectiveness was highly dependent on intentional implementation and the educators who facilitated them. Limited research exists on how SBMPs were practically introduced, structured, and sustained; thus underscoring the need for deeper examination of successful implementation practices. Therefore, this case study explored the implementation of SBMPs within a specific elementary school, focusing on mentors’ perceptions and experiences. The researcher sought to understand mentors’ roles within the program, including their successes and challenges, the training and support they received, and how implementation conditions influenced their …

All She Ever Wanted Was The World: The Emergence Of Vocal Methodology, Pedagogy, And Opera Performance For Women In The Nineteenth Century, Emma Hawkinson

Dissertations and Theses

Important music methods books began to emerge in the 1750s with instrumental treatises for flute, piano, and violin. By the end of the nineteenth century, there was a multitude of treatises for a variety of instruments, including classical voice. This study investigates and analyzes the content of treatises from four individual women who performed, taught, and published vocal treatises in the nineteenth century: German Mathilde Marchesi (1821–1913), Italian Virginia Boccabadati (1828–1922), Spanish Matilde Esteban (1841–1915), and English American Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844–1931). These methods books are set in the historical context of the music industry before and during the nineteenth …

A Mixed Methods Study On Mexican American Satisfaction And Perception Of Clinical Trials, Grace Manzo

Dissertations and Theses

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration sets expectations on the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data. Ethnic data for Mexican Americans is often reported as “Hispanic or Latino.” Mexican Americans make up a significant percentage of “Hispanic or Latinos,” however, they remain significantly underrepresented in clinical trials. Grounded in Expectation-Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this mixed-methods study investigates the relationship between satisfaction and perception of Mexican Americans who have participated in an ophthalmology clinical trial. This research aimed to understand the relationships among satisfaction with the clinical trial process, patient-reported outcomes, and …

Understanding The Role Of School Resource Officers In Addressing Students’ Mental Health Needs: A Phenomenological Study, Ryan Christopher Vinzant

Dissertations and Theses

Since the 1990s School Resource Officers (SROs) have been commonly employed in schools throughout the United States. However, their jobs may look very different depending on what setting they are in and the different administrative policies governing their work. Throughout this time, researchers have focused on the different roles that SROs have within the educational environment and how these roles are put into action when interacting with students. However, there have been limited studies exploring the role SROs play when interacting with students who are experiencing mental health problems or experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental health problems have become …

Effects Of Hurricane Weather Events On Perceived Stress, Academic Motivation, And Resilience In College Students From Louisiana, Courtney Renee Harrington

Dissertations and Theses

In the fall semester of 2020, five hurricanes were projected to make landfall along the coast of Louisiana. The following fall semester of 2021, Hurricane Ida, a major category 4 storm landed and wreaked havoc among Louisiana’s coastal universities. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of hurricane events on students’ perceived stress, academic performance, and resilience. It was hypothesized that students affected by the landfall of a hurricane would have increased stress, decreased academic motivation, and decreased resilience compared to normative college students. A cross-sectional survey was administered at two southern Louisiana universities as well as …

Interactional Synchrony In Mother-Infant Dyads: Developmental Changes And The Impact Of Maternal Emotion Dysregulation Over Time, Jessica Taylor Kelly

Dissertations and Theses

Infancy is a period of rapid development, while motherhood is often a time of heightened emotionality (Bjelica et al., 2018; Leclère et al., 2014). Synchrony between mother and infant is one of the earliest bonding experiences, with short- and long-term implications for the infant’s development and the mother-infant relationship (Leclère et al., 2014). However, little research has characterized developmental shifts in mother-infant synchrony. Maternal emotion dysregulation is likely to influence mother-infant synchrony (Doba et al., 2022; Lotzin et al., 2015, 2016). Yet little research has evaluated the impact of maternal emotion dysregulation on mother-infant synchrony over time. This project aims …

The Efficaciousness Of Generative Ai For Integrated Stem Planning And Its Impact On Stem Teacher Self-Efficacy, Julie Ann Olson

Dissertations and Theses

With evolving workforce needs, global challenges, and national science education initiatives calling for STEM instruction with purposeful connections between the four domains, there is a need for methods to support educators facing the challenges this pedagogical approach presents. Challenges may weaken teachers' self-efficacy, potentially reducing the probability that an integrated STEM (I-STEM) pedagogy would be sustained in the classroom. There is limited research addressing how generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has been used for I-STEM lesson development, combined with its effects on I-STEM teaching self-efficacy (SE) grounded in social cognitive theory. This study investigated how GAI influences I-STEM teaching SE, when …

Information Technology Dashboard Design Research, James Myers

Dissertations and Theses

Dashboard displays in command center environments benefit from design guidelines informed by perceptual and cognitive research. This dissertation examines how spatial hierarchy and chartjunk affect knowledge retention from dashboard displays, using a mixed-methods approach that combines formative qualitative studies with controlled experiments. Three formative studies, an expert review, a heuristic analysis with three reviewers, and semi-structured interviews with IT professionals identified spatial hierarchy and chartjunk removal as the design guidelines most likely to affect dashboard comprehension. A subsequent co-creation study with IT professionals refined these findings and informed experimental stimulus development. Two experiments tested these guidelines using a dashboard knowledge …

“A Loving And Faithful Wife”: A Study Of Dakota Territory Divorce Law And Marital Expectations In The Late Nineteenth Century, Cassidy Amanda Abfalter-Dial

Dissertations and Theses

“A Loving and Faithful Wife” provides a procedural and gender-based analysis of twenty-five Dakota Territory divorce cases, from Clay County, ranging from 1867-1884. This analysis is based on an understanding of the procedural aspects of the territorial divorce court system, as well as nineteenth century gender ideologies, include the ideals of True Womanhood, and Separate Spheres. By employing a close reading method, this research analyzes the language in court filings, allegations used in complaints, and the outcome of the cases. This analysis reveals men and women used unspoken gender scripts to present their marriages to the court and attempt to …

Teaching Safety Skills To Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities In A School Setting, Nicole Freeman

Dissertations and Theses

his study was designed to determine the effectiveness of using Behavior Skills Training with or without In-situ Training to teach responding to a simulated toxic substance in young adults with intellectual disabilities in a school setting. Simulated safety skills were measured using a task-analysis of independently identifying, avoiding, and reporting the simulated toxic substance to a qualified adult (i.e., teacher, caregiver, classroom support provider). The task analysis of the identification, avoidance, and reporting was an attempt to quantify independent self-help skills on the part of the participants. The measurement procedure was consistent with previous research conducted on similar safety skills …

Iron(Ii)/Cobalt(Ii)-Mediated Silicon And Carbon Quantum Dots For Nanozyme Activity And Fluorescence Sensing Of Hydrogen Peroxide And Glucose, Kang Qin

Dissertations and Theses

Silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have been widely studied as fluorescent nanomaterials for sensing applications. In this thesis, we developed two different nanomaterials, SiQDs and CQDs, and investigated their catalytic activities and applied them for the detection of hydrogen peroxide and glucose. In the first project, Co2+-mediated SiQDs were synthesized through a hydrothermal method. The obtained nanoparticles showed obvious peroxidase-like activity toward the oxidation of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2 under acidic conditions. Moreover, a weak oxidation of TMB was also observed without H2O2, suggesting the existence of oxidase-like activity. To better understand the …

Invasion Dynamics, Environmental Conditions, And Community Impacts Of Yellow Sweetclover (Melilotus Officinalis) Across The Northern Great Plains, Sakshi Saraf

Dissertations and Theses

Understanding how environmental conditions and invasion dynamics shape native plant Communities is critical for conserving and managing the semi-arid grasslands of the Northern Great Plains (NGP). Invasive plant species are increasingly altering ecosystem structure and function across this region, yet knowledge gaps remain regarding the drivers of invasion, their spatiotemporal dynamics, and their associations with native plant communities. This dissertation investigates three questions: (1) what environmental conditions are associated with the distribution and abundance of the invasive legume Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweetclover; MEOF), (2) how does MEOF vary across space and time under climatic conditions, and (3) how are environmental …

"Cap No Belong To Busha:" Property-In-Labor And Apprenticeship In Jamaica, 1834-1838, Ashley S. Getting

Dissertations and Theses

The four-year period of apprenticeship in Jamaica was a critical period in the transition of labor relations between enslaver/enslaved and master/apprentice. This study examines the Abolition of Slavery Act of 1833 and colonial office records to consider the ways masters and apprentices interpreted property-in-labor and how they employed those interpretations to begin negotiation what a 'free labor' sugar economy might look like post-apprenticeship. Using the lens of freedom practices to examine colonial dispatches and court records, I construct the apprentice understanding of their new labor relation. Apprenticeship meant a new legal status where individuals were no longer chattel, and the …