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Analyzing And Understanding The Broad Spectrum Of Accounting: Five Concentrated Case Studies, Anna D. Franks

Honors Theses

This thesis is a compilation of five case studies, each exploring a distinct aspect of the accounting profession and its role in modern society. They were written and compiled under the supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the Honors Accountancy 420 course and in accordance with the requirements of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Patterson School of Accountancy. Cases I-IV examine various pressing issues within the field of accounting, including the 2008 stock market crash, the implications of the military industrial complex that is present in many modern governments, environmental sustainability in accounting, and a look at …

The Mechanism Of Election Denial: How Ideological Extremism Leads To Anti-Support For The United States Government, Emily C. Reeks

Honors Theses

The violent events of January 6, 2021 explicitly demonstrated the widening ideological gap in the United States, as citizens and members of Congress both questioned the results of the 2020 election. This research paper seeks to understand if this increasing ideological extremity might manifest itself as questioning the legitimacy of an election among members of Congress. Researchers across decades have studied the sort of effects that increasing ideological extremity can have on voters; however, I could not find much research on how it might affect members of Congress. I theorize that ideological extremity amongst members of Congress is causing them …

Church And State Relationships Explored In Mississippi's Foster Care System, Olivia Gray

Honors Theses

Historically, the entities of church and state were never meant to be wholly separate. Yet, varying ideas as to what this relationship should be evolved over centuries to become the notion of a separation of church and state that Americans cling to today. Despite common misconceptions regarding this ideal, Mississippi’s foster care system maintains strong and beneficial relationships with local churches throughout the state to better impact and meet the needs of foster children in local communities.

This research seeks to explore the relationship between the church and the state utilizing the example of Mississippi’s foster care system. The findings …

Taking Everything Into Account: An Accumulation Of Real-World Accounting Case Studies, Sydney Baumgardner

Honors Theses

Accountancy 420, Independent Study, pushed students enrolled into the class to delve further into accounting than they had ever before. During this course, several independent case studies were completed, as were several group case studies. The following cases are presented chronologically. At the end of the spring semester, our knowledge cumulated into a final project exploring business establishment in the state of Mississippi, which was presented to esteemed state officials and academics. This project necessitated research and the creation of hypothetical financial statements for our imagined company. This presentation fulfilled the requirements of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Throughout …

Opmed Seal: Engineering A Rapid-Response Biodegradable Device For Hemorrhage Control And Infection Prevention In Abdominal Trauma, Paula M. Cabrera, Wesley Stephen Murphy

Honors Theses

Abdominal gunshot wounds are amongst the deadliest injuries encountered in combat and remote emergency settings. For military medics and first responders, the challenge lies in controlling internal bleeding and preventing infection before patients can reach surgical care-often within a narrow window of time known as the “golden hour”. Currently available field treatments are either too slow, not designed for internal wounds, or fail to provide antimicrobial protection. To address this gap, our team developed OpMed Seal: a compact, dual-syringe delivery system that deploys a biodegradable, antibiotic-infused hydrogel directly into abdominal injuries. The system is designed for rapid hemorrhage control, localized …

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 …

Mechatronic System Mobility Enhancement Device For Patient With Cerebral Palsy, Tori N. Saenz

Honors Theses

The primary objective of this project was to design and fabricate the electronic, power, and control systems for a mobility device oriented around the needs of a young man with cerebral palsy, named Lane Bryant. This project was completed during the Mechanical Engineering Capstone Senior Design Experience. A separate group completed the design and fabrication of the wheelchair’s ergonomic and structural elements. Research on the typical operation of existing electric wheelchairs was completed to form a baseline of operating parameters. Observations from a previous wheelchair for Lane, called the Wild Thing, guided many design choices. The power supply was designed …

Breaking The Ice: China And Lawfare In The Arctic, Sophia Toner

Honors Theses

This thesis examines China's engagement with international legal frameworks in the Arctic through a lawfare lens, using a structured analytical framework to assess whether Chinese activities constitute lawfare. Focusing on two key cases—China's involvement in submarine cable infrastructure and its navigation of the Northern Sea Route—the research applies Andrea Beck's three-part definition of lawfare: "(1) the misuse of the law in order to, (2) achieve a military objective, and (3) undermine the legal framework." The analysis reveals that China's Arctic engagement does not fully constitute lawfare according to this definition. Rather than misusing legal frameworks, China operates within existing structures …

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 …

Characterization Of Microplastic Pollution In Intentionally Flooded Fields In The Mississippi Delta, Edward G. Heinen

Honors Theses

Microplastic (MP) pollution in agricultural environments is spread throughout soil and water due to plasticulture, the use of plastic materials for agricultural applications. In the Mississippi Delta, shallow habitat management for migratory birds involves flooding agricultural fields to resting grounds for birds during migration, as well as to improve soil parameters. In this study, MP concentrations, polymer IDs, and polymer sizes in Delta flood and source water samples were quantified using a Bruker Lumos II μ-FTIR instrument. Average concentrations (MPs/L) in floodwater (n=18) were 72 ± 66, while average concentrations in source water (n=4) and runoff (n=3) were 169 ± …

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 …

Processing Words Using An Ostracism Avoidance Scenario Improves Recall Performance, Julia R. East

Honors Theses

Background. Psychologists have long been interested in studying memory retention, the ability to retain or recall information. Many experiments show that survival processing, which involves encoding information in the context of survival scenarios, has consistently been demonstrated to be one of the best deep processing tasks identified to date. Memory performance following survival processing has been compared with other conditions universally accepted to produce excellent retention, such as processing information using imagery, pleasantness instructions, and self-reference processing. The present study compares the survival processing condition with an ostracism processing condition. It was hypothesized that ostracism processing might perform similarly …

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 …

The Dual Lens Of Progress: Accounting Case Studies And Innovation For Economic Progress In Mississippi, Rebecca L. Burrow

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the interplay between financial theory and practice by analyzing corporate accounting frameworks, philosophical perspectives, and an innovative business venture. Six case studies form the foundation of this work: the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in corporate accountability, Northrop Grumman’s financial strategies, the implementation and resulting effects of the Corporate Transparency Act in the United States, the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) objectives in setting new standards, the philosophical contributions of Dr. Thomas Sowell and Dr. Ben Carson, and a theoretical business proposal aimed to simulate economic development in Mississippi. Data was gathered through case …

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 …

Interactions Between The Deaf Community And Healthcare, Sarah E. Mcfadden

Honors Theses

Background.

This study investigates the issues regarding interactions between the Deaf community and healthcare, focusing on communication barriers, negative experiences, and inaccessibility to health information. Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines requiring healthcare offices to provide interpreters, many health care professionals (HCPs) do not comply for various reasons. The alternatives to an interpreter create gaps in conditions, treatment plans, or post-appointment care.

Methods.

This study involved a review of existing literature and interviews with Deaf individuals and HCPs, including a physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, and registered nurse. The interviewed HCPs work in various settings.

Results. …

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 …

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 …

Fine-Scale Spatial Patterns In Microbial Activity And Community Composition In Shoreline Marine Sediments, Elizabeth Basha

Honors Theses

Coastal environments of the Gulf of Mexico host diverse and dynamic microbial communities essential for biogeochemical cycling, yet the fine-scale environmental drivers of microbial function and community structure in these systems remain underexplored. This study investigated the relationships between sand moisture content, microbial extracellular enzyme activity, and bacterial community composition along beach transects on Biloxi East Beach, Mississippi. Sand was sampled at five points along four transects spanning a gradient from submerged intertidal zones to dry upper beach sands. Extracellular enzyme activities linked to carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling (β-glucosidase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, phosphatase, phenol oxidase, and peroxidase) were measured, and bacterial …

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 …

Effects Of Acute Exercise On Cognition: Consideration Of Potential Moderators, Mary G. Jackson, Lucy Wilson, Mara Liston, Elizabeth Gaines, Mckenzie Cotten, Reese Carwile

Honors Theses

The present thesis aims to determine the effects, if any, of six potential moderators on the effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on cognitive functioning. The modes of exercise undertaken by the participants included treadmill (Experiment 1) and stationary bike (Experiment 2) exercise. Participants in each experiment either exercised or rested for twenty minutes and then participated in either a memory recall task or cognitive functioning (“Stroop”) task. The bouts of either exercise or rest on the stationary bike were followed by a rest period during which the participant would be exposed to either standard air oxygen levels (normoxia) or hypoxic …

Evolving Enemy Behavior In Video Games, Hermie H. Adams Iii

Honors Theses

The video game I developed for my senior project lacked complex and engaging enemy artificial intelligence. The standard implementations of AI systems such as finite state machines and behavior trees felt like side-steps rather than innovative solutions. Upon seeing the 'magic' of machine learning in perfecting games such as Snake, Super Mario, and Flappy Bird, I was inspired to seek my answer in the field of evolutionary computation. However, my challenge differed in that the problem space would be defined by dynamic player strategies, making it not well-defined or static. As such, my evaluations are based on enemies exhibiting emergent …

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 …

Extracting Renewables: A Capabilities Approach To A Just Transition Crisis, Mateos Lozano

Honors Theses

Extraction of cobalt and lithium is often regarded as necessary to facilitate a successful transition to renewable energy so that global warming can be limited to 2°C. At the same time, many current cobalt and lithium extraction practices contribute to environmental destruction, expose workers to toxic contaminants, and sometimes involve child labor. This thesis argues that cobalt and lithium extraction, if permissible, must be conducted in a manner compatible with the normative obligations of justice and fairness. I first explain notable differences between prominent types of cobalt and lithium extraction and note how each impacts people and the environment. Then, …

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 …

An Articulation And Defense Of American Nationality, Clara E. White

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to first provide an articulation of American nationality based on the five components outlined in David Miller’s book On Nationality. These components are Geographical Connection, Constitutive Belief, Public Culture, Active Identity, and Historical Continuity. In the case of American national identity, these components are satisfied by the founding documents meant to govern the United States as well as the sum of how citizens have interacted with these texts throughout history. Secondly, this thesis composes a defense from two widely known theories of political thought that I believe violate the articulated American nationality. These views are labeled as …

The Impact Of Cattle Grazing On Water Quality In Stoner Creek, Bourbon County, Ky., Logan Stigall

Honors Theses

This study aims to identify the impact of cattle grazing on the water quality of Stoner Creek, located in North Middletown, KY. Cattle grazing can impact water quality in numerous ways. In this study, water quality was examined using the following parameters: water temperature (°C), pH (SU), dissolved oxygen (mg/L), conductivity (μS/cm), and Escherichia coli (E. coli) colonies per 100 mL of water. Results show that Site 3 (Cattle access point) had the greatest average conductivity at 465 μS/cm. Sites 3 and 4 showed the highest turbidity. There was a strong positive correlation (r²=0.32, p=0.02) between conductivity and …

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, …