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Honors Theses

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Substrate Complexity Is Not Correlated With Skin Pattern Complexity In Callistoctopus Furvus, Emily Lekas May 2025

Substrate Complexity Is Not Correlated With Skin Pattern Complexity In Callistoctopus Furvus, Emily Lekas

Honors Theses

Callistoctopus furvus is an understudied, nocturnal octopus that inhabits shallow, subtropical waters in the western Atlantic. This species relies on camouflage to blend in to diverse environments to escape predators. To understand the relationship between substrate and skin patterning in this species, we used second-by-second analysis of video data recorded in the field. We compared frequencies of four substrate types (sand, rock, algae, and seagrass) ranked by contrast across ten skin patterns displayed by C. furvus. Chi-squared analyses showed significant results that the four substrates were unevenly represented in every skin pattern. However, the data did not support our hypothesis …


Race And Age: How Can Your Identities Change How People See You?, Kumiko Sulla May 2025

Race And Age: How Can Your Identities Change How People See You?, Kumiko Sulla

Honors Theses

Research has found that when we first look at someone, we make impressions about how they are as a person, which can lead to negative real-world consequences. However, this research mainly looks at young and/or white faces, leaving those with multiple marginalized identities out. This is especially concerning for older Black women since they are at risk of facing racism, sexism, and ageism. Even when looking at stereotyping research, nothing looks at all three factors combined, meaning there is no clear answer to what older Black women are experiencing. In this study, we aimed to assess how older Black women …


Healing On Their Own Terms: Self-Guided Attuning And Mental Health Among Chinese “Youth”, Ziran (Ted) Zhou May 2025

Healing On Their Own Terms: Self-Guided Attuning And Mental Health Among Chinese “Youth”, Ziran (Ted) Zhou

Honors Theses

This thesis explores how Chinese “youth” experiencing emotional distress pursue healing outside formal psychiatric frameworks. Drawing on thirteen qualitative interviews and guided by theories from medical anthropology, this study examines how young people engage Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practices and everyday bodily adjustments to manage suffering. Rather than rejecting care altogether, participants turned toward culturally resonant practices that emphasized gradual self-attuning (自我调节, zìwǒ tiáojié) to internal rhythms. Healing was framed not as rupture or diagnosis, but as a relational and moral process: one that preserved emotional dignity, protected family honor, and maintained social harmony. The findings challenge assumptions that psychiatric …


A Multi-Scale Compartmental Model For Glucose Regulation And Diabetes Treatment, Andrew M. Watts May 2025

A Multi-Scale Compartmental Model For Glucose Regulation And Diabetes Treatment, Andrew M. Watts

Honors Theses

Glucose is a fundamental energy source for cellular function, and its regulation is critical for maintaining metabolic stability in the human body. Glucose homeostasis is governed by a network of biochemical processes involving multiple organ systems that coordinate glucose production, storage, and uptake. Disruptions in this regulation contribute to metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, underscoring the need for mathematical models that provide a mechanistic understanding of systemic glucose dynamics. Herein, we report a multi-time scale discrete-time dynamical systems model using compartmental difference equations to describe glucose concentrations across key physiological compartments. By quantitatively modeling glucose transport and metabolism, this …


Evaluating Factors Of Coach Compensation In Ncaa Division I Fbs College Football, Ethan Vest May 2025

Evaluating Factors Of Coach Compensation In Ncaa Division I Fbs College Football, Ethan Vest

Honors Theses

This paper investigates the determinants of college football coach compensation, specifically examining whether individual coach characteristics or institutional characteristics play a greater role in compensation. Using six fixed effects regression models, I compare model performance using R-Squared, Adjusted R-Squared, Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and subset F-tests. The results indicate that the school at which a coach is employed has a larger impact on compensation than individual identity. Further, lagged win percentage is found to be a significant variable on compensation, indicating that coaches negotiate their contracts in the off-season based on their performance in the previous …


Types Of Community-Based Learning On Students’ Sense Of Purpose, Lauren Yim May 2025

Types Of Community-Based Learning On Students’ Sense Of Purpose, Lauren Yim

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between “direct” and “indirect” types of Community-Based Learning (CBL) and undergraduate students’ sense of purpose. Undergraduate students (N= 146), who completed a full CBL course in the Fall 2024, were recruited to complete this survey. The Claremont Purpose Scale (CPS) was used to measure students’ sense of purpose; there were three subscales within this scale measuring the three dimensions of sense of purpose (Goal Orientation, Personal Meaningfulness, Beyond-the-Self). There was no significant difference in overall sense of purpose among students who participated in indirect vs. direct modes of CBL, and …


Can Neutron Star Mergers Alone Reproduce R-Process Enrichment In Ultra-Faint Dwarf Halos?, Christine Gyure May 2025

Can Neutron Star Mergers Alone Reproduce R-Process Enrichment In Ultra-Faint Dwarf Halos?, Christine Gyure

Honors Theses

Neutron star mergers (NSMs) are the only confirmed source of the r-process responsible for heavy element formation. However, there are concerns about the extent to which NSMs can enrich small dwarf galaxies arising from either a strong natal kick velocity or substantial merger time. We present the results of a novel analytic model investigating the impact of these two distributions, represented respectively by a Maxwellian and power law, and their accompanying parameters on chemical enrichment in ultra-faint dwarf halos. We find that our model reproduces the observed enrichment fractions in these small dwarf galaxies for a variety of parameter combinations, …


Ni Soumises, Ni Sauvées : La Quête De L’Identité Féminine Dans La Nouvelle Vague Du Film De Banlieue, Rachael Ruth May 2025

Ni Soumises, Ni Sauvées : La Quête De L’Identité Féminine Dans La Nouvelle Vague Du Film De Banlieue, Rachael Ruth

Honors Theses

Les banlieues françaises, situées à la périphérie des grandes villes, sont souvent perçues comme des espaces de marginalisation sociale et économique. Dès les années 1980 et 1990, les banlieues deviennent un sujet central du discours médiatique et politique, notamment en raison des tensions liées à l’immigration, aux inégalités socio-économiques et aux violences urbaines. Pendant cette période, la représentation des banlieues dans le cinéma français reflète ces tensions en les caractérisant comme des lieux de violence, d’exclusion, et d'hypermasculinité. Le film de banlieue en tant que genre émerge avec popularité dans les années 1990 avec La Haine (1995) de Mathieu Kassovitz. …


Excerpt Scenes From Twin Lilies Of Tirg, Sal Tindell May 2025

Excerpt Scenes From Twin Lilies Of Tirg, Sal Tindell

Honors Theses

Excerpts of Twin Lilies of Tirg: is a craft paper and three novel scenes. The craft paper focuses on the elements and structure of dialogue and how it is present in three scenes that follow the three elements in a novel: the ground situation, the conflict, and complication. The novel Twin Lilies of Tirg is a fantasy fiction that focuses on King Sebestian as he navigates running his kingdom while being blackmailed by another King.


The Need For Standards In Autonomous Driving: Exploring Ethical And Social Implications In The Successful Deployment Of Autonomous Cars, Nandni Patel May 2025

The Need For Standards In Autonomous Driving: Exploring Ethical And Social Implications In The Successful Deployment Of Autonomous Cars, Nandni Patel

Honors Theses

Autonomous driving incorporates applications and algorithms of AI to enable self-driving vehicles as viable transportation options across the country. Self-driving vehicles may provide advantages over human-driven vehicles in several ways, including cost savings, accessibility to transportation, efficiency, convenience, and reduced traffic. However, there are still challenges due to the added lack of cybersecurity issues, laws, and ethical factors to consider in gaining public trust. Ethical issues such as choosing how to respond to accidents and algorithms for safety decisions are factors in the progression of autonomous vehicles for many companies. Since a gap exists in research and development for ethical …


Social Media Marketing, Overconsumption, And The Female Gen Z Consumer, Margaret G. Leslie May 2025

Social Media Marketing, Overconsumption, And The Female Gen Z Consumer, Margaret G. Leslie

Honors Theses

Social media has fundamentally changed the way consumers engage with products, trends, and purchasing decisions. The rise of digital marketing has amplified consumption patterns, particularly through influencer culture, microtrends, and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Over time, these factors have contributed to a cycle of overconsumption, where consumers are encouraged to make frequent, impulsive purchases with little consideration for sustainability or long-term value. This research examines the role of social media in driving overconsumption, with a specific focus on female Gen Z consumers. Through qualitative interviews, this study explores consumer motives, social validation, and the influence of marketing strategies …


Public Memory Of World War Ii In Japan, Jeneva Grace Midgett May 2025

Public Memory Of World War Ii In Japan, Jeneva Grace Midgett

Honors Theses

Public memory often fails to encompass varied perspectives on past events, representing exclusively the collective understanding of one group or nation. Most nations shape history through personalized narratives, which remember their own motivations in conflicts, neglect their harms done against others, or memorialize past harms and traumas for reasons such as collective identity, nationalism, or guilt. However, while public memory is similarly controlled from nation to nation, various scholarship has illuminated changes within Japanese World War II education, and many scholars have discussed its potential impact to Japanese World War II public memory. To fully analyze Japanese public memory and …


The Psychology Of Morbid Fascination: The Role Of Spectatorship In Executions, Rubbernecking, Dark Tourism, And True Crime Consumption, Sydnee L. Hope May 2025

The Psychology Of Morbid Fascination: The Role Of Spectatorship In Executions, Rubbernecking, Dark Tourism, And True Crime Consumption, Sydnee L. Hope

Honors Theses

This literature review examines the general idea of morbid fascination through the lens of spectatorship. The questions that this paper will attempt to answer and contribute knowledge towards are, “What is the psychology behind morbid fascination?” and “Why are humans drawn to the macabre?”. This paper will use a myriad of different sources such as books, peer-reviewed articles, personal accounts, documentaries, podcasts, and different studies from the psychological, criminal justice, and philosophical fields of study to very carefully review, report, compile, and add new theories onto the information provided. The sections discussed throughout will fall under four categories: Public Executions, …


Perception, Pain, And Prejudice: Misunderstanding And Contemporary Maternal Health Inequality, Anyssa Holloway May 2025

Perception, Pain, And Prejudice: Misunderstanding And Contemporary Maternal Health Inequality, Anyssa Holloway

Honors Theses

Pain is a universal experience that we human beings experience daily, whether mentally, physically, or emotionally. Encountering pain is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, serving as a universal reminder of our shared humanity. It operates as an internal alarm system, alerting us to disruptions in both external and internal equilibrium, thereby highlighting the importance of maintaining homeostasis. With this universal sensation felt by all of humankind for millions of years, in a more modern context, there exists a need to understand how a universal connection is measured. As pain is felt on a universal scale such as the …


Divergent Paths Of Homosexuality: Clive And Alec In E.M. Forster's Maurice, Samantha J. Dean May 2025

Divergent Paths Of Homosexuality: Clive And Alec In E.M. Forster's Maurice, Samantha J. Dean

Honors Theses

E. M. Forster’s Maurice is a paramount text in queer literary circles, though it is highly under analyzed and discussed. This thesis analyzes E. M. Forster's Maurice and takes the focus away from the main protagonist, Maurice, and instead focuses on an in-depth analysis of the two main love interests of the novel, Clive and Alec, and how they represent two paths of homosexuality, Clive representing social visibility and homosexual repression and Alec representing social invisibility and homosexual freedom, through a close reading of the text, with the help of theory from Foucault. It begins with an introduction to the …


Technology And Transportation’S Role In Social Isolation In Rural Older Adults, Sara F. Miller May 2025

Technology And Transportation’S Role In Social Isolation In Rural Older Adults, Sara F. Miller

Honors Theses

This study examines the perceptions and experiences of rural older adults. More specifically, their community experiences, connections, technology, and transportation. Past literature, when examining these topics, took a quantitative approach utilizing scales. This study takes a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews to examine the feelings behind the experiences of the participants. Interviews were conducted with four older rural adults. The four participants were female and were of varying marital statuses. Three of the participants were Caucasian, and one was African American. Four themes were found in this process. It was found that the participants were content with the connections that …


Uncertainty Quantification Of Turbulent Premixed Flames, David L. Brown May 2025

Uncertainty Quantification Of Turbulent Premixed Flames, David L. Brown

Honors Theses

This thesis presents an uncertainty quantification (UQ) study of turbulent premixed flames, focusing on the impact of uncertainties in operating conditions on the normalized consumption speed. Namely, temperature, pressure, and equivalence ratio are the operating conditions that are under study. Due to significant computational demands associated with direct MC methods for UQ, surrogate modeling techniques including Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE), Stochastic Collocation (SC), and Gaussian Process (GP) are evaluated based on efficiency and accuracy. Through this study, PCE is identified as the optimal surrogate model due to its accuracy and significantly reduced computational costs. PCE is subsequently applied to investigate …


Fashion Cents: The Struggle For Power In Consumerist America, 1860-1940, Bailey M. Brown May 2025

Fashion Cents: The Struggle For Power In Consumerist America, 1860-1940, Bailey M. Brown

Honors Theses

As urban migration expanded throughout the First and Second Industrial Revolutions, a greater number of women entered the workforce. Predetermined hours for working meant that women now had predetermined hours for leisure, something that was hard to come by in the traditional female roles within the sphere of domesticity. As a result, women began to dominate spaces outside of the domestic sphere, such as department stores, as both workers and consumers. Female consumerism, then, necessitated the rise of the advertising industry, subsequently playing a major role in the creation of power struggles between sellers and female consumers. The female consumers' …


The Effects Of No Child Left Behind On Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Chosen Profession, Menley Clayton May 2025

The Effects Of No Child Left Behind On Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Chosen Profession, Menley Clayton

Honors Theses

Since the enactment of NCLB (2001), it has been the source of major controversy. And although it was replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, its impact is still apparent. NCLB’s intention was to ensure that all students in the United States had equal access to a high-quality education, regardless of race, gender, ability, or socioeconomic status (Mills, 2008). To achieve this goal, the Act introduced new requirements surrounding teachers, testing, and school improvement. These requirements have led to, among other things, teacher dissatisfaction. To identify the sources and level of dissatisfaction, a survey was distributed to teachers …


Investigating The Role Of Ilv1 On Stress Response In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Luke H. Beachboard May 2025

Investigating The Role Of Ilv1 On Stress Response In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Luke H. Beachboard

Honors Theses

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a model organism within molecular genetics, is also known for its broad role within baking, brewing, biofuel, and pharmaceutical industries. An unpublished study at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga observed decreased cell viability in an ILV1 Knockout strain of S. cerevisiae when exposed to environmental stressors. A subsequent study at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga found expression levels of the candidate genes to be significantly altered within the ILV1 Knockout strain relative to the BY4743 Wildtype strain, demonstrating the reality of a pleiotropic role within ILV1. Now, this study aims to further investigate this peculiar characteristic …


Unleashing Movement: Analyzing Predictors Of Children’S Physical Activity In A Children’S Museum Environment, Nancy G. Penrod May 2025

Unleashing Movement: Analyzing Predictors Of Children’S Physical Activity In A Children’S Museum Environment, Nancy G. Penrod

Honors Theses

This study examines the role of an interactive children's museum in promoting physical activity among children aged 5-10, with a focus on the influence of various predictors, including sleep, family activity, typical physical activity levels, and participation in sports. Using a mixed-method design, participants were monitored with an Actigraph wGT3X accelerometer during a typical museum visit, and their parents completed a survey on factors influencing their child's activity. The study had 15 participants who were recruited by a member of the research team as they entered the museum. The results revealed that children whose parents were more active with them …


A Simplified Thermal And Battery Model For Off-Grid Solar Air Conditioning In Florida’S Hurricane Context, Steven A. Sanford May 2025

A Simplified Thermal And Battery Model For Off-Grid Solar Air Conditioning In Florida’S Hurricane Context, Steven A. Sanford

Honors Theses

Florida’s hurricane-prone climate often leaves residents without power and at risk of dangerous indoor heat conditions. This thesis examines whether an off-grid, solar-powered air conditioning system can feasibly maintain safe indoor temperatures over a one-week outage period during peak hurricane season. A simplified, lumped-capacitance thermal model and an energy-based (Coulomb-counting) battery state of charge (SoC) approach were developed in MATLAB to simulate a DC-powered air conditioner (the DC48 unit) in a single-zone space. Historical weather and solar irradiance data from Vero Beach, Florida, represent the hot and humid conditions typical of post-hurricane scenarios. The model uses an on/off plus deadband …


Dialectal Variations Of Food Terms In The Spanish-Speaking World And Their Causes, Dylan Muccino May 2025

Dialectal Variations Of Food Terms In The Spanish-Speaking World And Their Causes, Dylan Muccino

Honors Theses

This study explores the dialectal variations of food-related terms across the Spanish-speaking world, emphasizing their multilingual etymological origins. Using etymological dictionaries and sociolinguistic sources, the study categorizes food-related lexical variants into five main root language groups: Arabic/Afro-Asiatic/European, Pre-Columbian Caribbean, Mesoamerican, South American, and unknown or unique origins. The findings represent the persistence of Indigenous influence, the impact of Arabic on Peninsular Spanish, the development of Spanish from Latin, and the role of analogy and adaptation in naming unfamiliar items, illustrating the dynamic and complex relationship between language, culture, and history.


The Commodification Of International Adoptees Through A Conflict Lens, Andrew S. Antcliffe May 2025

The Commodification Of International Adoptees Through A Conflict Lens, Andrew S. Antcliffe

Honors Theses

The practice of international adoption, also known as intercountry adoption (ICA), can be defined as a transference of a child from international borders (Ma, 2017). International, also known as intercountry, adoption is a process that is widely characterized to provide the creation of families and humanitarian aid to orphaned children. It is most often facilitated by privatized intermediaries, predominantly facilitating the transference of children from non-Western nations to Western ones. Adopting abroad has largely been framed as a practice of humanitarianism, yet instances of corruption, neglect, and abuse have shown a different nature of the system. Dominant source countries, such …


The Effect Of Catalyst Choice On Biodiesel Yield And Quality Using Waste Cooking Oil As A Feedstock, Neka Long May 2025

The Effect Of Catalyst Choice On Biodiesel Yield And Quality Using Waste Cooking Oil As A Feedstock, Neka Long

Honors Theses

Biodiesel is one current area of interest as a replacement for traditional diesel fuel. Benefits of biodiesel include that it can be derived from renewable resources, and it possesses properties similar to that of traditional diesel fuel. Biodiesel is often produced through a catalyzed transesterification process, which involves the use of a catalyst to aid in the conversion of triglycerides into alkyl esters. A method called the transesterification double step process (TDSP) was researched and used in this project due to the success seen using this method for the conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesel. In this project, four …


Biomimetic Design Of Mechanochromic Single-Chain Nanoparticle Polymer Networks, Samuel Robinson May 2025

Biomimetic Design Of Mechanochromic Single-Chain Nanoparticle Polymer Networks, Samuel Robinson

Honors Theses

Hydrogels are a class of polymer networks that show promise in many biomedical applications but are typically limited in use due to their brittle nature. Synthesizing hydrogel networks that are comparable to biological materials has long been an area of interest. In this study, we are working to create a polymer network inspired by the muscular protein, titin. Titin can unfold under mechanical tension, releasing stored length, making the muscle material extensible and durable. To mimic this behavior, we propose creating a polymer network with similar stored length using single chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) cross-linked with phenolphthalein (PP) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). …


Christianity And Environmental Stewardship: Locating A New Christian Environmental Ethic In Response To The Climate Crisis, Claire E. Sims May 2025

Christianity And Environmental Stewardship: Locating A New Christian Environmental Ethic In Response To The Climate Crisis, Claire E. Sims

Honors Theses

In Lynn White Jr.’s essay, “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” White argues that Christianity has heavily influenced society’s view of the environment. Rhetoric from Genesis has led people to believe that God intends, and even commands, that humans have dominion over the earth. This narrative provides justification for the abuse of the environment at large, abuse that has been compacted over time to create the climate crisis that we are currently experiencing. Though White’s argument lacks some nuance and somewhat exaggerates Christianity’s role in the environmental crisis, I believe his thesis to be true: Christianity does have a …


Assessing Correlation Of Dental Health And Appalachian Culture, Samantha G. Cheek May 2025

Assessing Correlation Of Dental Health And Appalachian Culture, Samantha G. Cheek

Honors Theses

Proper dental health is crucial for overall well-being, yet access to dental care remains a significant challenge in rural Appalachia. This study examines the relationship between Appalachian cultural identity, fatalistic beliefs, and dental health. Using survey data from 20 participants at dental offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the study assessed correlations between Appalachian identity, fatalism, and self-reported dental health. Results indicate a high prevalence of dental health issues (95% reported significant problems), with 70% lacking dental insurance. However, correlations between Appalachian identity, fatalism, and dental health were not statistically significant. Findings suggest that while cultural factors play a role in healthcare …


‭Prevalence Of Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria In Showers At A Long-Term Nursing Care Facility, Joseph Caleb Kulon May 2025

‭Prevalence Of Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria In Showers At A Long-Term Nursing Care Facility, Joseph Caleb Kulon

Honors Theses

Pathogenic bacteria on environmental surfaces in nursing homes may contribute to the‬ growing burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), particularly as the U.S. population‬ ages and more individuals transition into long-term care. In this study, 70 swab samples were‬ collected from five community shower rooms at a nursing home over three sampling trips. Five‬ common shower surfaces were sampled: the floor drain, shower bench, faucet/valves, shower‬ curtain, and grab bars. Samples were processed in the UTC CIDC microbiology lab and‬ inoculated onto four selective and differential media: Hardy CHROM MRSA agar (for‬ methicillin-resistant‬‭ Staphylococcus aureus‬‭ [MRSA]‬‭ and‬‭ S. pseudintermedius‬‭ [SIM]), mannitol‬ …


Resilience As A Coming-Of-Age Model In Young Adult Literature, Maggie R. Turbyfield May 2025

Resilience As A Coming-Of-Age Model In Young Adult Literature, Maggie R. Turbyfield

Honors Theses

I argue that resilience should be recognized as a coming-of-age model because it offers support and empowerment while being inclusive to all comings of age. I have identified three types of resilience and analyzed them in three novels: non-guardian resilience in Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park, peer resilience in Matthew Hubbard’s The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge, and creative resilience in Isabel Quintero Gabi, A Girl in Pieces.