Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Digital Storytelling In Nonprofit Marketing: Increasing Donor Engagement, Haley Cote

Honors Theses

Digital storytelling has emerged as a powerful tool in nonprofit marketing, reshaping how organizations engage donors, communicate their mission, and drive action. This thesis explores the impact of digital storytelling in nonprofit marketing, analyzing how nonprofit organizations leverage various digital platforms – websites, email marketing, social media—and frame their messages to enhance donor engagement. Using framing theory as a foundation, the research examines how the way nonprofit messages are structured influences donor perception and behavior. Through a literature review, case study analysis of Charity: Water, and survey data, thstudy evaluates key storytelling techniques such as positioning the donor as the …

Exposing Lived Experiences: Eudora Welty's Intersectional Approach To Writing And Photography, Caroline Mccutchen

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how Eudora Welty employs an intersectional approach in her writing and photography to represent the complex identities of elderly Black women in the American South during the Great Depression. Using intersectionality as a framework, this project analyzes how Welty’s work acknowledges the overlapping forces of race, gender, age, and class that shape her subjects’ lived experiences. While documenting adversity, Welty also highlights resilience, agency, and communal empowerment. The study focuses on Welty’s literary works “A Worn Path,” “Ida M’Toy,” “A Pageant of Birds,” and “Cindy and the Joyful Noise,” alongside her Depression-era photographs from One Time, One …

A Search For Transcriptional Cofactors Of Gcm/Repo Involved In Determining Glia Cell Fate In Drosophila Melanogaster, Nivedha Kosalram

Honors Theses

In Drosophila melanogaster, the mechanism influencing the differentiation of glia and neurons is directed by a key transcription factor known as glial cells missing (gcm). gcm is a crucial regulator of cell fate decision, functioning as a binary switch to direct glial fate in gcm- positive cells and neuronal fate in gcm-negative cells (Jones, et.al, 1995; Hosoya, et.al, 1995; and Vincent, et.al, 1996). In addition to directing gliogenesis, gcm and its homolog gcm2 facilitate the determination of macrophages and tendon cells, highlighting that gcm acts with supplementary factors to induce various signaling pathways in different contexts (Jones, 2005; Johnson, et …

Over-The-Counter Cold Medication Usage Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduate Students In The United States, Ray Goodwin

Honors Theses

Background

This study looks at the trends in over-the-counter medication usage and self-efficacy among undergraduate college students in the United States. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications serve as the most easily accessible and commonly purchased medications and can be used as a basis to determine this demographic’s attitudes and behaviors towards self-medication. In addition, undergraduates represent a diverse population for analyzing differences among demographic groups.

Methods

A Qualtrics survey was sent out to undergraduates across the US via a panel, and the team received 403 useable responses. As part of a larger study, the survey presented participants with four different scenarios at …

Debits, Credits, And Accounting Case Studies, Evangeline Reynolds

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of a compilation of six case studies that were completed under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the course ACCY 420 – Independent Study over two semesters. The first five case studies explore various real-world topics related to the accounting field. These topics range from historical exploration of figures relevant to accounting, historical events, and current events and developments in accounting regulations. The last case study is a quantitative and cumulative analysis of a semester-long group project focused on developing a detailed business plan that was presented to members of accounting firms, State of Mississippi governmental …

Institutional Connectedness And Social Support Among College Students: Links To Campus Involvement, Carissa Strum

Honors Theses

Background. College is a pivotal period in the lives of students, and an important aspect of the experience is involvement within the campus. College student wellness is also a growing area of interest in higher education, with increased attention on ways to help students thrive. This study explores which aspects of campus involvement contribute to students’ feelings of connectedness and social support. This study aims to 1) assess the association between campus involvement and social support among college students, 2) assess the association between campus involvement and institutional connectedness among college students, and 3) examine whether the association between campus …

Associations Between Tiktok Use And Undergraduate Nursing Professional Identity, Parker M. Watts

Honors Theses

Background. The global surge in social media usage prompts extensive research into its links with nursing professional identity. College-aged individuals who are in nursing school or are going to be in nursing school in the future must navigate their professional identity as they face heightened susceptibility to subjective opinions about the career of a nurse due to their frequent engagement with social media platforms. Among these platforms is that of TikTok, a platform of which has rapidly gained traction, especially among younger demographics. TikTok remains relatively underexplored in terms of its impact on nursing professional identity. This study seeks to …

Afghanistan: An Analysis Of U.S. Foreign Policy’S Effect On Afghan Terrorism Rates, Katelyn E. Tinsley Foust

Honors Theses

While the term ‘terrorism’ was first coined and widely used in the late 1700s regarding the French Reign of Terror, its popularity has grown dramatically around the globe in the last few decades. Advancements in things like technology and news reporting have made these attacks more popular and have given terrorists an easier outlet to be recognized around the world. One such area we hear about often is the Middle East and the Levant. Countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Israel, and more, are routinely discussed in our news cycles here in the United States, especially since the terrorist attacks on …

Art In Itself: The Vision Of Three Female Mississippi Artists, Jane E. Thomas

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of longform, narrative-style journalistic profiles on artists in Northeast Mississippi. These artists include Carol Roark from Enid and Hannah McCormick and Coulter Fussell from Water Valley. Each profile highlights an individual artist’s work, from her background, inspirations, process and distinctiveness as a creator. These profiles required studio visits and extensive interviews, as well as secondary interviews with clients, gallery owners and art curators. An overarching theme between the three artists is their ability to recognize artistic potential in their immediate surroundings; Roark paints landscapes from her own backyard, McCormick paints scenes from everyday life and …

Red Strings: A Collection Of Creative Works, Natalie Gumm

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of creative nonfiction and poetry exploring different aspects of my identity, including my passions, appearance, sexuality, and the places I’ve called home.

A Local Assessment Of Glp-1 Use For Weight Loss: An Interview Study, Maci Bradley

Honors Theses

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a novel class of medications used primarily for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, as well as for chronic weight management. The first GLP-1 medication, exenatide, was FDA-approved in April of 2005 for glycemic control, however, it was not until December of 2014 when liraglutide became the first GLP-1 FDA-approved for weight loss. There are now eight FDA-approved GLP-1s, only two of which are approved for weight loss. GLP-1 use has become increasingly popular in recent years, even extending to the college-aged population. The purpose of this study is to examine the trends in …

Bridging The Justice Gap: Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic At North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, Emma-Kathryn Bond

Honors Theses

Over the course of two years, I spent more than 130 hours completing on-the- ground volunteer work with the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), a clinic within North Mississippi Rural Legal Services that provides free legal assistance to individuals navigating disputes with the IRS. While the Sixth Amendment guarantees legal representation in criminal cases, no such guarantee exists for civil matters such as tax disputes, housing instability, or loss of public benefits. Clinics like LITC fill a crucial gap by offering support in areas that are often overlooked, such as tax law, where clients risk audits, wage garnishments, and court proceedings …

Building Community Through Food And Health: Student Initiatives To Address Food Insecurity In Mississippi, Sarah E. Sawaya

Honors Theses

This thesis explores food insecurity in Oxford and Lafayette County, Mississippi, within the broader context of state, national, and global challenges. Over a four-year period, student-led and community organizations collaborated to design programs that addressed both food access and chronic illness prevention through education, outreach, and direct service. Community input was gathered through health screenings, campus engagement, and informal interviews with residents, which guided the development of practical tools like recipe kits, QR code-based cookbooks, and on-site health education. These efforts were rooted in local partnerships and shaped by the lived experiences of those most affected. This project demonstrates that …

Health Fairs: An Effective Approach To Health Promotion Through Community Engagement And Community-Campus Partnerships, Brookleigh Brumfield

Honors Theses

Community engagement seeks to achieve long-term outcomes through collaborating with community and campus partners to address the issues affecting the community by centering their voices, concerns, and solutions. This capstone project seeks to offer health and language access for residents in Lafayette, Pontotoc, and Union Counties, and to evaluate the health fair model from the perspective of participating community and campus partners. With this information from organizations, it will be possible to create the most efficient, beneficial health fairs in these counties. The community partner perspectives show the importance of community engagement, but also the significance for the campus as …

Musicals, Tv Shows, And Movies, Oh My! How Adaptations Of Literature Affect Perception Of The Story, Sophia Bushay

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine how different adaptations are perceived by audiences and how those adaptations affect interpretations of the original literature. Adaptations of literature are growing increasingly popular, and with each new adaptation comes fans of the source material who either love or hate the adaptation. Following their reaction, fans will either double down on what is important that they feel an adaptation missed, or become more lenient about what was changed from page to screen. Each form of media has its own merits and pitfalls to be utilized, which in turn forces changes to be …

Your Accent Sounds Tough: Exploring Shifting Indexicalities Of Appalachians Through The Lens Of Citizen Sociolinguistics, Sarah Ramsey

Honors Theses

This study investigates how Appalachian English is perceived in online discourse, focusing on the intersections of dialect, identity, and ideology. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s 2024 devastation across Southern Appalachia, YouTube became a site of unexpected metalinguistic and cultural commentary. A citizen sociolinguistics framework is used to examine how outsiders engage with perceived Appalachian English, especially through discussions of class, gender, and accents.

Findings show that Appalachian identity is more favorably received when speakers minimize regional dialect features and align with urban, mainstream ideals. In contrast, speakers who are strongly marked as Appalachian, especially the rural and working class, …

The Evolution Of Technology In Nighttime Spectaculars At Disney Theme Parks, Kathryn Petersen

Honors Theses

Disney nighttime spectaculars are "can't miss" attractions at Disney theme parks around the world. Performed on and around beloved Disney icons (i.e. the castles at each theme park), these shows are artistic masterpieces, merging both storytelling and technology. This research took a detailed look "behind-the-scenes" of the technologies, including pyrotechnics, projection mapping, fountains, water screens, and drones, used to bring nighttime spectaculars to life. Data was gathered via online articles and recordings of nighttime spectaculars freely available online on the technology utilized in nighttime spectaculars over its 70 year history. The data was compiled for each technology in each nighttime …

Elemental Humanity: A Hybrid Collection Of Creative Work & A Critical Introduction Exploring Relevant Genres & Themes, Haylee G. Morman

Honors Theses

This project is a creative and critical endeavor with two components: a creative portion and a critical introduction. The creative portion is a hybrid collection of poems and short prose spanning across genres and forms, linked by thematic consistencies, united by their emphasis on nature and family. Furthermore, the collection is rooted in my interest in magic realism and ekphrasis, which will be discussed in the critical introduction. The approximately 30 pages of original, creative writing reveals how delving into natural elements for inspiration spurred the creation of poems and stories that grapple with notions of familial connection, time, place, …

Storytelling Or Telling Stories: An Analysis Of Disnarration In Music Videos, Victoria Garrett

Honors Theses

Music videos have grown in popularity in recent years and have begun to augment the stories being told by the lyrics of their songs. This is done by using narrative techniques, such as disnarration, to develop complex narratives that can conflict with the lyrical content. Through analysis of the videos "Willow" (2020 dir. Taylor Swift) by Taylor Swift, "The One That Got Away" (2012 dir. Floria Sigismoni) by Katy Perry, and "One Beer" (2020 dir. Justin Clough) by HARDY, the distinction between the plots of the videos and the lyrics can be brought into focus. This distinction in the stories …

The Harmful Effects Of Book Banning In New York State, Ella Kelly

Honors Theses

There have been 4,231 book bans across America just in the 2023-2024 school year (PEN America, 2024). Book Banning is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue in today's society, and with our current political climate, it has the potential to worsen. This research will focus on where book bans originated from, and how they have continued to happen in modern day education. Through literary analysis, this research will examine how censorship is affecting elementary education and its students. There will be a focus on New York State, and how book banning is affecting public education here.

Investigating Preservice Elementary Teachers (Psts’) Views Of Nature Of Science (Vnos) And Science Attitudes Following Engagement In An Integrated Physics And Chemistry Content Course, Anna Stahurski

Honors Theses

Students’ classroom experiences affect their views of science, placing importance on teachers’ instructional approaches. Current reform suggests that inquiry-based science instruction supports positive views of science. However, students and teachers have been shown to hold developing views of nature of science (VNOS), or understanding what science is and how it progresses. Compounding matters, every student has their own personal science experiences that shape their science understandings and attitudes. This project investigates the attitudes and VNOS among preservice elementary teachers (PSTs) enrolled in an integrated physics and chemistry content course (SCI142). Two course sections were surveyed throughout one semester (n = …

"Beyond The Display:" How Exhibits In Museums Can Be Used To Educate Public Visitors, Ryder Wynn

Honors Theses

Museums are institutions that can be found outside of a classroom setting, where visitors can educate themselves about a certain topic presented in the exhibits that the museums display. They can do this by creating engaging environments where visitors can become invested into the story and information of the exhibits, making them want to learn more about the information provided. A good exhibit can do this in at least one of three ways: developing critical thinking skills, which can involve visual models or "learning through play," creating memorable experiences or using collective memory to teach about historical events or using …

Politics, Pedagogy, And Public Perception: A Shifting Understanding Of Liberalism In America, Jackson Trahant

Honors Theses

At Harding University, and in broader American political discourse, liberalism has been contorted from a prolific political philosophy into a meaningless misnomer. This paper studies what liberalism is to define what it isn't, by building a foundation of understanding in both modern theorists, like Sheldon Wolin, Alan Ryan, and Ian Adams, and the seminal works of classical liberal thinkers such as Locke, Tocqueville and Mill. Next, I deploy a self-designed survey, consisting of 4 passages derived from the literature written by those above. 80 Harding students responded, and their responses were gathered into SPSS, a data processing software, and ran …

Fff Process Parameter Identification With Machine Learning Models, Owen Davis Smith

Honors Theses

Additive manufacturing (AM) has seen increasing popularity in recent times, owing to its efficiency and high speeds, particularly with processes such as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Input process parameters have large impacts on the final part. Incomplete process parameters, which can occur for a variety of reasons, make tasks such as replicating AM studies difficult. A machine learning model can be trained on in-situ layer-wise images collected during a print to combat this issue, predicting process parameters with sufficient data. In this study, two parameters were tested: infill pattern orientation and extrusion width. Twelve parts were produced per parameter and …

In The Shadow Of Justice: How The Mythos Of The Batman Balances Major Ethical Theories And Demonstrates The Pursuit Of Ideal Justice, Camille Bewley

Honors Theses

For more than eighty years, the Batman character has exhibited a unique synthesis of major theories of Justice, and through his experiences as a vigilante, exemplified the pursuit of the ideal virtue of Justice. Because virtue requires a lived example to be understood, Batman is one of the foundational stories fulfilling this need for one of America’s prominent pillars. Within the horror of Gotham City–a corrupt, fictional society–Batman’s actions as a vigilante, walking a tightrope to maintain morality even above the law might not only be justified, but necessary. The Batman’s nature, balancing ethical theories and maintaining hope in the …

The Dark Core Of Humanity: The Influence Of Dark Tetrad Traits On Activism, Hannah L. Cundiff

Honors Theses

In times of growing concern for the future of humanity, levels of overall activism are increasing. Thus, it is important to determine the personality types drawn to engage in either peaceful or violent forms of activism. Previous studies have focused on the Dark Triad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism) and the Big Five personality traits as variables influencing the amount, and type (i.e., peaceful vs. violent), of participation in activism, overlooking the influence of sadism. The current study aimed to expand on existing literature through a conceptual replication of Zacher (2024), who found that the Dark Triad traits and left-wing …

Exploring The Role Of The Id2 And Rab11fip3 Pathway In X-Linked Chronic Granulomatous Disease (Xcgd) Through Comparative Gene Expression Analysis, Kaili Coenen

Honors Theses

X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (XCGD) is a debilitating immunodeficiency disorder primarily affecting men. The disease results from mutations in the CYBB gene on the X chromosome, which encodes the GP91^PHOX protein responsible for electron transfer from NADPH to molecular oxygen. Despite the identification of the CYBB mutation, the pathological mechanism underlying the reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in XCGD remains unclear. We hypothesized that comparative gene expression analysis, combined with pathway analysis, could identify genes and signaling pathways contributing to reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in XCGD. In this study, we analyzed gene expression data from four …

Survey On Application Of Large Language Models In Network Attack And Defense, Prisha Purohit

Honors Theses

The emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs) has significantly transformed the technological and cybersecurity landscape, introducing both unprecedented opportunities and formidable challenges. With the public release of ChatGPT in 2022, LLMs have gained global prominence, redefining natural language processing capabilities and enabling advancements across various fields. In cybersecurity, these models represent a dual-use technology: while they offer powerful tools for threat detection, automated analysis, and security training, they also pose risks when leveraged by malicious actors for phishing, social engineering, and the creation of evasive malware. This thesis presents a comprehensive literature review exploring the dual roles of LLMs in …

Stop Asian Hate: Durable Political Efficacy From Crisis?, Kristina Thompson

Honors Theses

The Stop Asian Hate Movement emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic as a pivotal moment of Asian American social resistance and activism. This study examines the movement as a form of Asian American solidarity forged through racialized crisis, assessing whether that solidarity can be translated into a sustained sense of political efficacy. It begins with a brief account of the Asian American experience, contextualizing political development and barriers to participation. The analysis then turns to the Asian American Movement (AAM) of the late 1960s and 1970s, highlighting instances of Asian social and racial resistance in the face of traditional obstacles. From …

Nutrition, Sleep, And Training Habits Enhance Endurance Race Performance, Anna F. Breed

Honors Theses

In recent years, marathon and ultra-marathon participation has grown substantially. Past research has shown that a range of variables influence the performance of endurance athletes. This study included participants of the Forgotten Florida 50-mile and 100-mile race and the Chattanooga Erlanger Half-Marathon and Marathon. These athletes were questioned about their sleep, nutrition, and training habits implemented for the races they completed. The results show the significance of carbohydrate consumption throughout the race for energy maintenance and shortened race times. Also, it was found that hill repeats and tempo runs brought about more successful race times for the runners who implemented …