Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Balance In Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: Comparing Strength Training And Combined Strength-Balance Training, Justina Zolikoff

Honors Theses

Millions of adults live with intellectual disabilities and associated motor impairments such as reduced muscle tone, decreased strength, and impaired balance. These physical limitations can interfere with independence and the ability to perform activities of daily living including dressing, walking, laundry, and shopping. Previous research has demonstrated that strength training can improve muscular strength, stability, and reduce fall risk. Targeted balance training may further enhance functional mobility and postural control. This 12-week study included 2 weeks of pre-testing, 8 weeks of training, and 2 weeks of post-testing. The study examined the effects of strength training alone compared to combined strength …

A Treatise On Tool Development: The Arthroscope’S Cultural, Technological, And Metascientific Translation, Montgomery F. Waterer

Honors Theses

The arthroscope was a revolutionary development in the fields of medicine, engineering, and ethics. There are many valuable lessons to be learned from the story of its development and translation that are relevant to the future of medicine and society. Beginning with a brief description of the tool’s design, this paper will examine a period within the history of the arthroscope. This window contains multiple innovators and ends with the life and work of Dr. Robert Jackson. In examining the relevant historical facts of its development, this paper will then briefly address the importance of sports medicine in the development …

Religion For The Un-Religious: The Nazis’ Use Of Religion Within The Third Reich, Shaun Theewis

Honors Theses

Alfred Rosenberg was born in Revel, Estonia. After moving to Munich in 1918, he became one of the founding members of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei [National-Socialist German Workers Party], NSDAP. In 1930, Rosenberg wrote one of his most influential publications, Der Mythus des 20. Jahrhunderts [The Myth of the 20th Century], which challenges the idea of organized religion. In this three part publication, Rosenberg established values based in German ethnonationalism, which would later amalgamate into a new religion based on neopaganist ideals. Nazi-era neopaganism is a religion rooted in blood, using the history of the Germanic and Nordic people to …

Molecular Cloning And Purification Of Recombinant Cutinase Enzymes To Study Enzymatic Degradation Of Aircraft Polymer Coatings, Allison Bair

Honors Theses

Fungal degradation of polymer coatings on military aircraft causes accelerated damage and corrosion and results in expensive repairs to affected aircraft, especially in warm and humid environments. This project aims to identify and characterize the fungal enzymes responsible for degrading these coatings and give us a better understanding of their mechanisms of degradation. The focus is specifically on hydrolytic cutinase enzymes, which are secreted by fungi to degrade plant cutin and similar natural polymers. We hypothesize that these enzymes can also break down synthetic polymers, such as the polyester-based coatings used on aircraft, by catalyzing hydrolysis of their ester bonds. …

The Price Of Democracy: How Federal Tax Receipts Can Enhance Public Awareness, Transparency, And Civic Discourse, Hannah Bordeau

Honors Theses

Each year, the IRS collects roughly $2.18 trillion in income taxes alone, accounting for approximately 48% of the government's total revenue. However, the IRS does not audit individual tax receipts for citizens, preventing them from seeing a visual breakdown of where their money is allocated. To better understand how citizens feel about governmental spending, this project will utilize a mixed-methods approach, incorporating a qualitative case study to explore the developments (or lack thereof) regarding a “tax receipt” and conducting interviews to gain insights into public perception of a tax receipt program. In addition to the interviews, this project will explore …

A System Dynamics Model For Simulating Homelessness Trends In Montgomery County, Ohio, Samuel S. Conley

Honors Theses

Homelessness is a complex social issue influenced by a wide range of economic, social, and health related factors. Traditional methods for measuring homelessness, such as point-in-time counts, provide valuable snapshots of the population but do not capture the dynamic processes that lead individuals into or out of homelessness. This work presents a system dynamics model designed to simulate homelessness trends within Montgomery County, Ohio. The model represents the county population using five primary states: general population, at-risk, homeless, supportive housing, and unaccounted individuals. To better capture heterogeneity within the population, the homeless and supportive housing states are further decomposed into …

What Are Gender Differences In Risk Aversion? Examining The Role Of Gender In Final Jeopardy Wagers, Audrey Degregorio

Honors Theses

Previous research has found that women tend to be more risk-averse than men (Charness & Gneezy, 2012). In particular, women are more likely to make decisions that offer greater certainty but lower reward (Bruce & Johnson, 1994). This study examines gender differences in risk-aversion using real behavioral decision-making data from the television show Jeopardy! Data for this study was collected from a fan-made online source, J! Archive (https://j-archive.com/index.php). Using game data from regular season episodes of Jeopardy! from 2024, the association between gender and the proportion of earnings wagered during final jeopardy, and whether it was moderated by whether it …

Extreme Value Theory And Corporate Financial Extremes In Predicting Municipal Decline, Megan Coyne

Honors Theses

Extreme Value Theory (EVT) provides a statistical approach for modeling rare and extreme events such as financial crises that can lead to bankruptcy. Traditional financial models often assume Gaussian distributions and rely heavily on historical trends, making them well suited for modeling typical corporate financial behavior. In contrast, models predicting municipal decline typically rely on urban indicators such as unemployment, housing prices, and population trends rather than corporate financial data. This study seeks to bridge these approaches by investigating whether extreme corporate financial events provide predictive information about municipal economic decline. Detroit, the largest U.S. city to declare bankruptcy, serves …

Heavy Metal, Heavy Costs: Soil Copper Contamination Undermines Bee Communities In Urban Agriculture, Penelope Fisher

Honors Theses

As city populations grow, the need for fresh produce in cities to feed people also grows. One such growing urban environment is Dayton, Ohio, which has begun to implement measures aiming to limit the hunger experienced by underserved individuals in the city. According to The Dayton Food Bank, in Montgomery County alone 14.2% of individuals living in the county experience food insecurity, a majority of whom are children. Urban farming has proven to be a lucrative solution to some of these issues. However, these farms are often established in areas where the soil is degraded due to previous land use, …

Ai-Driven Computer Vision For Automated Ripeness Detection In Tomato Plants, Austin Ebbing

Honors Theses

This work presents a computer vision-based approach for automated ripeness detection in tomato plants. The system leverages a YOLOv8 segmentation model trained on a publicly available dataset to detect and isolate individual tomatoes within complex visual environments. While segmentation provides an initial estimate of tomato regions, additional processing is required to remove non-fruit artifacts such as stems and leaves that may interfere with analysis. To address this, an edge-constrained region growing method is used to tighten segmentation masks by removing unwanted structures such as stems and leaves while preserving the underlying fruit. Ripeness is then estimated using a color-based analysis …

The Impact Of Robo-Advisory Adoption On Financial Advisor Misconduct, John Franklin

Honors Theses

The growth of robo-advisors has transformed the financial services industry by introducing automated, algorithm-driven investment platforms that operate alongside traditional human financial advisors. This study examines whether the adoption of robo-advisory technology influences the incidence and severity of financial advisor misconduct in the United States. Using a large panel dataset of financial advisors, brokerage firms, and county-level economic conditions, the analysis compares misconduct outcomes between firms that adopt robo-advisors and those that do not. The study incorporates advisor characteristics, professional qualifications, and regional controls to isolate the relationship between robo-advisor adoption and misconduct behavior. Univariate tests and regression analyses are …

Relationship Between Undergraduate Students Study Abroad Experiences In The Mediterranean Region And Changes To Dietary And Functional Movement Habits, Katherine Heublein

Honors Theses

This research explored the relationship between study abroad experiences within the Mediterranean region and their impact on dietary and functional movement habits. College students are at a critical juncture for establishing lifelong health behaviors. Understanding the influence of cultural immersion on food and movement choices can provide valuable insights into strategies to promote healthier lifestyles among college students. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is characterized by high consumption of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, beans/lentils, and fish, and low consumption of red meat and processed foods, along with increased functional movement from walking and biking. This lifestyle has been correlated with lower …

Developing Adult Glioma Model In Drosophila, Anna Lindenmuth

Honors Theses

Glial brain tumors typically occur in older adults and have no known cure. Therefore, it is important to study the growth and physiological effects that this disease causes in hopes of finding an adequate solution. A great and inexpensive model to study glial cell tumors is flies because they share similar neurological pathways with humans. Our lab studies glioma brain tumors in larval stages of Drosophila, but no adult models have been made to account for and match the occurrence of cancer developing in older adults. Therefore, this study’s purpose is to create and study the growth of glial cell …

Gender-Based Violence In El Salvador: The Role Of Political Developments And The Impact On The Rights Of Salvadoran Women, Maison E. Mclean

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the ways women in El Salvador are subjected to genderbased violence (GBV), including domestic violence, reproductive violence, economic violence, and marital rape. It examines the institutional social and political conditions that shape women’s experiences with violence, with particular attention to recent policy changes under the Bukele administration. Through literature and media analysis, as well as interviews with activists, researchers, solidarity groups, and human rights organizations, this research explores how shifts in government policy and institutional practices have impacted protections and resources available to women facing GBV. In addition to examining legal frameworks, this thesis highlights the obstacles …

"Of Good Blood In Good Standing”: Nation-Building And The Politics Of Belonging In The Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Caleb Molseed

Honors Theses

Between 1734 and 1856, the Stockbridge Mohicans and Munsee Lenape endured five major displacements from their ancestral homelands in Massachusetts and New York to their present-day reservation in Wisconsin. Despite shifting federal structures and nation-to-nation policies, these two distinct peoples formed a unified political entity: the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. This thesis examines the colonial systems that enabled, complicated, and recorded how this community engaged in their own nation-building through their interpretation and production of religious, economic, and political documents. This documentary culture is highlighted by the exclusion of John Lewis from the nation following his 1856 killing of a fellow tribal …

Testing The Influence Of Lithology And Ice Sheet Dynamics On Waterfall Formation In Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio, Usa, Magdelyn R. Stewart

Honors Theses

Hocking Hills State Park contains one of the highest densities of waterfalls in the midwestern United States, yet their origin remains unresolved. Waterfalls, or knickpoints (abrupt changes in channel slope where water is in the state of freefall), are sensitive indicators of landscape disturbance and base-level change. This study evaluates whether these features are formed through steady differential erosion or in response to a transient base-level fall associated with glacial drainage reorganization. High-resolution LiDAR analysis identified 707 knickpoints within the Salt Creek watershed, substantially more than previously documented, and revealed asymmetric distribution, with dense clustering in the northern sub-watershed and …

Ud College Student Health Literacy And Well-Being, Olivia R. Upchurch

Honors Theses

In my Honors Thesis Research Project, I studied University of Dayton (UD) students' health literacy and well-being. Well-being is a state of being comfortable and happy. It includes mental well-being and physical activity. Mental well-being is a state of positive psychological, social, and emotional health. Physical activity is bodily movement that promotes physical health. Health literacy is the ability of someone to understand and effectively use health information to make well-informed decisions regarding their health. This project is important because college represents a time when young adults begin to manage their well-being and healthcare independently from their parents or guardians. …

Characterization And Reliability Of Amorphous Oxide Thin-Film Field-Effect Transistors, David Weaver

Honors Theses

This work investigates the electrical performance and reliability of thin-film amorphous oxide field-effect transistors based on titanium-doped indium oxide (In_₂O_₃:Ti) as the channel material. Devices were fabricated and systematically characterized through current-voltage (I-V) measurements to extract key parameters including threshold voltage, subthreshold swing, and on/off current ratio. Devices were also characterized using a positive and negative bias temperature instability (PBTI/NBTI) to determine the reliability of the devices.

Parental Behaviors In Response To Childhood Internalizing And Externalizing Problems, Quinn Ryan Willerton

Honors Theses

Parents and children have been shown to mutually influence parenting behaviors (Burke et al., 2008). Abnormal behaviors in children, namely externalizing and internalizing problems, offer a route of observation that can further demonstrate the bidirectionality of the parent-child relationship. Externalizing problems (i.e. Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or Conduct Disorder) are easier for parents to see because of their overt and outward nature, but they pose more difficult challenges for both parental response and treatment approaches. Internalizing problems (i.e. anxiety or depression) are more emotion-based, making them harder to recognize and diagnose. Our research is observing the presence …

Effects Of Landscape Transformation On Mammalian Biodiversity Within Protected Areas Across The Twin Valley Area, Ohio, Trevor Martin

Honors Theses

The transformation of natural landscapes stemming from anthropogenic activities can have profound impacts on wildlife. Significant tracts of impervious surfaces and extensive agricultural land use fragment habitats, influencing the assemblage and diversity of mammalian wildlife communities therein. Understanding how mammals respond to changes in the landscape within and surrounding protected parks and natural areas is of particular concern for land managers who are interested in both facilitating biodiversity, while also maintaining recreational opportunities for the public. This project aimed to assess the relative status of terrestrial mammal communities by quantifying species richness and diversity in three Five Rivers MetroParks protected …

Therapeutic Applications Of Tabletop Role-Playing Games In Treatment Of Depressive And Anxious Symptoms In Young Adults, Dash Degrote

Honors Theses

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are played by a large population and involve the engagement of social and emotional skills, with the largest portion of the population playing them being adolescents or young adults. The therapeutic application of TTRPGs in the treatment of depressive and anxious symptoms shows potential with this population. In a literature review, three major themes are identified: TTRPG culture, stakeholder perspectives of TTRPGs, and examples of therapeutically-applied TTRPGs. Overall, evidence suggests that TTRPGs can positively impact the concerned symptoms, though more research is needed for games outside of Dungeons & Dragons as well as stakeholder perspectives.

Exercise As A Non-Pharmacological Intervention For The Prevention And Delay Of Alzheimer’S Disease And Dementia, Eden Culver

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias are rapidly increasing public health concerns due to aging populations and rising life expectancy. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration associated with amyloid-β plaques, tau neurofibrillary tangles, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal loss, leading to impairments in memory, cognition, and daily functioning. Because there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, identifying effective non-pharmacological prevention strategies is essential. This paper examines the role of physical exercise as a preventive and protective intervention for delaying the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Current research demonstrates that exercise supports brain health through several …

The Importance Of Trauma-Informed Care In The Juvenile Justice System, Kalinowski Lillian

Honors Theses

Trauma is a common experience among justice-involved youth, though its developmental and behavioral impacts are not always fully accounted for within juvenile justice systems. Trauma-informed care has emerged as a promising framework for addressing these challenges, however, limited research has examined how consistently such approaches are implemented in practice. This study explores the implementation and perceived effectiveness of trauma-informed care within the juvenile justice system by drawing on semi-structured interviews with five clinicians who have professional experience working with justice-involved youth in the Midwest. The findings indicate that trauma-informed care is not consistently implemented across institutional settings, with 80% of …

The Benefits Of Handcrafting, Madison Mallory

Honors Theses

Handcrafting encompasses physical creative activities such as crochet, wood working, pottery, knitting, and many others. This study includes qualitative research to focus on the impact of handcrafting on individuals. This research was conducted via interviews with 11 individuals. The parameters for individuals to be included in this study is being 18 years of age or older and having experience with handcrafting. Through these interviews two interviewees referred to hand crafting as a form of meditation while seven others expressed feeling similarly using words such as feeling present, calm, focused, and relaxed. Two people share experiences of using handcrafting as coping …

Does Moneyball Still Win Games? A Twenty Year Analysis Of Mlb Success, Kevin Wright

Honors Theses

This thesis evaluates whether the core principles of the Moneyball ideology continue to predict team success in Major League Baseball in the modern analytics era. In the last two decades, the widespread adoption of advanced statistical methods across all franchises has raised the central question of whether the original inefficiencies Moneyball exploited may no longer exist. To address this, this study analyzes twenty years of team‑level data from 2005-2025 (excluding 2020), incorporating seven performance metrics historically or conceptually tied to Moneyball which include OBP, WHIP, FIP, DRS, SB%, clutch, and wins per dollar, alongside demographic controls. Success is measured across …

Exploring How Experiential Learning Enhances Undergraduate Education: Insights From The Wmu Cold Case Program With Michigan State Police, Maura Killips

Honors Theses

Experiential learning has become an increasingly important component of undergraduate education, particularly in fields that demand high levels of professional judgment, empathy, and technical skills. This thesis examines how the Western Michigan University (WMU) Cold Case Program (CCP), in partnership with the Michigan State Police, serves as a model of experiential learning that both enriches students’ academic experiences and contributes to real-world investigative work. Drawing on literature about experiential learning as well as my firsthand participation in the program, I analyze how structured hands-on engagement with unsolved homicide and missing persons cases has shaped undergraduate development at WMU.

Key program …

Euripides, Rhetoric, And The Sophists: Euripides’ Exhortation For Rhetoric And To Hear Each Other, Phillip Bonnes

Honors Theses

From the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., professional teachers travelled throughout Greece, teaching a wide variety of subjects from music to grammar. One subject that these sophists taught earned massive notoriety for them and, consequently, their trade: rhetoric. Within Athenian democracy, this craft of speaking well to persuade others became both valuable for those who are politically active and dangerous for demagogues. Coinciding with this emerging art of rhetoric was the emergence of Athenian tragedy. These tragedies served to speak about and encourage reflection upon their own contemporary politics and culture. This paper explores how Euripides examines and encourages wariness …

Mental Stress, Physical Activity And Reproductive Health: A Pilot Study On College-Aged Females In Stem, Ellie Nichols

Honors Theses

Introduction: Undergraduate students enrolled in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs face rigorous academic demands that place them under immense stress. Chronic exposure to stress elevates cortisol, a key hormone known to disrupt endocrine function, including the reproductive system; such disruptions may contribute to menstrual irregularities. Among mediators that help the body return to homeostasis, physical activity (PA) is widely recognized as an effective tool for managing stress. Previous literature has documented the relationship between stress and reproductive health, however limited research has examined how PA may buffer stress related reproductive disruptions within the undergraduate STEM student population. This …

Mason Avenue Culvert, Caden Boynton

Honors Theses

This project addressed the replacement of a culvert crossing Wabascon Creek along North Mason Avenue in Battle Creek, Michigan. Following significant flooding caused by snowmelt in 2023, the existing wooden box culvert—originally constructed in the 1960s—sustained damage when inlet wingwalls detached from the structure, requiring temporary repairs. Design alternatives were developed to provide a durable and reliable replacement, incorporating structural, water resources, transportation, and construction engineering considerations. The design process also addressed environmental sustainability requirements, cost-effectiveness and constructability. Final deliverables included engineering calculations, plans and specifications, a cost estimate and a project schedule to support implementation of a resilient long-term …

Ergonomic And Material Flow Improvements For A Medical Device Assembly Line, Matthew Kobus

Honors Theses

This project evaluated material handling inefficiencies and ergonomic concerns within Stryker’s Neptune medical device assembly line. Two primary issues were identified: lack of a standardized part-location system in the supermarket and excessive operator travel between subassembly and main assembly. These issues resulted in search waste, motion waste, lost production time, and increased ergonomic strain.

To address the labeling issue, a standardized bin labeling system was developed and tested. A time study comparing labeled and unlabeled conditions showed that average retrieval time decreased from approximately 120 seconds to 22 seconds, an 81% reduction. Statistical analysis confirmed that this improvement was significant …