Digital Commons Network^™

Determining The Influence Of A Low-Head Dam On Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Bouie River, Natalie Santiago

Honors Theses

The Bouie River is a tributary of the Leaf River and belongs to the Pascagoula River watershed, the latter of which has no flow impediments in the form of sills or dams. The Bouie River has been heavily altered in the lower 10 river kilometers (rkm) from aggregate mining (creating a series of deep gravel pits) and the presence of an earthen and concrete low-head dam (sill) located 6 rkm from the mouth of the river. However, despite these alterations, the immediate stretch of river below the low-head dam is a known spawning habitat for diadromous fish species, including the …

An Introduction And Examination Of Firm-On-Firm Activism, Martha Jimena Paredes Villela

Honors Theses

This research examines firm-on-firm activism, defined as public, coercive actions taken by corporations against another corporation to influence them socio-politically. I investigate how consumers evaluate this emerging form of corporate activism using costly signaling theory. I propose that consumers will perceive firm-on-firm activism as more authentic due to the financial and nonfinancial costs incurred by the firm, ultimately leading to increased consumer support. An online experiment will manipulate the type of corporate activism (firm-on-firm vs. traditional) and measure perceived costs, authenticity, and consumer support intentions. This study contributes to the corporate activism literature by introducing and examining a novel form …

Archival Literacy Principles As Facilitated By University Websites: A Webometric Content Analysis, Abigail Bowers

Honors Theses

Archival literacy, the skills and knowledge one needs to effectively utilize an archive or special collections, is often taught to undergraduate students during one-shot instruction sessions or semester-long courses. For users who do not attend these sessions, archives may be inaccessible due to a lack of archival literacy. In the digital age, one way for institutions to bridge the gap between archives and users who do not attend these instruction sessions is by creating websites that align with principles of archival literacy.

This study utilizes a webometric content analysis methodology to analyze how well the homepages of institutions of higher …

Divine Condemnation And Psychological Flexibility: Viewing Psychological Distress Through A Religious Lens, Abby Chittenden

Honors Theses

Recent research has shown the widespread prevalence of psychological distress. Religion can operate both as a resource as well as a problem or barrier to good mental health. Given that some individuals attribute mental distress to religious or spiritual causes, such as punishment from God or demonic involvement, this research examines how these beliefs influence emotional regulation and mental health outcomes. The study surveyed 1,304 participants, including 686 undergraduate students and 618 online participants, to assess their religious attributions, psychological flexibility, and level of distress. The results indicated that those in the general sample who viewed their mental health struggles …

Sibship Analysis Of Fall And Spring Spawn Gulf Sturgeon Eggs In The Choctawhatchee River, Florida, Lyric Mccullouch

Honors Theses

The Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) is an anadromous species that inhabits rivers along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Facing challenges from overfishing and habitat alteration, the Gulf sturgeon is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This study investigated the genetic distinctiveness of fall and spring spawning groups of Gulf sturgeon in the Choctawhatchee River, a critical habitat for the species. In this study, I used microsatellite loci to analyze Gulf sturgeon eggs previously collected in the fall and spring of 2019 and 2020. The goals of this study were to verify the genetic identity of …

A “Little” Solution To A Big Problem: A Documentary About The Hattiesburg Pocket Museum, Savannah Humber

Honors Theses

A “Little” Solution to a Big Problem is a documentary film that revolves around the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum and how it positively impacted its community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pocket Museum is a small alleyway located in downtown Hattiesburg, Mississippi and is filled with small objects, scenes, and fun activities. The thesis includes interviews with Vicki Taylor, creator of the Pocket Museum, and Lissa Ortego, the first artist to paint in the alleyway. They explain the history behind the museum, the circumstances that led to its creation, and how they kept the museum relevant during and after the COVID-19 …

Relationships Between The Social Deprivation Index And Mental Health Outcomes In Sexual And Gender Minority Adults, Bea Twilbeck

Honors Theses

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations include individuals who identify as non-heterosexual and/or whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth. SGM populations experience higher rates of social deprivation—disadvantages including socioeconomic factors and living conditions—compared to non-SGM groups. While the current body of research highlights the negative health impacts of social deprivation, no work has yet assessed the extent to which SGM status moderates associations between social deprivation and mental health symptoms. This study aimed to fill that gap by examining associations between social deprivation and mental health symptoms, as well as whether this relationship varies …

Tuning The Morphology Of Triblock Copolymers Via Homopolymer Blending, John F. Searles

Honors Theses

Morphology plays an important role in the physical properties of block copolymer (BCP) materials. Depending on the type of morphology and chemical composition of the blocks, BCPs are used in applications ranging from soft biomaterials for biomedical devices to rigid materials for ballistics protection. Due to incompatibility between comonomers and required block weight ratios to achieve targeted morphologies, it is generally necessary to use complex, time-consuming, and expensive synthetic techniques to prepare BCPs. As a result, there is increased interest in the development of new processing methods to tailor block copolymer morphology without the need for additional synthesis. The morphological …

The Effect Of Gender On Career Success In Remote Work Settings In The Accounting Profession, Ashlyn Roche

Honors Theses

This study analyzed the career success assessments of hypothetical male and female public accountants working in remote and traditional office settings to determine if gender and work location affect work assessment. Subjects, practicing public accountants, were randomly assigned resumes of hypothetical accountants that included indications of either remote work or traditional office work and the gender of the assigned hypothetical accountants. Resumes of hypothetical accountants were otherwise identical. After initial assessments of assigned hypothetical accountants’ future career success, subjects were asked to recommend activities that would increase the likelihood of the accountants’ future career success. Subjects were then told that …

Transcriptional Analysis Of Inflammatory Responses Of Mouse Trophoblast Stem Cells To Interferon Gamma, Arnaz Maryam Tariq

Honors Theses

The blastocyst faces significant immunological challenges during implantation, including heightened inflammation, which can contribute to implantation failure. Trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) and their differentiated forms (TSC-TBs), derived from the trophectoderm (TE) of the blastocyst, play a crucial role in immune modulation. Previous studies suggest that interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) derived from TSC and TSC-TB provide antiviral protection to embryonic stem cells (ESCs). These findings show indication of a potential antiviral role for placental progenitors in shielding the blastocyst. Additionally, TSCs and TSC-TBs exhibit selectively attenuated immune responses to the proinflammatory cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) compared to mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). The attenuated …

The Impact Of Hazardous Noise Levels On The Hearing Mechanism Of Marching Band Students, Margaret Westbrook

Honors Theses

Marching band participants are exposed to hazardous noise levels, and they are at risk of developing hearing loss. In this study, the impact of marching band noise on the hearing mechanism of marching band students was examined. Participants who were not in the marching band and were not exposed to noise were used as controls. Detailed case history and noise exposure history were collected using a noise exposure questionnaire (NEQ). The pure tone audiometry test was conducted to examine their hearing, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were recorded to examine the inner ear function, and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were …

It’S Not A Phase, It’S A…Musical?: The Innate Theatricality Of The Emo Movement Of The 2000s, Kylie Alyssa Price

Honors Theses

This project is an exploration of the rock subgenres emo and pop-punk and how they interact with musical theatre conventions. Emo, short for emotional hardcore, is a descendant of hardcore punk music that is characterized by its focus on the emotional core of lyrics as well as softer, more pop-influenced sounds musically. In this project, the history of emo is delineated alongside the history of rock musical theatre. Subculture is also defined as it relates to this thesis. The natural theatricality of emo is then characterized as being through emo/pop-punk’s performance culture, through the existence of the concept album, and …

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story: A Comparative Analysis Of The Representations Of American Serial Killers In News And True Crime Media, Jenelle Walters

Honors Theses

Serial killers are a subject that have fascinated individuals for centuries in both news and entertainment media. Although research has been done on the representations of serial killers in news media, little research has attempted to connect the representations seen in the news media to those seen in true crime entertainment media. Through the use of four case studies, a comparative analysis was done to compare the framing seen in the original news articles, both local and national, to the framing seen in the later true crime films, documentaries, and series. Although the framing originally seen in the news media …

Bases Of Influence: Military Installations And Partisan Realignment In The American South, Regan Steen

Honors Theses

Attributable to the First and Second World Wars, the 20^th-century military mobilization of the American South caused significant change in the region as the previously rural locale was economically and socially transformed. During this period, the American South also experienced a major shift in partisan politics as traditional voter patterns changed and party alignments were reshaped. This transformation, or realignment as it is called, took place as rooted Democratic-leaning voting behaviors were altered by increasing trends of Republican support. Previous literature discusses the history of the military and realignment, with both fields recognizing the significance of economic development. …

Filipino Music In The Sphere Of Multicultural Music Education: A Survey Of Preservice Teachers, Lauren Johnson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore how preservice music teachers (i.e., students who are preparing to become music teachers) viewed diversifying music curricula, specifically regarding music from the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Additionally, this research explored preservice music teachers’ cultural identities and how those identities influenced their beliefs and opinions about teaching. “Culture” was defined by Merriam-Webster (n.d.) as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.” Although there is a diverse population of students throughout schools in the United States, limited research has been conducted about incorporating …

Addressing The Gap: A Comparative Case Analysis Of The First Week Of School In Two Second-Grade Classrooms, Madeline Roberts

Honors Theses

The first week of school in the United States public school system constantly evolves as stakeholders strive to create the most functional programs for the students served. Multiple factors come into play during the first week, including classroom management, initial academic instruction, and socioemotional learning. This research project aims to compare and contrast these various factors through a qualitative comparative case study. The specific investigation examines similarities and differences in two public schools, second-grade classrooms at Southside Elementary School located in Lake View County School District, Mississippi (LCSD) and Local Elementary School located in Westbrook County Schools, Tennessee (WCS). Both …

Judgement And Doom: Apocalyptic Anxiety And Rhetoric In Anglo-Saxon England, Lauren Coghlan

Honors Theses

Comparable to the “Y2K” phenomenon at the turn of the twentieth century, many historians posit that there was a similar concern a thousand years prior at the turn of the first millennium. This rested on the belief that Christ would return and initiate the world’s end—the apocalypse. In ninth and tenth-century England, Vikings raids were instilling terror into the hearts and minds of those who experienced them, and the clergy often observed these calamities in an apocalyptic light. This thesis will examine the rhetorical and theological expressions of apocalyptic concern in Anglo-Saxon writing from the ninth century into the tenth …

Implementing Storytelling Into The Elementary School Classroom: A Best Practice Guide With Adaptable Lessons, Cali Reinhart

Honors Theses

Incorporating storytelling projects and activities in the elementary classroom helps students become more engaged and interested in what they are being taught. Often, there is not enough time in the day to cover all the material, let alone teach students these concepts in fun and engaging ways that every student deserves. Therefore, teachers should be given the resources to help their students learn the material in a fun and appealing way, such as through storytelling. Previous research has shown that storytelling is a multisensory project that reinforces literacy and language skills, increases students’ retention of the information presented, and increases …

Culturally Relevant Or Cultural Cover: Understanding Acue’S Fostering A Culture Of Belonging, Drew Le

Honors Theses

Colleges and universities are increasingly utilizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Diversity training (DT) is one kind of DEI initiative designed to help faculty and staff, but it is understudied, especially for higher education. This study seeks to expand the literature by examining the Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) Fostering a Culture of Belonging (FCB) course, its participants’ experiences, and its effect on students rooted in Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP). Using mixed methods, this study collected faculty participant interviews and contextualized any changes based on analyses of student course evaluations. I report …

Chemistry Education At The University Of Southern Mississippi Through Computation And Active Learning Methods, Sadie Pitre

Honors Theses

Education is one of the pillars of society. It evolves alongside scientific progress, shaping how students learn and engage with complex topics. The incorporation of new educational standards at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was implemented in two parts: through computational chemistry laboratory exercises for teaching laboratories and through the synthesis of organic molecules for research projects in an upper-level spectroscopy class. The goal of these projects is to improve learning of abstract and/or complex topics beyond the teaching methods traditionally utilized in the undergraduate laboratory and in the classroom.

Computational chemistry, which uses theoretical calculations to model molecular …

Evaluating Accuracy In Legal Research: A Comparative Analysis Of Traditional And Artificial Intelligence-Driven Methods, Lily Collins

Honors Theses

Legal professionals are challenged with performing accurate legal research to meet professional standards. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) presents a potential for enhanced efficiency. However, knowledge and process gaps exist, questioning the accuracy of results generated by AI. The uncertainty of accurate results poses a risk for poor outcomes for all stakeholders. This thesis aimed to quantitatively measure the accuracy of AI legal research in comparison to traditional legal research. Accuracy and relevance were measured by analyzing case precedent results using three legal research platforms, Westlaw, Nexis Uni, and Chat GPT. The three platforms represented traditional and AI-driven research, …

Evaluating The Effects Of Social Ostracism On Attentional Control And Episodic Memory, Colby Brown

Honors Theses

This study examined the relationships between social pain, attentional control, and episodic memory. Fifty-five University of Southern Mississippi undergraduates (Mage = 19.78 years; Range = 17-29) wrote responses to one of three prompts designed to elicit feelings of social pain, physical pain, or no pain (i.e., control). Participants then completed a battery of attentional control (AC) and episodic memory (EM) tasks consisting of the Stroop squared, Flanker squared, Simon squared, and dual-list recall tasks. Participants also completed a series of questionnaires including Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to assess any change in affect caused by the writing prompts and …

Smoking And Oral Health In The Tipu Maya: A Study Of Nicotine In Dental Calculus, Emily Byrd

Honors Theses

Tobacco smoking was a deeply rooted tradition in Maya society, often associated with ritual and daily life, and may have contributed to patterns of dental health. However, despite its cultural significance, direct biological evidence of tobacco use in ancient populations is rare. This study addresses that gap by analyzing nicotine residues preserved in dental calculus from the Tipu Maya, offering new insight into both cultural practices and potential health impacts.

Mass spectrometry identified molecular peaks corresponding to nicotine and its degradation products within the calculus samples.  Analysis revealed that over two-thirds of the individuals tested positive for nicotine, supporting the …

Lateral Violence Awareness In Nursing Students At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Aika Owens

Honors Theses

The purpose of this honors thesis was to obtain descriptive data about how nursing students at the University of Southern Mississippi School of Professional Nursing Practice perceive lateral violence in their clinical rotations and educational environments. This Honors thesis is significant to nursing because although lateral violence is a well-researched topic among scholars of nursing practice, there is little gathered data regarding lateral violence among nursing students, specifically at the University of Southern Mississippi. Nursing students are a vital population to examine because nursing students are often first exposed to lateral violence within a clinical setting, leading to early internalization …

Organocatalyst Frameworks For Co2 Reduction To Methanol: Selectivity Control And Mild-Condition Activation, Nehal Asif

Honors Theses

This study investigates the development and application of organocatalysts for the reduction of CO₂ under mild and sustainable conditions. A key focus is the synthesis of an organo-boronic acid–amine catalyst system (derived from thianthren-1-ylboronic acid and diethanolamine) and its subsequent evaluation in reactions with labeled CO₂. Through NMR analyses, including time-resolved monitoring of isotopically labeled substrates, the formation of formyl intermediates and downstream products such as formate and methoxy species was confirmed, demonstrating active CO₂ transformation. Multiple catalyst variants (NA1 series) were screened to assess activity and selectivity, with experimental conditions optimized in terms of temperature, solvent selection, and the …

Synthetic Modification Of Agrobacterium To Inhibit Plant Pathogenesis, Rosemala Agarwala

Honors Theses

Crown Gall disease caused by Agrobacterium is a leading cause of plant damage and current solutions used to prevent the disease are not as effective. This research aims to use a synthetic biology approach to design a plasmid that upregulates Curdlan, a molecule that activates plant defenses, when the bacteria senses a wounded plant. Thus this research uses a synthetic biology approach to develop a biocontrol agent for Crown Gall disease. This research also looks at the transferability of the sugar phenol sensing mechanism in Agrobacterium, which is needed for plant pathogenesis.

Welfare Federalism And Immigrant Inclusion: How State Ideology, Democracy, And Public Opinion Shape Social Policy, Emily Daniel

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the variation in immigrant access to state-level social welfare programs in the United States from 1997 to 2023, focusing on the influence of state ideology, democratic performance, and public opinion. In the wake of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which curtailed federal welfare access for many immigrants and shifted authority to the states, significant disparities emerged in how states approached immigrant inclusion. This study examines eight states—four historic immigrant destinations and four “new growth” states—with varied political climates and demographic changes. Using a legislative output index, moral language analysis of state media …

‘King Of Infinite Space:’ Confinement And Identity In Hamlet & Contemporary Adaptations, Anna-Laura Houston

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the theme of identity confinement through the lens of Shakespeare's Hamlet and its contemporary adaptations, Fat Ham by James Ijames and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard. At the core of this comparative study is Hamlet's paradoxical claim that he could be "a king of infinite space" were it not for his "bad dreams," a statement that encapsulates the tension between internal autonomy and external constraint. The thesis argues that Hamlet's sense of self is shaped-and ultimately fractured-by external demands, including his father's ghostly command for vengeance, the political corruption of Denmark, and an existential …

The Evils Of Illegitimacy: The Construction And Contest Of Kinship-Based Citizenship During Jamaica’S Nationalist Awakening (1930-1945), Ryan Doherty

Honors Theses

Illegitimacy, which refers to kinship units and births outside of the nuclear family, was a major issue in Jamaica. Following the 1938 Uprising, illegitimacy became even larger as an issue as the colonial administration blamed the lower class’s revolt on their kinship units. As for nationalists, the 1938 Uprising was a catalyst for them to rally the lower class to their side, but they, too, were concerned about their illegitimate kinship units. The colonial administration used illegitimacy as a way to push back against nationalists, while nationalists blamed illegitimacy on the colonial administration’s economic exploitation and mismanagement, as well as …

An Ethical Defense Of Puberty Blockers As Gender Affirming Care For Adolescents, Alexander Konigsberg

Honors Theses

In this paper, I give an overview of the varying perspectives on gender affirming care, which disagree on who has the right to decide for the adolescent. I offer the psychological model as the perspective providers should take to avoid imposing their own morals on the patient. Next, I explore adolescent wellbeing and determine that since no adolescent specific goods exist, we should treat adolescents by child or adult wellbeing if you believe child wellbeing exists). I find that with these arguments, physicians should prescribe puberty blockers to adolescents as it gives more access to wellbeing. Finally, I explore objections …