Digital Commons Network^™

Energy-Absorbing Helmet For Safer Football, Aidan Laudeman

Honors Theses

Football-related injuries are a common occurrence and are often detrimental to the player’s health. Force impacts frequently occur at the front, back, and sides of a player’s helmet, resulting in head injuries like concussions. The goal of this project is to reduce recurrent head injuries by designing a solution involving the use of energy-absorbing metallic materials that are inserted into a football helmet. These energy-absorbing materials are configured in target zones inside the helmet to reduce the acceleration of the head based on impact locations. The chosen materials are nitinol and spring steel, which display energy-absorbing properties. Various energy-absorbing material …

How Social Movements Have Influenced Child Custody Standards Over Time, Victoria Miller

Honors Theses

Child custody standards have evolved over time due to societal attitude shifts regarding gender roles. The stereotypes present within the decision-making process of child custody laws have been challenged repeatedly in order to attack sexism within the laws. Child custody decisions are important for the child and family in question, because whichever parental guardian has custody over the child has the legal authority to make life changing choices for the child. These choices can include education, religion, and the environment the child grows and develops in. Parental choices can affect a child's mental and physical well-being, which makes it crucial …

1st Person Ev With Electronic Differential, Tessa Biondo

Honors Theses

The First Person EV with Electronic Differential for Vehicle Dynamics Analysis project makes a significant leap forward in the exploration of electric vehicle (EV) stability and performance enhancement. Lead by a team of skilled electrical engineering students under the guidance of WMU’s associate Professor Dr. Sandun Kuruppu, this project aims to improve EV stability by optimizing power and torque distribution between wheels using an electronic differential system. The project encompasses the design and assembly of a 1/7^th scale custom electric vehicle, capable of remote control via a first-person view (FPV) camera and modified USB wheel and pedal assembly. The …

A Legal Analysis Of The Competition And Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act Of 2021, Nicholas Owczarzak

Honors Theses

This legal analysis examines the “Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act of 2021” proposed by Senator Amy Klobuchar, which would amend Section 7 of the Clayton Act to prohibit more anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions. Senator Klobuchar and other antitrust law experts disagree with how courts currently evaluate mergers using the Chicago School of Thought, and Klobuchar sought to strengthen antitrust laws which would change the way mergers are evaluated. This bill mainly aimed to create a lower burden of establishing an anticompetitive merger, from mergers that may “substantially lessen competition” to mergers that may “create an appreciable risk of …

Veterinarian Perception Of The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Mortality Of Pets, Jason Bainbridge

Honors Theses

The pandemic led to many changes in society, changes that may have affected pets either directly or indirectly from the new way people had to live life. The primary variable of investigation is if the changes were significant enough to affect pets enough to see a trend in mortality. This thesis used a survey, sent out to veterinarians for their perspective, to see the effects the pandemic had on the mortality of pets, as well as any secondary variables. This survey had 38 responses, with 34 being eligible to complete the survey. The survey did not obtain the information of …

Production Of Mrna Vaccine For Influenza, Christina Miller

Honors Theses

The objective of this project is to design a process to produce an mRNA influenza vaccine that serves as an alternative to conventional influenza vaccines, replacing current options with innovative mRNA technologies. Given that older populations are most likely to follow up on immunizations consistently, and the increasing average age worldwide, the market for this project appears to be expanding in the next 80 years. Additionally, experts predict more frequent mutations and outbreaks of viral disease from a variety of factors including globalization and global temperature trends. Rapid response to these viral outbreaks will continue to be as, or even …

How Does Childhood Exposure To Toys And Video Games Relate To Young Adult’S View On Gun Control?, Shelby Wilmot

Honors Theses

The present study investigated the factors influencing support for gun control and attitudes toward gun control restrictions on individuals, specifically violent video games and toys. From the 119 total responses collected, 78 (65.5%) of the participants identified as female, 34 (28.6%) of the participants identified as male, and 7 (5.9%) of the participants identified as nonbinary. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between various independent variables and the dependent variables representing these attitudes. For the dependent variable measuring support for gun control, the model summary revealed a moderate correlation

(r = .610), with approximately 37.2% of the variability …

Dollarization In Latin America, Chloe Wieber

Honors Theses

Dollarization occurs when a country uses the US dollar or other foreign currency alongside or in place of the country’s domestic currency. This research seeks to understand the reasons countries dollarize and analyzes the extent that formal dollarization affects the economic wellbeing of dollarized countries in Latin America. The use of the US dollar is considerable in Latin America with Panama, Ecuador, and El Salvador being formally dollarized, and with Argentina currently considering formally adopting the US dollar. Using difference-in-difference techniques, I analyze the impact of dollarization on economic agents’ perceptions of the economy, on economic growth, and on inflation …

Chatting With Online Agent, Guoxi Robert Zhang

Honors Theses

This study investigates trust in AI-generated language fluency. Participants engaged with both human and AI-generated content, varying in fluency. Findings were to favor trust in fluent human and AI interactions over disfluent ones. Understanding fluency's impact can inform AI design and encourage critical thinking when dealing with AI-generated content. By using qualitative analysis of think-aloud reports, we examined strategies that people use to assess texts labeled as human-generated and AI-generated content.

The Role Internships Play In Political Science Education, Madaline Lankford

Honors Theses

This project will explore the critical role internships play in undergraduate education, with a particular focus on political science, by examining the history and impact of Western Michigan University’s Capital Internship Program. The study aims to shed light on the diverse experiences of past participants and conduct comprehensive research into the significance of internships in shaping the academic and professional trajectories of countless students. By delving into the stories and reflections of former interns, this research will provide testimonials that underscore the value of experiential learning. These personal accounts will highlight how internships bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge acquired …

A Comparative Study Of Monolingual And Multilingual Employees, Megan Baldry

Honors Theses

This study examined the relationship between linguistic status and work outcomes including organizational citizenship behaviors and affective commitment, as mediated by communication competence, leader-member exchange, and psychological safety. The study examines nine hypotheses about these relationships, attempting to find differences in relationships between the mediators and outcomes among linguistic groups (monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual).

The study does not find support for the hypotheses, finding no difference between linguistic groups in either of the workplace outcomes, nor does it find strong support that communication competence, leader-member exchange, or psychological safety mediate the relationship between linguistic status and either of the workplace …

The Effects Of Therapy Dogs On Students, Chloe Romack

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the effects therapy dogs have on students. It begins with a literature review of 17 articles that involve animal-assisted interventions with students and children. The main topics covered include the definition of a therapy animal and how dogs can influence learning, socialization, emotional well-being, anxiety, and depression. It also discusses how dogs can be used in therapy and special education classrooms as well as the major concerns of dogs in schools. Drawing upon the previous research, a survey was sent to school staff in the Paw Paw Public School District. The participants of this study consisted of …

College Football Success And Its Impact On The Surrounding Community, Local Economy, And Institution Enrollment, Jacob Reynolds

Honors Theses

In the ever-changing field of college football, creating success has always been a top priority for institutions, and if not achieved, it can be detrimental to an athletic department. Success is important to those directly involved in college football, however, not often is it considered how others may be affected by the success or failure of a college football program. The purpose of this research is to determine what impact successful college football programs have on society and those not directly involved in athletics. In determining the purpose, it was important to find what components of society are impacted by …

Effects Of Peer Mentoring On Success And Satisfaction In Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Pilot Study, Rebecca Fraley

Honors Theses

Studying the impact of a mentorship program involving undergraduate nursing students can inform educators of methods to increase student success and decrease attrition in baccalaureate nursing programs. This study aimed to determine if a mentoring session every three weeks between a first semester Bronson School of Nursing (BSON) student and a senior year nursing student increased the confidence and satisfaction of the first semester BSON student. A Student Success Survey (see Appendix A) was filled out at the beginning, middle and conclusion of the mentee students fall semester. The Student Success Survey was also administered to a control group made …

Examining Confidence In Scientific Literacy Amongst General Biology And General Chemistry Students, Amy Sullivan

Honors Theses

Scientific literacy is a term used to describe a person’s ability to understand scientific concepts, read and write those concepts, and link those concepts to situations outside of the classroom in order to make informed decisions in their daily lives. This research paper details a study observing how scientific literacy confidence varies among general biology and chemistry students at the University of Mississippi. The goal of this research is to determine if students in general biology and chemistry classes will have similar self-reported confidence in their science literacy. This research took place at the University of Mississippi amongst Biology 160/161 …

The Sacred And The Supernatural: Christianity And Teutonic Folklore In The Grimms’ Briar Rose, Amelia Stefanescu

Honors Theses

During the nineteenth century, the Brothers Grimm undertook the task of preserving German folklore during a time of cultural upheaval and struggle for national identity. One such tale, Briar Rose, emerges as a site of ideological interplay between Christian themes and Teutonic traditions. By analyzing the Grimms’ 1812 (first) and 1857 (last) editions, this thesis investigates how the text reflects and synthesizes these distinct belief systems into a coherent narrative.

The research explores how Christian and pagan elements co-exist within Briar Rose and what these interactions reveal about the cultural and religious dynamics within the folktale. The study argues that …

A Petrological Characterization Of The Iutzi Member Of Lucas Formation, Michigan Basin, Moira Burns

Honors Theses

It is thought that most Phanerozoic dolomites form via the replacement of precursor calcium carbonate [CaCO₃] with dolomite [CaMg(CO₃)₂] through a dissolution-precipitation reaction with a Mg-bearing fluid. Although this may be widely accepted, the timing, conditions, settings, and mechanisms associated with the dolomitization process are still strongly debated, resulting in the proposal of various dolomitization models. The association between evaporite minerals and dolomite in the rock record is common and has led many to propose a model genetically associating evaporative fluids and dolomitization. The evaporative model posits as marine fluids evaporate and become more …

Impact Of Snap On Food Insecurity: A Michigan And Indiana Case Study, Cecelia Chapleau

Honors Theses

Food insecurity is one of the most pervasive and concerning problems in the United States. Approximately 1 in every 13 households within the United States was food insecure at some point during 2022 (Rabbitt et al., 2023) Food insecurity occurs when households have a limited ability to access nutritious foods, there is a limited supply of safe, healthy foods, or they are unable to obtain food in socially acceptable ways (Anderson, 1990). Low food security is associated with adverse health outcomes like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and poor mental health, which contributes to the severity of the problem (Thomas …

The Mitre And Crown: The Relationship Between The Church And Crown In Norman-Angevin England, 1066-1215, Isaac Copeland

Honors Theses

From the Norman invasion in 1066 to Magna Carta in 1215, the balance of power between the Mitre and the Crown in Norman- Angevin England shifted from being defined through personal relationships to being defined by charters. This shift occurred due to a cycle of conflict and cooperation between Church and Crown, and during the periods of peace, kings, archbishops, and popes created models that delineated boundaries of power between the Church and the Crown. Over a century and a half, four functioning models emerged: the Crown-led Personal model created by William the Conqueror and Archbishop Lanfranc from 1066-1089, the …

Writing 'Boleyn Ballads': Exploring Constraints On Sexuality Within The Henrician Court Through A Historical Graphic Narrative, Kyle Smith

Honors Theses

This article outlines my creative process while writing and illustrating the graphic novel Boleyn Ballads for my undergraduate honors thesis. First, this research delves into the medium of graphic novels and its potential for teaching history to young adult readers. Then, this research shifts to focus on the history the graphic novel depicts, that being the fall of Tudor English Queen Anne Boleyn and her brother George. With Boleyn Ballads, the depiction of the fall of Anne Boleyn aligns itself with historian Greg Walker’s theory on her fall. This research then explains the creative decision behind making George Boleyn …

Resilience Building In Appalachian College Students: The Intersection Of Motivation And Identity, Ashton B. Burchfield

Honors Theses

Appalachian students are underrepresented in existing literature regarding higher education. Central Appalachia also has some of the lowest median household incomes and college attrition rates in the country. Appalachian culture is unique with its collectivistic culture which prioritizes familial bonds. This has previously been found to have an academic impact for Appalachian students. For this study, Appalachian college students at Eastern Kentucky University were recruited to investigate if social versus personal identity had an impact on academic achievement as measured by grade-point average. Resilience levels were also measured to investigate an effect from resilience of students on personal versus social …

In The Garden Of Skincare: Exploring The Benefits And Regulations Of Botanical Ingredients, Sara L. Cook

Honors Theses

With the rising consumer demand for more natural skincare products, botanical ingredients have become more prevalent in skincare products. Skincare products with botanical properties are being preferred over those with chemical properties due to their biological origins. However, there are debates as to why botanical products are being used widespread and if they are safe to use. The safety of ingredients within cosmetics is observed by multiple regulatory systems throughout the world. These regulatory systems oversee making sure that each ingredient is extracted and purified before being incorporated into a cosmetic or skincare product. One goal of this project was …

Living Between The Lines: The Multiracial Identity, How It Is Shaped, Perceived, And Embodied On College Campuses, Kiaira Tomlinson

Honors Theses

This research project aims to investigate the feelings of acceptance experienced by multiracial individuals on predominantly white institution (PWI) campuses. The study explores various factors that may influence these feelings, including participation in organizations, relationships with friends and family, and experiences of discrimination on campus. Surveys will be used to collect data on participants' progress toward graduation, gender, classification, racial/ethnic background, first-generation status, participation in student and racial/ethnic organizations, experiences of discrimination, and feelings of acceptance on campus due to positive peer relationships. The multiracial identity is increasingly relevant in the United States, yet the experiences of multiracial individuals at …

The Effects Of A Mindfulness Intervention On Ameliorating Premenstrual Hedonic Eating Patterns In College-Aged Females, Nicole R. Palmieri

Honors Theses

Background: Young women in college are susceptible to weight gain from a myriad of factors to include environmental and hormonal influences.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a mindfulness intervention on food craving behaviors in women in the luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle.

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using repeated samples one-way ANOVA and qualitative data to examine pre-intervention and post-intervention changes in cravings and mindfulness.

Results: 23 participants completed the intervention and study-related requirements pre-intervention and post-intervention. There was a trend of mean decrease in FCQ-T scores (124.83 ± …

Exploration Of Cytotoxicity Of _Rabidosa Rabida_ Venom On Invertebrate And Vertebrate Cell Cultures, Martina Gooden

Honors Theses

Venom has been observed in thousands of species across different taxa. It can be adapted for different purposes, including prey capture or predator defense. Venom is found almost universally in spiders, but there has been little exploration of spiders that are not medically significant. Rabidosa rabida, the rabid wolf spider, is a common species whose venom has not been adequately investigated. Previous studies indicate that they do not require venom to apprehend easy prey in a laboratory setting, raising a question as to what their venom is adapted to do. To evaluate its effect on mammalian cells, L929 murine fibroblasts …

Exploring Narrative Strengths In Animated Storytelling, Amelia Kretzer

Honors Theses

This thesis explores tactics for effective narrative development for animation through the analyses of key works of strong animated films synthesized with literature discussing narrative frameworks. This research resulted in a shortlist of animated storytelling best practices—six principles to reflect on in the creation of effective stories for animation. Additionally, an original 2D animated short film was created utilizing the principles on the shortlist in its development as an outpouring of this research.

The Diverse Musical Traditions Of Appalachian Folk Music, Brooks M. Kidd

Honors Theses

Appalachian folk music has a rich heritage, although society has the misconception that Appalachian music is uncultured and closed off. To the contrary, the folk music of Appalachia has been directly linked to the music traditions of Ireland, Scotland, England, Africa, Germany, Spain, and Italy. The migration of people from other countries to Appalachia has been attributed to significant historical events such as the signing of the Treaty of Paris and the African Slave Trade. These migrants brought with them their musical traditions, which influenced the music of people living in the Appalachian region. These musical influences come in different …

The Ultimate How-To Guide: Addressing Sustainability In Fashion, Corinne R. Campbell

Honors Theses

Every year, the pollution in our world increases but few people have addressed this issue. Between the culture of consumerism, little to no recycling, and lack of education, it can feel difficult as a regular person to make a difference. However, it is not impossible. As the consumer, the general public has the ability to enact change. While sustainability in the fashion industry may seem unattainable, making progressive changes in the manufacturing and buying process of clothing will make fashion more eco-friendly over time. With the proper education and guidance, anyone can make more sustainable fashion choices without going outside …

“You Just Haven’T Found The Right Person Yet.”: A Study Of The Relationship Differences Between Asexual And Allosexual Individuals, Faith M. Conway

Honors Theses

Asexuality is an underreported and scarcely researched group. This study aimed to determine relationship and relationship goal differences between asexual and allosexual individuals. Using 134 responses to a Qualtrics survey, the current research found only one self-identified asexual individual and five total Asexuality Identification Scale identified individuals. Results showed little difference between Allosexual and Asexual relationships and relationship goals. There was a significant difference between the realization of an identity different from heterosexual and the self-claiming of an identity name.

Faith, Fear, And Feminism: The 1970s Women’S Movement And The Rise Of Southern Baptist Fundamentalism, Hayden Faris

Honors Theses

This paper examines the relationship between the 1970s women’s movement and the 1979 conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. The discussion includes initial reactions to the women’s movement, the conservative emphasis on biblical inerrancy, and the ordination issue. Paul Pressler, Paige Patterson, Adrian and Joyce Rogers, and many other prominent Southern Baptists are also discussed. The thesis also includes some discussion on the connection between race and gender hierarchies within the Southern Baptist Convention. Finally, both the 1978 Consultation on Women in Church-Related Vocations and the 1984 “Kansas City Resolution” are analyzed. The central investigation of this thesis was …