Digital Commons Network^™

How Perceptions Of Trauma Impact The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Events And Drinking Habits Of College Students, Caitlin M. Ward

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been consistently linked to alcohol misuse across the lifespan; however, little research has examined how individuals’ perceptions of these experiences contribute to risky drinking behaviors. The present study investigated the associations among ACEs, perceived traumatic impact of childhood adversity, gender identity, and alcohol use among 211 undergraduate students ages 18 to 25 at the University of Montana (Missoula). Participants completed measures assessing ACE exposure, perceived trauma impact, depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), adult adverse experiences, and alcohol use (AUDIT). ACE scores significantly predicted higher AUDIT scores in an unadjusted model; however, this relationship was no longer significant …

Alive For The Wake, Anna Kate Powell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In the year 2046, bacteria strain B. bibitor has rendered all petroleum hydrocarbon compounds unrefinable. Paramedic Amanda Bailey finds hope in the resilience of humanity but struggles when she learns the powers that be would rather concentrate their efforts on fighting B. bibitor—restoring infected hydrocarbons to their previously refinable (and profitable) nature—rather than investing in already-developed clean firm energies and renewable material manufacture.

On Creating Bog Bodies: The Effects Of Ph Value On Dna Decomposition In A Bog Environment, Gabrielle B. Giangreco

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Bog bodies have been a consistent area of interest in both archaeology and biological anthropology, due to their high rates of physical preservation. While there are many physical analyses that have been done on these remains, DNA analysis is lacking. Most studies focus on changes to the remains themselves or attempt to determine why they were placed in a bog. This study aims to examine the effects of pH level on the breakdown of DNA on remains placed inside a bog along with any larger differences in the preservation of the remains. The results of this study seem to point …

Theory Of Planned Behavior And Suicide Screening In Family Medicine, Jennifer Villa

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

General medical healthcare settings, particularly primary care and family medicine practices, serve as critical access points for addressing mental health concerns. This is especially true in rural communities, where specialized behavioral health services are often limited or unavailable. Given the elevated suicide risk in these settings and the shortage of mental health professionals, primary care providers are well-positioned to identify patients at risk through suicide screening. However, research shows that many established providers do not routinely screen for suicide, representing a missed opportunity for prevention, and little is known about resident attitudes towards suicide screening and prevention. Guided by the …

Juvenile Arthritis, Body Image, And Disordered Eating: An Exploration Of Experiences, Katelyn Ann Melcher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This qualitative study examined eating and body experiences among youth with juvenile arthritis (JA). JA, an autoimmune condition affecting nearly 300,000 youth in the United States, poses significant challenges including chronic pain, disability, and psychological concerns such as anxiety and depression. Adolescence is a critical developmental time for body image and disordered eating concerns to emerge. However, no qualitative research has explored the interactions of JA, body image, and eating behaviors among youth. Twelve youth with a JA diagnosis participated in a semistructured qualitative interview examining their experiences with JA and their feelings about their bodies and food as they …

Cullet, Celia Alice Easton Koehler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

“Cullet” is an industry term for the refuse and smashed-up glass added to new material in the process of making new glass. It is related to the word “cull” from the old french “to collect” or gather. This collection of poems picks up the term as a framework for investigating the piece-meal of daily life, tracing relations between the individual and collective, and also tracing vantage and scale; shifts of where and how the speaker directs their gaze. The poems are invested in assembling an ethos of the domestic that recasts “the domestic” to include more public sites of daily …

Indigenous Access And Use On Private Land: A Toolkit For Heart Of The Rockies Land Trust Members, Ian James Craighead

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Ambient Air Quality On Asthma Outcomes In California, Abigail Obour

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigates the relationship between ambient air quality and asthma-related health outcomes in California, focusing on emergency department visits and hospitalizations from 2005 to 2022. Despite California’s strict air quality standards, individuals still face significant pollution challenges contributing to poor respiratory health, particularly among vulnerable populations. Therefore, this study looks at how fine particulate matter (PM2.5) affects asthma outcomes using panel data from 37 counties. A fixed effects regression model is employed to control for unobserved heterogeneities that are constant over time but vary across individual counties, ensuring robust estimates of the impact of pollution on health outcomes. This …

Mitochondrial Dna Diversity In West Mexico, Emma Zoiss

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The long-standing movement of people, exchange of goods, and transmission of cultural traits are imprinted not only in the archaeological record but also within the genomes of individuals, making ancient DNA a powerful tool for uncovering past interactions and population dynamics. Despite attempts at systematic research, we are still missing critical information about pre-Columbian Mesoamerican populations in the Aztatlán region. This research will focus on those individuals recovered from archaeological sites located both in the highlands of the Lake Chapala Basin, as well as the coast of the Aztatlán core region. The integration of genetics into our understanding of the …

The Impact Of State-Mandated Certification Of Surgical Technologists On Surgical Site Infection Rates: Evaluating Policy, Practice, And Patient Outcomes, Katherine E. Geiger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract

Chairperson: Matthew Schertz, Ph.D.

Committee Member: Morgen J Alwell, Ph.D.

Committee Member: Jill Davis, M.Ed.

As a surgical technology instructor, I have witnessed firsthand the impact that certified surgical technologists (CSTs) have on patient safety, particularly in the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs). This professional paper investigates the relationship between state-mandated certification of surgical technologists and SSI rates, with a focus on how standardized education and credentialing influence clinical outcomes. SSIs remain a significant concern in surgical environments, contributing to increased morbidity, longer hospital stays, and greater healthcare costs. The research presented here examines certification requirements across various …

Pathways And Places: Mobility And Lithic Use At 48ye238 In The Late Archaic And Late Prehistoric Yellowstone, Jacob Q. Wilmoth

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Through the lens of Central Place Foraging Theory, an analysis of lithic remains from 48YE238, a medium to high-density archaeological site in the Hayden Valley of Yellowstone National Park, has provided insight into both material value and decision-making among Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric hunter-gatherers of the Hayden Valley. First, an examination of lithic materials and the stages of bifacial reduction, in relation to sourced lithic materials, offers insight into changing ideas of material value between these two periods. This is especially evident when considering the cultural and societal changes that influenced regional residence during the Late Prehistoric period, compared …

The Glass Ceiling In Chinese Higher Education: The Experience Of Female Deans, Mingyu Zhao

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study was designed to explore the phenomenon of the glass ceiling encountered by Chinese female deans in higher education, using a systematic qualitative research approach to uncover the phenomenon's nature and influencing factors. Adhering strictly to Giorgi's (2009) phenomenological methodology, the study conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 female deans from various regions and institutional types across China, collecting rich data on their career trajectories, multi-level challenges, and coping strategies.

Through data analysis, eight themes and three key structures were identified, revealing that the glass ceiling is a product of the complex interplay between institutional constraints, personal challenges, and …

Fungal Symbionts As Hidden Architects Of Forest Health: From Tree Immunity To Beetle Nutrition, Lorinda Sabin Bullington

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Symbioses of fungi with trees and insects play outsized roles in forest ecosystems, influencing tree growth, defense, physiology, and nutrient cycling. While their functional contributions are widely recognized, they remain poorly understood. I integrate findings from three studies examining fungal interactions with conifers and with bark beetles to highlight their significance in tree resistance to disease, nutrient redistribution within the tree, and forest ecology.

First, I demonstrate that foliar fungal endophytes and ectomycorrhizal fungi, together and independently, can enhance resistance in Pinus monticola seedlings against Cronartium ribicola, the pathogen responsible for white pine blister rust. Symbiont inoculation induced host terpene …

Jurisprudence Of Problem-Solving Courts: A Study Of Structure, Success, And Sociological Theory, Lauren M. Boos

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In response to the failures of mass incarceration and its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, Problem-Solving Courts (PSCs) have emerged as alternatives to traditional prosecution. These courts employ therapeutic-informed and rehabilitative practices aimed at addressing the root causes of criminal behavior. While widely regarded as more effective than traditional courts, PSCs have developed largely without a formal theoretical foundation. This is notable given their alignment with Sociological Jurisprudence (SJ) and Therapeutic Jurisprudence (TJ), which view the legal system as a vehicle for promoting individual and community well-being.

Despite being celebrated as therapeutic innovations, PSCs often embody these principles unevenly. Using …

Visual Semiotics In Parks: Assessing Pictorial Symbol Effectiveness In Outdoor Recreation Settings, Miranda Jane Foster

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As interest in outdoor recreation grows, so does the need for effective communication in parks and protected areas. With a larger, more diverse visiting population, managers face new challenges, including intensified recreational use, staffing demands, and barriers to communication presented by cultural and linguistic diversity (Manning et al., 2017; Perry et al., 2021). Effective, indirect communication tools, such as pictorial symbol signage, are essential for addressing these challenges. Pictorial symbol signs are widely used in recreational signage and serve as vital indirect management strategies for communicating to diverse visitors as a universal visual language (Davies et al., 1998). However, research …

Acl Prevention Programming For Female Athletes, Julia Korklewski

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Reinventing The Concepts Of Group And Isomorphism In Abstract Algebra, Chrisitan José Lopez-Mercado

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study explores the reinvention of the concepts of group and isomorphism in abstract algebra through design-based research. It investigates how students can reinvent these concepts and how mathematical artifacts transform their mathematical reasoning during the reinvention process. The study identifies a reinvention ecology comprising three interrelated components: students' mathematical activity, social interaction, and the continual emergence of mathematical artifacts. Using the guided reinvention principle of realistic mathematics education, students engaged with contextual situations, such as a 12-hour analog clock and the symmetries of an equilateral triangle, to progressively develop structural observations, formalize group axioms, and assemble them into the …

Examining Rural Second-Graders' Literate Identities In Relationship To Reading Proficiency: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Ashley R. S. Olsen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Although the act of reading is inherently multi-faceted, encompassing an array of interrelated cognitive, social, and cultural processes, the bodies of reading research typically align to either qualitative or quantitative methodologies. This routinely bifurcated approach to reading research reflects the ongoing disagreement surrounding best practices for literacy instruction. Numerous quantitative findings have supported the use of systematic and explicit foundational skill instruction to improve students’ reading proficiency. On the other hand, previous qualitative studies have emphasized the existing identities that children bring to any learning community and the benefit of nurturing literate identity formation in the classroom. Intersecting a modified …

The Resource Curse And U.S. Timber Harvest In Western Rural Economies, Lucas Paul Koch

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There is limited understanding of the relationship between timber harvest and economic outcomes in the western United States. I use resource curse theory to examine the connection. The theory assumes a negative relationship between timber harvest and economic performance at the county level, and similar methods have been used to look at other natural resources and geographic areas. I use timber harvest intensity—the ratio of timber harvest volume to timberland acres—alongside several common economic controls including education, poverty, and competing industry activity to estimate wage and employment performance in a fixed-effects econometric model. Also estimated are least squares dummy variable …

Investigating The Impact Of Aerial Firefighting On Rate Of Wildfire Spread, Lindsay Ann Wiard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Aerial retardant drops are widely used in wildfire suppression, yet their effectiveness in slowing fire spread remains difficult to quantify at scale. This study evaluates the impact of aerial suppression on wildfire rate of spread (ROS) using a modeling framework that incorporates both observed (real) and counterfactual (synthetic) drop locations from a sample of 62 wildfires in Oregon. Synthetic drops were generated to simulate a no-suppression baseline, allowing us to compare changes in ROS in the presence and absence of suppression. We trained two random forest classifiers: one using both real and synthetic drops (the full model), and another using …

Community Resilience Factors For Gsm Individuals: Considering The Roles Of Transgender Identity And Age, Benny Ilac

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Gender and sexual minority (GSM) individuals face a variety of health disparities, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use. One explanation for the presence of these health disparities is the minority stress model, which suggests that proximal (internal) and distal (external) experiences of minority stressors contribute to poorer health outcomes in GSM populations. An important yet understudied component of this model is resilience, which acts as buffer against the negative impacts of minority stressors. Focus on community resilience factors, as opposed to individual resilience factors, may be particularly important in GSM populations in reducing the onus placed on …

Methods To Improve Efficiency, Sensitivity, And Selectivity Of Sequence Similarity Search, Daniel Olson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The rapid growth of biological sequence data presents significant challenges for bioinformatic analysis. A cornerstone of this analysis, sequence similarity search, is hampered by three main obstacles: sensitivity in detecting distant evolutionary relationships, selectivity in distinguishing true homology from spurious similarity caused by features like tandem repeats, and scalability to handle massive databases. This dissertation introduces two novel computational tools, ULTRA and NEAR, that address these challenges to improve the efficiency, sensitivity, and selectivity of sequence similarity search. Part I of this dissertation addresses the problem of selectivity by focusing on tandem repeats, a common source of false-positive results in …

Changes In Efficiency And Magnitude Of Recharge Due To Climate Change For Headwater Catchments In The Mountain West, Harrison Mcgillen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Changes to groundwater recharge and stream flow were simulated from downscaled CMIP6 global climate models in a headwater catchment of the Blackfoot River, MT. A calibrated, 3-D, coupled surface and groundwater GSFLOW model, forced with minimum and maximum temperature, and precipitation from a downscaled CMIP6 simulation was used to quantify groundwater recharge and stream flow. The model was calibrated against measured groundwater head and stream flow using observed temperature and precipitation boundary conditions. The calibrated model was then forced with downscaled temperature and precipitation from the CANESM5 model for the SSP245, 370 and 585 scenarios, as well as a manual …

Occupational Therapy Assistant Education: Exploring The Relationship Between Student Factors And Nbcot Examination Pass Rates, Micahela Parker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this retrospective quantitative study was to examine the predictive ability of gender, age, GPA, attendance and both Level II fieldwork scores (Fieldwork One and Fieldwork Two) on first attempt NBCOT exam success. To practice as an occupational therapy assistant, an individual must complete an accredited occupational therapy assistant (OTA) program and pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam. The NBCOT exam was developed to ensure entry-level occupational therapy assistants have the necessary knowledge to make safe and competent decisions.

The overarching research focus was to understand the extent of one or more of …

Mapping Mesic Resilience In Western Rangelands: Productivity Trends, Predictors, And Targeting Frameworks, Kristopher Robert Mueller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Mesic ecosystems in riparian areas and wetlands make up only 2% of western U.S. rangelands but support 80% of wildlife during dry periods, providing vital late-season forage and refuge when surrounding uplands dry out. Yet, mesic habitats are often overlooked in landscape-scale conservation planning. This thesis addresses two key gaps: understanding how mesic productivity responds to environmental change and developing frameworks to incorporate these habitats into current conservation strategies. Using 40 years of Landsat imagery (1984–2024), we examined long-term trends in late-season mesic vegetation productivity and its relationship with drought across the sagebrush biome. From 1984 to 2004, mesic productivity …

Challenged: A Practice-Based Analysis Of Simulating The Realities Of Teaching Through Play, Shanel Lara Locke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ChallengED is a classroom simulation game designed to explore the emotional and procedural realities of teaching through interactive play. Rather than attempting to manufacture empathy, the project focuses on conveying the unpredictability, humor, and fatigue that shape daily classroom life. Drawing from my own teaching experience, the game uses experiential realism and embodied interaction to communicate how educators navigate constant interruptions, shifting demands, and limited control. The development process also became a therapeutic practice, offering a way to reinterpret professional challenges through creative experimentation. Situated within practice-based research, ChallengED demonstrates how game design can function as both artistic inquiry and …

Enhancing School Counselor Preparedness: The Effect Of Emotional Regulation Training On Outcomes Of Emotional Regulation, Self-Efficacy, And Wellness Measures, Allison Lynn Bristow

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

School Counselors in Training (SCITs) face distinctive challenges while developing their clinical skills and managing the complexities of school counseling. These challenges can lead to emotional strain and burnout, making it essential for SCITs to cultivate strong emotional regulation skills. Counseling and education researchers have discussed various strategies to assist counselors in enhancing emotional regulation skills. However, limited research has assessed the effectiveness of specific trainings on emotion regulation, especially for SCITs. This quantitative study investigates the effectiveness of an emotional regulation (ER) training program offered to SCITs during their field placements in schools. The central research question is whether …

Certificate Of Need Laws' Effect On Provisions Of Uncompensated Care, Connor Anthony Mostek

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Certificate of need (CON) laws are regulations that require healthcare facilities to seek permission from a state government board to enter a market or expand/modify their established business. Proponents of CON laws claim that, among other things, CON laws protect hospitals and other healthcare providers from competition, allowing them to charge private or fully insured patients more in order to use the profits to “cross-subsidize” free care for low-income and uninsured patients. By employing an unbalanced panel dataset on hospital cost reports for the years 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019, this study finds that there is no strong evidence that …

Refining Population-Level Measures Of Early Childhood Vaccination Coverage Using National Immunization Survey-Child Data, Alexandria Nicole Albers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: From 2011-2021, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended 10 vaccine series by age 24 months, with guidelines for minimum vaccination age, maximum age for rotavirus vaccination, minimum dose intervals, and a catch-up schedule for delayed series initiation. National vaccination surveillance evaluates series completion based on whether children received the recommended number of doses, including a combined 7-vaccine metric (completed seven series collectively). However, this approach overlooks: 1) vaccinations given too early, too late, or too close together, 2) catch-up schedule vaccinations, and 3) completion of all 10 recommended vaccines.

Purpose: To refine national childhood vaccination coverage …

Binoculars To Bytes: Development And Field Validation Of An Ai-Driven System For Avian Monitoring, Christian J. Dupree

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Autonomous camera-trap arrays coupled with artificial-intelligence (AI) vision can lift bird monitoring beyond the spatial, temporal, and labor limits of traditional field surveys. We present Binoculars to Bytes (B2B), an open-source pipeline that turns 180–360° time-lapse imagery into analysis-ready avian data. At Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area (Montana, USA) the system ran four-hour morning deployments during spring and fall migrations (2023–2024). A YOLO-NAS detector, incrementally refined with a “Specialized Localized Iterative Model” workflow, quadrupled local accuracy and, after confidence-based species-binning, cut false-positive rates in half. Daily AI species lists were benchmarked against contemporaneous eBird citizen-science checklists and recovered ≥ …