Digital Commons Network^™

Links Between Mental Health And Employment Outcomes Among Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emma Atkinson

Honors Theses

Problem: Mental health outcomes related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been extensively researched, although most research in the area is on children with ASD. Studies on adults with ASD are scarcer. More specifically, studies that analyze the association between mental health and work-life balance (WLB) as well as mental health and job satisfaction (JS) among employed adults with ASD is limited. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between mental health and WLB among adults with ASD, the association between mental health and perceived JS among adults with ASD, and whether or not ASD severity moderates …

How Medical Cannabis Took Root In Mississippi, Loral Winn

Honors Theses

How Medical Cannabis Took Root in Mississippi

(Under the direction of Dr. Iveta Imre)

How Medical Cannabis Took Root in Mississippi is a multimedia journalism piece that follows the timeline of medical cannabis’ legalization in Mississippi through the lives and lenses of characters from each sector of the medical marijuana industry. Written in a journalistic style with hints of narrative methods, the article tells the story of medical cannabis advocates, current patients, state registered practitioners, dispensary owners and employees, and a family-owned cultivation facility while also providing concrete evidence and facts about the legislation and regulations included in the state’s …

Human-Wildlife Conflict In Tanzania: A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of A Collaborative, Community-Engaged Approach To Conservation Challenges, Kylie Page

Honors Theses

This paper describes the development, implementation and outcomes of a conservation education program designed to empower youth and adults to address the problem of human-wildlife conflict in rural Tanzania. The participatory approach included a three day workshop at Mikumi National Park (MNP) and community-based fieldwork that employed techniques for active engagement, such as games, role plays, field trips, and the photovoice method, which combines photography and storytelling with solution finding. Focusing on the problem of human-lion conflict, adults and youth from two villages came together with lion experts, park wardens, and educators for training at Mikumi National Park in which …

Calculating Risk: A Scoping Review Of Ncaa D1 Football Players’ Motivations To Play And The Correlation To Demographic Characteristics And Injury Experiences, Kathleen D. Walsh

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to investigate the motivations of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 (D1) football players for playing the game and how these motivations are associated with their socioeconomic status (SES). Further, the research aimed to investigate how the uncovered motivations were linked to injury experiences. The original project was designed as a survey-based mixed methods study on a national scale. However, issues with participant recruitment led to sidelining of that primary research. The research presented is a scoping review of the available literature pertaining to the research question: What is known from existing literature …

Who Changes Who? Political Implications Of The Rising Hispanic Population, Drayton Purvis

Honors Theses

Studying the growth of the Hispanic population yields specific political implications to be drawn based on the rate of growth for each Congressional District. Using Data from 2000, 2010, and 2020 Censuses along with Harvard’s Data Set titled, “Historical Congressional Legislation and District Demographics 1972-2014”, the information allows for interpretations to be made based on a Congressional District’s NOMINATE score and its percentage of the Hispanic population. After researching specific influences that help shape the Latino population in a political sense, like country of origin and level of generation in the United States, there were certain characteristics that have been …

Medical Cannabis In Mississippi: Practitioner Education And Continuing Research, Andrea Cleveland

Honors Theses

Use of medical cannabis in Mississippi was legalized in February 2022 following many years of cannabis research at the University of Mississippi. Issues immediately became apparent, beginning with the lack of education about medical cannabis among providers. A 2017 study showed that the majority of physicians are not exposed to information about medical cannabis despite its legalization in 37 states. Another issue with Mississippi’s medical cannabis program is the cost of the product itself. The most effective way to decrease spending on medication is for patients to have access to medication that is guaranteed to work. Further research on cannabis …

A Dream Come True: More Than 50 Years After Black Students Demanded Faculty And Student Leadership Roles At The University Of Mississippi, Students Of Color Are Still Grappling With What It Means To Be Included., Kaylynn Steen

Honors Theses

This thesis tells the story of University of Mississippi alumna Treasure Fisher’s journey in the organization Column’s Society, an organization known as the hosts and hostess of the University of Mississippi. Throughout Fisher’s story, historical moments from the university’s complex relationship with its Black students are weaved through in an attempt to provide context for some of the lingering racial issues at the university today. Fisher’s story, these historical moments, and other anecdotal experiences from current and former Black students, faculty, and staff at the university challenges the reader to examine what representation does, and maybe should, mean to this …

Spanish Club For Healthcare Professionals, Sophie Stallings

Honors Theses

Spanish Club for Healthcare Professionals was registered as an approved student organization in January of 2023, and the first meeting was January 30. The objective of this club is to educate students entering different healthcare fields on how to communicate with Spanish speaking patients. During my time serving as the founder and president of this organization, I strived to provide a resource that would help lower the language barrier that is present in today’s society with regards to a lack of Spanish- speaking healthcare professionals. The goal is not for students to be fully fluent in Spanish but simply learn …

Predicting Our Own Demise: How Media Has Played Nostradamus To The Future Of Artificial Intelligence, Connor Denny-Lybbert

Honors Theses

In this paper, I argue that we should be hesitant and skeptical of the applications of AI technology in government due to the possibility of, and ongoing abuses of this technology by political actors. I do this by first analyzing various pieces of sci-fi media in three parts: how this media approaches crime and punishment, personhood, and human happiness. Then, I explain how these themes intersect with the above framework and how we can use the themes to guide future policy. This is followed by an analysis of what these pieces of media tell us regarding artificial intelligence and how …

How To Grow My Business On Social Media, Thomas Vehige

Honors Theses

This thesis discussed goals, strategies and tactics to expand an existing freelance sports videography business into a more robust business through the use of targeted social media campaigns. Author discusses demographic choices, social media platform selection and goals for thoughtful evaluation of opportunities and core competencies.

Professional Shame As Experienced By Pre-Professional Accountants, Grant R. Countess

Honors Theses

While the role of shame in professions is an emerging area of research, it has not been thoroughly studied in accounting’s professional or educational settings. Shame has been explored in engineering and nursing education with powerful implications regarding well-being and learning. This study is primarily driven by the research question, “How do pre-professional accountants experience professional shame?” Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), I interviewed three pre-professional accountants to further understand the lived experiences of shame as accounting interns. I demonstrate the insights from the analysis of these transcripts, which characterize the experience of locating identity as pre-professionals, navigating expectations, experiencing …

Antioxidant Potentials Of Kombucha Based On Water Chemistry And Its Impact On Fermentation, Olivia Sundman

Honors Theses

Kombucha is made by using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) to ferment sweetened tea. This fermentation produces a beverage with a unique aroma and acidic flavor. Kombucha has recently gain popularity in the United States and has been reported to have numerous health benefits from increased weight loss to helping to fight cancer. There is a wide variation in kombucha composition, little is known about the impact the water’s chemistry has on the fermentation and the resulting kombucha. The impact that bicarbonate, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and sulfate concentration have on the measured antioxidation potential of brewed kombucha …

Social Connectedness As Experienced By Black Christian Women At A Predominantly White University, Halle Christina Miller

Honors Theses

This study examines the lived experiences of Black women attending a predominantly white Christian university and explores how they navigate social connection and belonging in this context, highlighting identity relevant experiences and intersectionality in layered identities. Literature demonstrates, social connection and belonging is an important aspect of well-being. This study serves to advance or extend theories relating to social connection and belonging by examining in particular the role that identity plays in belonging, specifically considering intersectionality and layered identities. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with three Black women who were currently enrolled in the university. …

A Cooperative Business Analysis Of Starbucks Corporation & Reflection By Principal Financial Investigator, Abigail R. George

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is a business analysis of Starbucks Corporation. The company is commonly known for its distinctive coffee shops and operates over 31,000 stores worldwide. Starbucks is also known for extreme brand loyalty, strong market position, high quality products, and premium service. The Company's weaknesses include expensive raw material and product costs, overcrowding in the US, and overdependence in the US market. If Starbucks positions themselves correctly, they have an opportunity to expand into new markets and establish brand loyalty across the globe, with expansion comes diversifying products which would expand their product mix and make them …

Digital Dna: The Ethical Implications Of Big Data As The World’S New-Age Commodity, Clark H. Dotson

Honors Theses

In the emerging digital world that we find ourselves in, it becomes apparent that data collection has become a staple of daily life, whether we like it or not. This research discussion aims to bring light to just how much one’s own digital identity is valued in the technologically-infused world of today, with distinct research and local examples to bring awareness to the ethical implications of your online presence. The paper in question examines anecdotal and research evidence of the collection of data, both through true and unjust means, as well as ethical implications of what this information truly represents. …

Black Male Educator Shortage In The Mississippi Public School System: Impact, Challenges, And Intervention Strategies, Jilkiah Bryant

Honors Theses

The shortage of Black male educators in Mississippi's public school systems is a critical issue with far-reaching implications for the state's education system. Despite the state's sizable Black population, the percentage of Black male teachers remains disproportionately low, and there is little evidence of progress being made to address this issue. This paper examines the impact of the Black male educator shortage on Mississippi's education system, the challenges faced by Black male educators, and related intervention strategies to increase the number of Black male teachers in Mississippi's public school systems. Through a comprehensive literature review and interviews with Black male …

Teacher Preparedness For Integrating Dyslexia Interventions In The General Education Classroom, Eleanor Perkins

Honors Theses

This thesis features a review of the body of literature surrounding teacher knowledge dyslexia and its interventions. Several studies show teachers (both preservice and inservice) do not have a strong understanding of neither the learning disability nor effective interventions for dyslexia. Students with dyslexia benefit from explicit and systematic teaching. The following lesson plans demonstrate how to lead both large- and small-groups using dyslexia-centered strategies as a general education teacher. The ten-day unit and accompanying intervention plans are designed to specifically accommodate the needs of students with dyslexia, though even students without dyslexia are known to benefit from systematic and …

Investigating The Impact Of Student-Teacher Relationships On Teacher Retention And Recruitment, Kylie Scott

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the impact of positive student teacher relationships on teacher retention and recruitment. The overarching research question this thesis project aims to address is how do teachers describe the impact of student-teacher relationships on their decisions to become a teacher and stay in teaching? Verbal data collected through semi-structured interviews with my former teachers have been analyzed and reviewed for common or emergent themes. These themes will be discussed along with other commentary from a literature review, results, and a conclusion.

Queer Representation In The Horror Genre: An Analysis Of Queer Stereotypes, Makenna N. Lambert

Honors Theses

Queer representation has been present across all genres of film since the dawn of filmmaking. Much of the early representation of queer identities originated in the horror genre, specifically during the time of the Motion Picture Production Code (1934-1968). However, many negative stereotypes and tropes still common in media today originated in this time period. Films like Dracula’s Daughter and Bride of Frankenstein included stereotypes like the overly effeminate, weak gay man, the aggressive, ugly lesbian, and the concept that queer people are predatory. Modern-day horror films have started to stray away from these harmful tropes, including more well-rounded and …

A Realistic Path Towards A More Affordable Healthcare System For The United States, James Loome

Honors Theses

This study was performed in order to try to discover ways in which the American healthcare system can improve and become more affordable for its citizens. The main focus was to see how implementing a universal healthcare system could benefit the United States. I analyzed aspects of many different universal healthcare system structures and chose aspects that I think should or should not be included in a revised version of the US healthcare system. There was a strong focus on the aspects of Japan and Costa Rica’s healthcare systems. I also pointed out weaknesses in the US healthcare system that …

Buy The Rumor; Sell The News: Predicting Growth In The Shanghai Stock Exchange Resulting From The 2020 Foreign Investment Law, Jonathan Dwyer

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to prove that China’s Shanghai Stock Exchange responds to relevant policy changes, and, as a result, the new 2020 Foreign Investment Law will result in market growth. This is done by establishing a historical precedent, analyzing the significant changes brought about by the new law, and finally using three economic models to provide a mathematical basis.

Historical Truth Hurts: Administrative Response To The Contextualization Of Slavery And Racism On The University Of Mississippi Campus, Ashton Wiggins

Honors Theses

This thesis explores what instigated changes in how the University of Mississippi deals with its history of racism, how effective those responses have been, and where improvements in its response can be made. A timeline of UM’s history, interviews, and a review of the recommended and implemented contextualization efforts on campus offer insight into the tangible changes in policies at the university. Interviews with former Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on History and Context members and student leaders reveal the varying perspectives and goals that had to be compromised, and an overwhelming sense that the University of Mississippi’s failure to pursue a …

Examining Relationships Between Covid-19, Investor Personality Traits, And Investor Risk Tolerance., Joshua Turner

Honors Theses

In 2020, financial markets around the globe sharply declined as the threat of Covid-19 became severe. The financial market reactions were precedented. Due to the unprecedented reaction, conversations arose describing the influences that impacted investor behavior. Among these influences are behavioral influences such as personality traits and financial risk tolerance. The following research evaluates the relationships between Covid-19, Dark Triad Personality Traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy), financial feelings, preference for consistency, long-term orientation, and the need to evaluate. A survey gauging individuals’ economic perception, personality traits, and risk behavior was distributed to 116 individuals. Quantitative analysis was done using t-tests …

Lgbtq+ In A Rural Kentucky Town, Caroline A. Kinsman

Honors Theses

This interview series aims to understand the perspectives of LGBTQ+ community members in relation to local government in a small rural town in Kentucky. The purpose is to ascertain the correlation between the LGBTQ+ community's level of feeling accepted and the efforts and attitudes of non-LGBTQ+ officials. In total, six LGBTQ+ individuals were interviewed, and two elected government officials. Themes found within the interview series include reputation, safety, mental health, urgent change, blindness, and lack of responsibility.

Investigating The Responses Of Gay Gen Z And Gen Y Men To Homosexual Imagery In Advertising, Lucas G. Thompson

Honors Theses

The LGBTQ+ market is growing and expanding, especially now that younger generations who have a higher percentage of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+, are entering the market. While there exists a growing body of literature regarding gay representation in advertising, little research has explored how younger cohorts of gay men—particularly those in Generations Z and Y—respond to gay representation in conservative environments (in particular. regions where the majority public opinion and/or legislation rejects the normalization of LGBTQ+ identities). To address this question, this study aimed to explore the responses of gay Gen Z and Gen Y men towards their own …

Behind The Design, Natalia C. Smith

Honors Theses

Higher education is a place of learning and such a space requires the optimal design for a learning setting. While classrooms are an important space for learning in higher education, they are not the only place, where learning occurs on campuses. These spaces outside of the classroom are referred to in ways such as “private study areas”, “writing centers,” and “third spaces”, but in this paper, these spaces are referred to as informal study spaces. These spaces are identified as any space, outside of a formal classroom setting, where students regularly congregate for academic purposes. Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) has …

Play That Funky Music: A Study Of Bacterial Contamination Of Wind Instruments, Ashley Clark

Honors Theses

Should there be standards to routinely clean instruments and what methods are available for that? It has been found that the bacteria and other microorganisms inside of musical instruments may be the culprit of respiratory infections in musicians (King et al. 2016). This project was divided into two experiments. First, clarinet reeds were introduced to three different species of bacteria. Then mouthpieces of trombonists and clarinetists of Eastern Kentucky University were swabbed and analyzed using a Colony Forming Unit assay. Bacteria was found to live on unused reeds for up to 30 days. Mouthpieces house millions of bacteria, determined by …

Impacts Of Personal Cultural Orientations On College Students’ Psychological Health And Preventive Behaviors During The Covid-19 Period, Joanna Ouyang

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought dramatic life changes to individuals across the world. Personal cultural orientations of these individuals alter the way individuals respond to the pandemic and their mental wellness. This research investigates how personal cultural orientations impact college students’ mental health primarily anxiety, prevention behaviors and intentions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and active coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (n=155) completed measures of independence, ambiguity intolerance, masculinity, gender equality, mental health, prevention behaviors to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and active coping strategies to protect themselves during the pandemic. Results revealed that people with higher …

Royal Authority And Erotic Desires: Marlowe's Views On Kingship In Dido, Queen Of Carthage, And Edward Ii, Jared Lambert

Honors Theses

Royal authority and erotic desires: Marlowe's views on kingship in Dido, Queen of Carthage, and Edward II focuses on the works of Christopher Marlowe and how they correlate to his perceptions of the Elizabethan court. This essay is meant to serve as one potential interpretation of both the public and personal life of Christopher Marlowe. Though there is little concrete information on Marlowe's life, it is a fact that he was working for the Elizabethan court in some capacity as an informant and potential provocateur against Catholics in England.

The Hilbert Sequence And Its Associated Jacobi Matrix, Caleb Beckler

Honors Theses

In this project, we investigate positive definite sequences and their associated Jacobi matrices in Hilbert space. We set out to determine the Jacobi matrix associated to the Hilbert sequence by methods described in Akhiezer’s book The Classical Moment Problem. Using methods in Teschl’s book Jacobi Operators and Completely Integrable Nonlinear Lattice, we determine the essential spectrum of the corresponding Jacobi matrix.