Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Increased Cycling On Local & Global Green House Gas Emissions, Trevor Roberts

Honors Theses

Throughout history, the human species has been able to out-think most major problems facing us, we are amazing animals after all. Humans are the only species proved to have language, consciousness, and culture — all of which came over time with our outstandingly intelligent and adaptable brains. We’ve developed systems to harness the power of earth (minerals), air (wind energy), fire (combustion), and water (irrigation and also hydro energy); and we’ve also invented tools, workarounds, and cycles to overcome biological, physical, and other myriad roadblocks for us. Even thousands and thousands of years ago human beings were manipulating and disturbing …

Reifying Digital Histories, Ed Ryan

Honors Theses

The use of sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat is rooted in nowness. Most users rarely think about the long-term aspects of their relationship with the networks to which they belong, instead focusing on an ever-refreshing interface filled with fresh content. But what happens to this content when it is removed from its familiar digital context? Do the archived interactions, updates, tweets, and other pieces of our digital histories take on new meaning when placed onto a physical substrate? Using the form of the book and my personal Twitter archive, I have addressed my own digital history, looking specifically …

Taino Revival, Carla Sofia Zorrilla Baquero

Honors Theses

The Taino people were the first known inhabitants of La Hispaniola. They started a foundation of culture for the Dominican Republic that currently lives in the museum, El Museo del Hombre Dominicano. This museum is one of the most important promoters of our identity to the world, which means that how it looks and what is in it is ultimately how we present ourselves to the rest of the world. Which is why, as an effort to protect our identity and heritage, I propose this revamp and rebrand.

Therapeutic Benefits Of Certified Canines For Veterans With War-Related Trauma Disorders, Erin Caspers

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Dog Breed Discrimination In Criminology And Public Knowledge, Megan Ekkert

Honors Theses

Animal abuse is never an easy topic for people to discuss. Until recently, animal abuse was only considered a misdemeanor charge under the law, but now it can be considered a felony charge. While that should be good news for animals, there are still a lot of questions when it comes to animal abuse. Breed discrimination is a topic of animal abuse that is largely ignored in criminology. This topic brings about several questions. Should breed discrimination be a topic studied more in criminology and why? What is the current view of breed discrimination by the community? Are certain behaviors, …

Therapeutic Benefits Of Certified Canines For Veterans With War-Related Trauma Disorders, Smith Lauren

Honors Theses

Veterans and their service dogs share a special relationship that is not only a friendship but a working relationship as well. They each give each other something that they cannot get on their own. The purpose of this thesis is to determine the relationship between veterans and their service dogs and the emotional and physical support provided. A review of the literature, combined with systematic interviews of combat veterans led to an initial understanding of the relationship between a veteran and a service dog and the benefits and risks associated with this special connection.

Kalamazoo Wings Student Participation Campaign, Kelly Hughes

Honors Theses

This public relations campaign is to increase participation of Western Michigan University students at Kalamazoo Wings hockey games. The *millennial audience represents 25-30% of many professional sports teams’ overall revenue base (Fisher 2015). Western Michigan University students have low participation at Kalamazoo Wings hockey games since they do not even make up 1% of the fans that attend Kalamazoo Wings games. The campaign goal is to increase participation of Western Michigan University students at Kalamazoo Wings hockey games by 25% by May 2018. *Millennial: A person reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century.

My research has indicated that the …

Women Leaders In Marketing: Breaking Through The Glass Ceiling, Hallie Green

Honors Theses

Introduction: During my internships I was able to work with and meet women leaders in marketing. Through our discussions I learned that gender roles are still prevalent in large companies today. Many of the women I worked with talked about struggles women face in their career that men do not. There were strong emotions that women did not get equal treatment for their contributions to the company. I was surprised by these statements, especially from seemingly successful women. This thesis will be an exploration of the difficulties professional female marketers face, and the ways women that are starting their career …

Implementation Of A Biology Summer Bridge Program For First-Year Biology Majors, Madelyn Aittama

Honors Theses

Students are entering higher education at an escalated rate, but many are unprepared for the rigorous coursework that lies ahead of them. As nationwide programs are continuously being implemented throughout high schools to better prepare students for college life, many students are still not equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in obtaining a bachelor’s degree. Many students feel discouraged and inadequate when they perform below their academic expectations, and for a large portion of students pursuing higher education, this results in discontinuing their education. While retention rates amongst STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students are particularly low, the …

Sum-Defined Colorings In Graphs, James Hallas

Honors Theses

There have been numerous studies using a variety of methods for the purpose of uniquely distinguishing every two adjacent vertices of a graph. Many of these methods have involved graph colorings. The most studied colorings are proper colorings. A proper coloring of a graph G is an assignment of colors to the vertices of G such that adjacent vertices are assigned distinct colors. The minimum number of colors required in a proper coloring of G is the chromatic number of G. In our work, we introduce a new coloring that induces a (nearly) proper coloring. Two vertices u and …

The Impact Of Higher Education On Linguistic Culture In Senegal And The Midwest United States, Kelsey Gough

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of globalization on linguistic culture in populations of people from both Senegal and the Midwest United States. This study will also specifically highlight any similarities and differences present between those who have a higher education and those that do not. These similarities and differences were revealed by asking the research question: How has the process of globalization impacted beliefs about language held by people from various educational levels in Senegal and the U.S. Midwest?

Data regarding globalization’s effect on the attitudes people have about language, linguistic culture, were retrieved from …

Improving Access To Communication For Adults With Aphasia Using "Aphasia-Friendly" Accommodations, Chandler Hodgkin

Honors Theses

Accessing written health information is vital to any health visit (Blackstone, Beukelman, & Yorkston, 2015). People who have difficulty comprehending written text have difficulty understanding health-related information because it is usually written at a complex levels (Kanj & Mitic, 2009). If health information contains complicated content and is not easily accessible, people may not receive the health care needed (Blackstone et al., 2015). Many populations are considered communication vulnerable relative to health care which means they may not have access to understanding health information documents (Hallowell, 2016). These populations include people who are blind or visually impaired; people who are …

Treat Transparency, Amanda Van Giesen

Honors Theses

Snacking is Growing at an Alarming Rate

As modern lifestyles change, and consumers grow ever busier, snacking is becoming a more important part of the traditional consumer’s schedule. According to Nielsen, global consumers spent roughly $374 billion dollars on snack foods between the years of 2014 and 2015 (Nielsen, 2014).

Why Students?

With college students potentially becoming customers as they begin to make their own purchase decisions, an analysis of this group and their relationships with snacks is key for manufacturers. According to my study, 73.5% of survey respondents indicated that they have consumed seven or more snacks during the …

Identity Development In Korean-American Adoptees: A Content Analysis Of Personal Reflections, Charles Rachor

Honors Theses

This paper examines Korean-American Adoptees and their identity development through a content analysis of online comments concerning four major themes: Parents and Parenting, Siblings, Self-identity, and Current Events. Using two Facebook groups consisting exclusively of adoptees, examinations were made of positive, neutral, and negative replies to posts about the themes. The findings from this analysis lend credence to previous studies about self-identity, some of the influential factors, and the struggles faced in achieving levels of comfort expressing multiple racial and cultural identities.

The Regularity Lemma And Its Applications, Elizabeth Sprangel

Honors Theses

The regularity lemma (also known as Szemerédi's Regularity Lemma) is one of the most powerful tools used in extremal graph theory. In general, the lemma states that every graph has some structure. That is, every graph can be partitioned into a finite number of classes in a way such that the number of edges between any two parts is “regular." This thesis is an introduction to the regularity lemma through its proof and applications. We demonstrate its applications to extremal graph theory, Ramsey theory, and number theory.

Karst Sub-Basin Delineation Via Dye Trace Study Near Turnhole Bend, Mammoth Cave National Park, Jake Tholen

Honors Theses

Establishing watershed boundaries is a critical stage in understanding the local water cycle. Drainage basins are typically identified by topographic divides; water flows to successively lower locations along the most direct path available. The karst terrain in Mammoth Cave National Park, however, presents additional challenges in identifying the boundaries of these basins. Underground drainages in the form of caves or conduits often do not correspond with surface topography. These passages can redirect water far from the most immediate surface release.

A dye trace study is designed to identify flow paths from the surface to springs along the Green River. Three …

Cattle Trade Flows In Texas And Foot And Mouth Disease, Emilee H. Peterson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Amayra Short; Touch Of Shadow (Creative Writing, Fictional Short Story), Jessica Blandford

Honors Theses

Born in a small village near Del Marah, Teagan, abandoned by her mother, arrives on the steps of the orphanage. Her gifts express themselves in unexpected ways as she is taunted by those around her. Manifestations of her dreams become reality in the stone halls and calls the attention of the Reverend Mother, the woman responsible for purging the land from Darkness. Fearing for her life, Teagan is forced to leave behind the only life she has ever known. All the while the Forbidden God calls to her from the Shadows. Contained is a short story of fictitious work, any …

Low Acuity Pediatric Patients Presenting Uncomplicated Colds And Nonspecific Upper Respiratory Symptoms In U.S. Emergency Departments, Margaret Berry

Honors Theses

Emergency departments serve as the nation’s hub for patients faced with life-threatening injuries and illnesses. Although the role of emergency departments (EDs) may seem clear by its title, U.S EDs are overcrowded with patients presenting nonurgent symptoms. A significant population of nonurgent ED users are pediatric patients presenting nonspecific upper respiratory symptoms and uncomplicated colds. Findings have uncovered that although pediatric upper respiratory infections (URIs) are one of the most uncommon reasons for hospital admittance from an ED, it is one of the most common reasons pediatric patients are brought into emergency departments. It appears that inappropriate facility usage is …

Biogas Separator And Storage Tank, Brandon Nimtz

Honors Theses

The general concept of this project is to design, simulate, and build a biogas separator system that will also store the separated methane and carbon dioxide within pressure vessels. This system is constructed of many subcomponents that will combine to separate the biogas and store the methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). The components included in the project consist of a liquid-gas separator vessel, two heat exchangers, one methane gas compressor, and one pressure vessel each to hold methane and carbon dioxide each. While the base goal in this project was to design and simulate the necessary parts to theoretically …

Bilingual Language Assessment, Carmen Wittkopp

Honors Theses

Purpose: To describe language assessments that benefit bilingual students in the correct diagnosis of a language disorder.

Method: A systematic review of the literature was completed to examine the assessment tools used for bilingual children. The most common peer-reviewed journals in the field of speech-language pathology were examined to find articles that researched and discussed bilingual assessment practices. The information collected in the articles focused on the procedures needed for the correct assessment of a bilingual speaker.

Results: The literature mainly focused on assessment techniques of Conceptual Scoring, Dynamic Assessment, Nonword Repetition Task, and the Bilingual English Spanish Oral Screener. …

Sensory Interfaces: Intelligent Surgical Box Trainer, Krystal York

Honors Theses

The Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) box trainer currently offers medical students the opportunity to practice their dexterity with laparoscopic surgical tools and accustom themselves to the disconnect between their actions and their visible frame of reference. However, at this stage the box trainer offers few ways to test, practice, or improve upon important factors in laparoscopic surgery including disturbance of and pressure applied to patient tissue. The purpose of this project was to add sensory interfaces to the FLS box trainer to offer more concrete feedback for medical students practicing the required tasks, consolidate the information gathered by the …

What Roles Does Food Sovereignty Play In Exposing The Consequences Of Globalization, And In Conveying Solutions To The Consequences Of Globalization Pertaining To Food Access In West Africa And U.S. Midwest?, Nia Evans

Honors Theses

The social problem being studied is food access in the U.S. Midwest in comparison to food access in Western Africa. In the Midwest U.S., there is a problem of food deserts. There are primarily urban areas where there is a lack of physical access to healthy foods because there is a lack of stores or vendors that sell it. An investigation exposed whether or not the same problem exists in Western Africa. The research question is the following: What role does food sovereignty play in exposing the consequences of globalization, and in conveying solutions to the consequences of globalization in …

Perceived Sources Of Academic Stress In The Nursing Program, Iana Fontanilla

Honors Theses

University students in health disciplines face many different sources of stress and challenges during their experience in their individual programs. However, a study shows that baccalaureate nursing students experience higher levels of stress as well as higher levels of physiological and psychological symptoms than students in other health-related disciplines (Beck et al., 1997). In order to create interventions to improve student performance and self-efficacy in the nursing program, both the professors and students in the program must understand the most significant stressors that can negatively impact the overall performance of the nursing students.

A survey was conducted to identify the …

Trends In U.S. Tea Imports: 1991-2015, Evan Kennedy

Honors Theses

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, and over the past two decades it has experienced a newfound popularity in the United States. Over this time period, ready-to-drink and loose-leaf tea has increased in popularity, whereas tea bags and instant tea declined in popularity. Since the United States produces almost no tea itself, an increase in consumption requires increased imports. Therefore, this paper examines U.S. import trends as a means to begin an examination of consumption. Ten countries (Argentina, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam) provide approximately 80% of the …

New Work Center Optimization, Clarissa Stanton

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

Torsion Element Test Bench Design, Trevor Gick

Honors Theses

A test apparatus has been designed to apply a torque to a range of suspension products developed and sold by ROSTA USA Corporation (ROSTA). The products tested here are used in industrial applications, including vibration damping and suspension for industrial machines.

The designed device takes several specifications into account. To withstand the forces applied to it, the structure of this device is created from steel with bracings to support heavily loaded areas. The device is designed with a “sled” type design so that a forklift will be able to move the sled if needed. To apply torque to the elements, …

Design Of A Cubesat Separation Mechanism, Ross Hiller

Honors Theses

CubeSats are compact, relatively inexpensive satellites that are often used for space research. In order to perform research related to electric propulsion devices, the Western Aerospace Launch Initiative (WALI) requires a medium-sized CubeSat capable of separating into two bodies while in orbit. Intentional separation is not common in CubeSats, so two original concepts were designed and simulated using 3D CAD and finite element analysis software. These designs were compared based on factors including weight, cost, size, and their potential to fail due to creation of debris or binding between components, in order to determine which will more effectively execute the …

Reprinter, Christian Brower

Honors Theses

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is a rapidly growing technology, though, expensive printing filament and wasted material make it less affordable and an unsustainable process. The RePrinter combats these issues by recycling scrap 3D printed plastic parts and household plastics, such as pop bottles, and creates filament for fused deposition modeling (FDM). This product is a fully automated system which grinds, extrudes, and spools the filament for immediate use in FDM. The RePrinter works to control the extrusion speeds and tensions to optimize precise filament dimensions for quality 3D printing, while delivering the product in a timely cost effective manner.

Western Michigan University’S Department Of Dance Marketing Plan, Cassandra Hartline

Honors Theses

The following report constitutes the formal marketing plan for the department of dance at Western Michigan University. This plan is intended to synthesize all of the marketing related information pertinent to Western’s dance department and provide easy one step access to this material at any time. The other purpose of this plan is to dictate the primary objectives the department is looking to accomplish through implementation of marketing tactics.

The first primary objective includes increasing visibility of the department of dance as a whole to both our primary and secondary target audiences; the second objective is to create innovative marketing …