Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Financial Implications Through Case Studies Of Various Economic, Financial, And Social Factors, Rachel Spencer

Honors Theses

This thesis explores many topics surrounding the financial, economic, and social implications of key issues identified in various case studies. Topics explored include financial fraud presented in The China Hustle, a reflection on the United States’ military industrial complex and their role in the Ukrainian war, the increasing prevalence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) programs, the ideology of Dr. Ben Carson and Dr. Thomas Sowell, and a start-up business plan for a brewery.

Each chapter in this thesis analyzes one of these complex topics. This thesis is a critical reflection of how economic implications, government strategies, and social beliefs …

From Concept To Light: Manufacturing A Dual-Purpose Bedside Lamp And Book Organizer, Nicole Goulet

Honors Theses

This report features the design, development, engineering changes, and manufacturing of the Bedside Lamp, a hand-made multi-purpose lamp, book holder, and charging hub. The investigation began with research and a market analysis on current lamp designs and a discussion about what features would set the lamp apart. This led to the design of the lamp and construction of multiple prototypes for proof of concept.

A manufacturing process was then designed to demonstrate the steps to start up an efficient and cost-effective production line. This process included obtaining raw materials, cutting them into the necessary parts, and assembling everything to create …

Closing The Gap In Pre-Law Preparation: Founding A Pre-Law Club At Ole Miss, Nicolantonio Prentosito

Honors Theses

Attending public school from kindergarten through 12^th grade in a struggling Ohio school district, I experienced the inequities in the public education system from a young age, particularly with tests like the SAT that can have a major impact on our futures. After becoming a National Merit Finalist, I wanted to help even the playing field for students from poor districts like mine by founding a non-profit, Scholar Power, to offer free PSAT, SAT, and ACT education and preparation.

Starting college, I recognized similar inequities with the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and the pre-law process in general. As …

Principals' Views Of The Mississippi Department Of Education's Administrator Growth Rubric, Emma Hughey

Honors Theses

Principals have a significant impact on student achievement in their schools. Having an effective principal can increase student test scores across grade levels and subject areas. Having a reliable way to measure principal effectiveness and guide principals to become more effective is important for improving school performance. Mississippi’s evaluation tool for principals is called the Administrator Growth Rubric. This research surveyed 194 public school principals across Mississippi to determine their thoughts on the Administrator Growth Rubric and how it might be improved. Fewer than half (43%) of the respondents believe that the Administrator Growth Rubric is a good evaluation tool …

A Product Development Process From Concept To Production: Smartphone Projector, Ross G. Cohen, Piper G. Thomas

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the production and documentation of the SmartPhone Projector Capstone for the Center of Manufacturing Excellence (CME). This document follows the production development from the beginning Spring 2024 problem definition all the way to the Fall of 2024 final product. This project was completed by a team of five undergraduate students, including an accounting major, finance major, biomedical engineering major, and two mechanical engineering majors. The goal of this project was to design and build a SmartPhone projector, then carry out a full production run located on the CME shop floor. To begin …

The Ethics Of Advertising Unhealthy Food To Children: A Study On Potential Advertising Policy Restrictions And Their Effects On Children Of Disadvantaged Minority Groups, Riley M. O'Neal

Honors Theses

According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, one in five children in America have obesity. Black and Hispanic children experience obesity at higher rates than children of other racial groups. With obesity rates increasing, what should be done to stop this increase? One partial solution is to restrict the advertisements of foods high in sugar fat, and/or refined grains directed towards children. Advertisements may be restricted in their mode (i.e., the media through which they are viewed) or their content (i.e., the substance of the advertisement or product packaging). While these restrictions on advertising may help lower overall …

Case Studies In Financial Accounting, Jessica Krukar

Honors Theses

Over the course of two semesters in ACCY 420, under the instruction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson, I completed a series of case studies that analyzed different economic and financial accounting issues. These case studies required us to research the topic and to also reflect on what we have learned in previous accounting classes. Two of the case studies were presentation-based competitions: the KPMG Ideation Challenge and the Mississippi Economic Development Project. In both cases, my team and I researched the topic, proposed a solution, developed a presentation, and then argued our solution to a panel of accounting and business professionals. …

Exploring Key Accounting Trends Through Case Studies, Catherine D. Tisue

Honors Theses

This thesis explores topics related to financial accounting and the accounting field through the analysis of case studies. Included are six different case studies ranging from the military industrial complex situations governments are facing to environmentally sustainable practices that could benefit financial reporting. These cases were put together through extensive analysis and problem solving to thoroughly determine the reasons these topics affect our industry. The case studies were written with the supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickinson while in the Honors Accountancy 420 Independent Study course.

These case studies explore a range of topics that all contribute to my understanding of …

Menthalactone From Mentha Piperita L., A Monocot-Selective Bioherbicide, Adam Soltani

Honors Theses

The challenge of managing invasive weed species continues to affect the agricultural industry, presenting ecological, economic, and agronomic hurdles that lead to over 100 billion USD in annual crop losses globally. One such concern is the management of Agrostis stolonifera L., commonly known as creeping bentgrass, particularly due to its ability to form hybrids. This scenario underscores the urgent need for innovative, effective, and environmentally sustainable herbicides, steering the focus toward natural substances as potential candidates. We report here a promising natural lactone, commonly known as menthalactone, which is derived from Mentha piperita L. Its phytotoxic activity was assessed against …

Effects Of Structure Of Mepegn Polymers On Hydroxide Conductivity In Anhydrous Anionic Exchange Membranes, Athan M. Gregory

Honors Theses

Anhydrous hydroxide ion (OH-) conducting polymer electrolytes composed of a 1-methyl-pyrrolidinium (1mp) head group linked to various MePEGn (n = 3, 7, 12) backbones were prepared. We have examined the structure of these anion exchange membranes to observe how the structure of the electrolyte affects the observed ionic conductivity. The structural parameters investigated were polymer length, viscosity, fractional free volume (FFV), and volume fraction of PEG (Vf,PEG), and each polymer varied in these properties. Through a comparison of the conductivity and structural parameters in the MePEGn-based anion electrolytes, we have shown that each of these structural properties weakly affects the …

Storytelling: A Natural Mnemonic, Hailey Stephens

Honors Theses

The present study explored the effectiveness of storytelling as a teaching method in enhancing memory performance for educational material compared to traditional lecture-based instruction. Memory plays a crucial role in learning, and effective teaching strategies should facilitate information encoding, retention, and retrieval. Storytelling, an ancient yet often overlooked pedagogical tool, has been shown to engage students emotionally and cognitively, making presented content more memorable. In the present study, participants were randomly assigned to either a storytelling-based instruction group or a traditional lecture group. Both groups received instruction on the ASSURE Model and were tested immediately after the lesson and again …

Accountability And Efficiency: Compiled Case Studies On Economic Development, Spending, And Global Markets, Jacob W. Grimsley

Honors Theses

This is a compilation of cases worked throughout the course of one year. These cases were created and assigned for an accountancy course focused on research and writing. The cases focus on accounting related topics, while also pertaining to political happenings as well as general economic topics.

Case 02 was completed in collaboration with other honors students, and these students are indicated on the page preceding this case.

Cases 05 and 06 pertain to a semester-long project focused on the development of a Mississippi based business. This case was also completed with the help of other students, as indicated on …

Phishy Pages - The Design Of A User-Interactive Website For Phishing Attack Evaluation, Evan C. Gregory

Honors Theses

Phishing attacks are a widespread, malicious phenomenon. These attacks steal people’s personal information, causing them ruin and lining the pockets of criminals. What makes them so dangerous is that they come in a variety of forms, including emails, websites, phone calls, and social media can be vectors for attackers. Fortunately, these attacks can be stopped by informing potential victims of common signs to look out for. Training is one of the best methods people use to teach web-users how to protect themselves. To train them, however, users must be taken through many examples of phishing attacks to learn the characteristics …

From Fraud To Future: Accountancy Case Studies On Financial Illusions, Policy Failures, And The Economic Renaissance Of Mississippi’S Broadband Initiative, Hayden Brennan Adams

Honors Theses

This Honors Practicum is a compilation of case studies completed under the supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickenson across two semesters of the course Accountancy 420 — Independent Study. The first semester (Fall 2023) of case studies involved both individual and group case studies examining various geopolitical implications of contemporary accounting, as well as the surge in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations affecting financial reporting. The second semester (Spring 2024) was mostly centered around a collaborative Mississippi economic development proposal project conducted by four other students and myself. In our project, we construct a business plan for a start-up broadband …

Analyzing Economic Trends: Perspectives On Economic Development And Policy Debates, Olivia Boyce

Honors Theses

This thesis is a combination of six case studies completed during the 2023-2024 academic school year. The studies were written under the direction and supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the Honors Accountancy 420 course and in accordance with the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Patterson School of Accountancy. Each case study explored different aspects of the accounting profession, while focusing in on analyzing economic trends. Case one discussed the unawareness of Chinese entities joining the United States stock market using a reverse merger process. This case showed the difficulties in enacting change in the U.S. government and …

Cardiovascular Disparities In Mississippi: A Sociological Study Of Heart Health Literacy Among University Students, Laney Etheridge

Honors Theses

Mississippi ranks among the worst states in the United States for cardiovascular health, with high rates of heart disease, obesity, and hypertension. This thesis examines how race and gender influence heart health literacy and behavioral practices among University of Mississippi students. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines quantitative survey data from a stratified random sample of 1,000 students with qualitative interviews from a public health professional specializing in cardiovascular health and a student heavily involved with on-campus heart health programs. The findings suggest that disparities in heart health literacy both align and differ with broader social stratification patterns observed …

The Power Of Parental Responses: Emotional Invalidation And Its Association With Adolescent And Emerging Adult Anxiety And Emotion Regulation Across Genders, Ashlynn Payne

Honors Theses

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical developmental periods marked by increased vulnerability to psychological distress, particularly anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation. One factor that may contribute to this vulnerability is parental emotional invalidation. Although prior research has linked parental invalidation to adverse emotional outcomes, few studies have examined how these associations differ by caregiver and child gender. The current study evaluated how maternal and paternal emotional invalidation interacted with gender to influence anxiety symptoms and emotion regulation difficulties among 45 adolescents and emerging adults (n = 9 boys, 36 girls) between the ages of 13 and 22 years (M …

Overlooked: The Nuanced Struggles Of Autistic Women, Autumn L. Payne

Honors Theses

Overlooked is a documentary short film that seeks to shine a light on the nuanced struggles of autistic women in a neurotypical world. This short documentary consists of three interviews with autistic women from different backgrounds. Each diagnosed during a different stage of life, they reflect on their journeys to receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and its impact on their lives. These conversations reveal an overwhelming lack of resources for autistic people, especially for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. With the diagnosis criteria for ASD being historically based on white males, women and …

Assisted Reproductive Technologies For Southern Cricket Frogs (Acris Gryllus), Audrey Grace Koltz

Honors Theses

Amphibians are facing the most drastic biodiversity declines of all vertebrates, with an estimated 41% of amphibians threatened with extinction. Captive breeding programs employ a variety of assisted reproductive technologies including environmental manipulation, hormonal therapies, artificial fertilization, and gamete preservation to augment vulnerable populations and optimize genetic diversity. Amphibians require a species-specific combination of environmental, social, and physiological cues to reproduce, which makes universal and successful captive breeding programs especially elusive. Here, I investigate assisted reproductive technologies for a small frog species, the southern cricket frog (Acris gryllus). Establishing successful methods for southern cricket frogs may yield promising results for …

The Rural Cancer Paradox: When Poverty Outweighs Policy In Mississippi And Andalusia, 2010-2025, Elizabeth Hurst

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how regional economic histories and national healthcare policies interact to shape cancer care delivery in Mississippi (United States) and Andalusia (Spain)—two regions with parallel histories of agricultural dominance followed by economic decline, yet operating under fundamentally different healthcare systems. Through comparative policy analysis focused on the Affordable Care Act (2010) and Spain's Royal Decree Law 16/2012, this research challenges conventional fixation on healthcare system type as the primary determinant of patient outcomes. Instead, it reveals a “rural cancer paradox” where historically impoverished regions face similar barriers to effective cancer care despite their contrasting funding models. The research …

How Gender, Verbal Assertiveness, And Relationship Status Correlate To The Ascription Of Responsibility In Sexual, Catherine Carvalho

Honors Theses

Acquiesced sex is “consenting to and engaging in undesired sexual activity” (Benoit & Ronis, 2022, p. 577). Research has found that perceptions of acquiesced sex are related to demographic variables, such as gender, and conditions, such as the relationship status of actors in a vignette. The present study considers whether variables such as gender and verbal assertiveness of the research participant affects ascription of responsibility for acquiesced heterosexual sex across two conditions (stranger and dating couple). Data were collected through an online survey administered to undergraduate and graduate University of New Haven students. Results indicate that participants' gender, general assertiveness, …

Beyond The Glitz And Glam: Unveiling The Physical And Psychological Toll Of Performative Perfection In Competitive Cheer And Dance, Audrey E. Marovich

Honors Theses

This study examines the factors that affect athlete burnout in current and former dancers and cheerleaders. A total of 108 participants completed an electronic survey where they provided information about their experiences with either cheerleading or dance and filled out a modified athlete burnout scale to get an average burnout score based on their responses. When looking at the variables that make up the culture of cheer and dance, a variety of relationships were found relating to burnout. Highly competitive experiences where athletes spend many hours per week participating and get very few breaks are correlated with high levels of …

From The Kitchens Of Lords To Pinterest Boards: An Examination Of Recipe Discourse, Haley Hansen

Honors Theses

This paper traces the evolution of written recipe discourse from medieval manuscripts to modern digital platforms, examining how changes in recipe structure, audience, and purpose reflect broader shifts in cultural literacy and sponsorship. Drawing on Deborah Brandt’s theory of “sponsors of literacy,” the author argues that recipe authors have historically acted as sponsors of culinary literacy, shaping who has access to cooking knowledge and how that knowledge is communicated. Through close analysis of recipes from the Forme of Cury (1390), American Cookery (1796), the Good Housekeeping Cookbook (1963), and a contemporary food blog, the study highlights the increasing democratization of …

Reelin' In The Years (And Receivables): A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies, Lauren E. Magee

Honors Theses

This thesis is comprised of five case studies that were completed under the guidance of Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the course ACCY 420 – Independent Study, following the requirements of the Patterson School of Accountancy and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. The first four case studies examine real-world accounting field topics: Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations, the modern use of Presidential Drawdown Authority, proposed environmental reporting standards, and educational vouchers. The final case study delivers a data-driven, comprehensive assessment of a semester-long group project: crafting a detailed business plan for a broadband internet provider in an underserved Mississippi county. This …

Developing Novel Radical Protein Footprinting Methods For Application In Living Systems, Lyle Tobin

Honors Theses

Radical protein footprinting (RPF) is a family of structural biology techniques that generate radicals in situ to label solvent-accessible amino acid residues. Coupled with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, RPF enables the characterization of protein higher order structure and sites of protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. While traditionally performed in vitro, recent advancements have extended RPF to ex vivo and in vivo applications, including intact cells, nematodes, and 3D cell cultures. RPF in living systems allows the structural analysis of proteins and protein complexes in their native environment, preserving physiological interactions, dynamic conformational changes, and structural contexts that might otherwise be lost …

The Nil Ripple Effect: How Name, Image, And Likeness Reshapes Student-Athletes, Mental Health, And Fan Perception, Jaleah Walker

Honors Theses

The NIL Ripple Effect: How Name, Image, and Likeness Reshapes Student-Athletes, Mental Health, and Fan Perception examines the shifting dynamics of college athletics and how these changes affect student-athletes, fans, and institutions. The study explores the consequences of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and its effects on student-athletes' mental health and fans’ perception. Through interviews with athletes and analysis of current policies, this research highlights the mental, financial, and competitive pressures that NIL places on student-athletes. While NIL provides financial opportunities, it also demands brand management, public visibility, and performance consistency, often leading to heightened stress. Additionally, this study …

The Implications Of Accounting In The Real World, Cayden A. Luke

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of a series of case studies performed throughout the duration of the accountancy 420 class. Each case was connected to a key area of financial reporting, where we learned about a topic and then reflected individually and within groups. As we explored the intricate relationships between finance, economics, policies, and ethics, we were exposed to unsettling insights that led to eye-opening revelations. The China Hustle followed Dan David as his journey led to the discovery of inadequate regulation of the Chinese government in their financial world and the lies that we are fed about our own. This …

Differing Judicial Perspectives: A Look Into The Evolution And Constitutionality Of The United States' Administrative State, Buchanan Albert Cook

Honors Theses

Over time the United States’ administrative state has evolved into something that is quite unrecognizable from its inception in the early years of the nation. This essay will provide an account of the founding of the United States Constitution while recognizing the intent and design of the framers of the Constitution. In juxtapositioning this account with the current state of administrative agencies, questions over the constitutionality of such agencies will be posed. To answer these questions, an overview of the history of administrative agencies in the United States will be given alongside accompanying and significant Supreme Court Cases. This overview …

Mindfulness Meditation Type On Self-Compassion Levels, Emily Sexton

Honors Theses

Focused attention and open monitoring are two types of mindfulness meditation, which emphasizes the importance of present moment awareness while meditating. Both approaches can be done while sitting or walking. While research has explored the correlation between mindfulness meditation type and posture type, it remains unknown how a combination of mindfulness mediation type and posture type impacts self-compassion levels. This study examined if a combination of FA seated, FA walking, OM seated, or OM walking enhances self-compassion by having participants meditate an assigned meditation for fifteen minutes a week for six weeks and complete an assessment at the baseline, midline, …

Associations Between Screen Time, Executive Functioning, And Book Use In Preschool-Age Children From Rural Mississippi, Anabel W. Mccraney

Honors Theses

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between screen time, executive function (EF), and book use in a sample of preschool-age children from rural Mississippi. To measure this relationship children were asked to complete three different EF tasks measuring impulse control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. To measure the child’s frequency of screen and book use, a parent-report survey was used. The results indicated that there might be a relationship between EF, screen, and books within certain variables. There was a relationship found between screen time and fewer books reported in the household. Between EF and …