Digital Commons Network^™

Catholic School Teachers' Attitudinal Beliefs About Linguistic Diversity, Katie Trautman

Master's Theses

As the population of young Catholics becomes increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD), Catholic schools must work to become more responsive to the needs of CLD students in order to uphold the tenets of Catholic social teaching and to sustain enrollment in Catholic schools. Catholic school teachers need to become more prepared to serve students from various linguistic backgrounds. As a component of this preparation, teachers must demonstrate positive beliefs toward linguistic diversity and students’ backgrounds as teachers’ attitudes toward students greatly impacts students’ learning and identity development. Using Catholic social teaching as a lens, this study investigated Catholic school …

Now Hiring: Exploring Deportee Transnational Identities And Socio-Economic Reintegration In Baja California, Mexico’S Call Center Industry, Brenda Vargas

Master's Theses

The anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. intensified deportation, including that of Mexican and Salvadorian migrants with some having served in the U.S. military. Despite weak social connections and explicit/structural barriers in Mexico, many deportees make the decision to stay in Mexico. The focus of this thesis is male deportees belonging to the “1.5 generation,” aged late 20’s-early 60’s, who, after spending their childhood and adulthood in the U.S., have undergone deportation and are faced with social and economic reintegration in the northern border area of Baja California, Mexico. Through 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews, I explore transnational identity negotiations that impact …

Non State Sovereignty: A Case Of The European Union, Natalie Murphy

Master's Theses

This paper uses the European Union as a case study to look at sovereignty and the formation of a new type of sovereignty which both diverges and interacts with existing state sovereignty. The European Union is developing a new form of non-state sovereignty which diverges from traditional conceptions in three ways: The EU is a non-state actor; unlike in the past, a body is operating with and exercising sovereign rights outside of the nation-state formation. Secondly, the sovereignty of both the European Union and its member states overlaps. Both maintain exclusive responsibilities often tied to the state, but with the …

Sensor Fusion Algorithm For Airborne Autonomous Vehicle Collision Avoidance Applications, Julien Albert Doe

Master's Theses

A critical ability of any aircraft is to be able to detect potential collisions with other airborne objects, and maneuver to avoid these collisions. This can be done by utilizing sensors on the aircraft to monitor the sky for collision threats. However, several problems face a system which aims to use multiple sensors for target tracking. The data collected from sensors needs to be clustered, fused, and otherwise processed such that the flight control system can make accurate decisions based on it. Raw sensor data, while filled with useful information, is tainted with inaccuracies due to limitations and imperfections of …

Cleaver: Classification Of Everyday Activities Via Ensemble Recognizers, Samantha Hsu

Master's Theses

Physical activity can have immediate and long-term benefits on health and reduce the risk for chronic diseases. Valid measures of physical activity are needed in order to improve our understanding of the exact relationship between physical activity and health. Activity monitors have become a standard for measuring physical activity; accelerometers in particular are widely used in research and consumer products because they are objective, inexpensive, and practical. Previous studies have experimented with different monitor placements and classification methods. However, the majority of these methods were developed using data collected in controlled, laboratory-based settings, which is not reliably representative of real …

Fingerprinting The Smart Home: Detection Of Smart Assistants Based On Network Activity, Arshan Hashemi

Master's Theses

As the concept of the Smart Home is being embraced globally, IoT devices such as the Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Nest Thermostat are becoming a part of more and more households. In the data-driven world we live in today, internet service providers (ISPs) and companies are collecting large amounts of data and using it to learn about their customers. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important to understand what information ISPs are capable of collecting. IoT devices in particular exhibit distinct behavior patterns and specific functionality which make them especially likely to reveal sensitive information. Collection of this …

Logging, Visualization, And Analysis Of Network And Power Data Of Iot Devices, Neal Huynh Nguyen

Master's Theses

There are approximately 23.14 billion IoT(Internet of Things) devices currently in use worldwide. This number is projected to grow to over 75 billion by 2025. Despite their ubiquity little is known about the security and privacy implications of IoT devices. Several large-scale attacks against IoT devices have already been recorded.

To help address this knowledge gap, we have collected a year’s worth of network traffic and power data from 16 common IoT devices. From this data, we show that we can identify different smart speakers, like the Echo Dot, from analyzing one minute of power data on a shared power …

A Carrier-Pigeon Uas For South Pole Data Transfer, Shaun P. Wixted

Master's Theses

The assessment of feasibility of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) that is specifically tailored—in performance, operating and support characteristics, and payload—to support hardware-based data transfer from South Pole Station in Antarctica to a location of high connectivity has been undertaken. Due to the specific location of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station and competing demands from other governmental agencies, satellite connectivity requirements for data transfers cannot be met at the South Pole. In the recent decades, the advancement in UAS capabilities have overwhelming extended their operational reach in military and commercial reconnaissance and surveillance missions. This UAS has the potential to …

Population Curation In Swarms: Predicting Top Performers, Ryan W. Heller

Master's Theses

In recent years, new Artificial Intelligence technologies have mimicked examples of collective intelligence occurring in the natural world including flocks of birds, schools of fish, and swarms of bees. One company in particular, Unanimous AI, built a platform (UNU Swarm) that enables a group of humans to make decisions as a single mind by forming a real-time closed-loop feedback system for individuals. This platform has proven the ability to amplify the predictive ability of groups of humans in realms including sports, medicine, politics, finance, and entertainment. Previous research has demonstrated it is possible to further enhance knowledge accumulation within a …

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Of Developmental Stages In Isolated Mammary Epithelial Cells, Nicole K. Einfalt

Master's Theses

The mammary gland is an organ common to all mammals; it is of value for neonatal nourishment, human nutrition through dairy consumption, and is a source of pathology in humans through the development of breast cancer. While transcriptomic analyses have been applied to cultured mammary epithelial cells (MEC) and to whole gland samples, few have studied purified MEC isolated directly from the gland in vivo. To identify the differentially expressed genes influencing MEC development during pregnancy and the differences between the nulliparous and primiparous quiescent states, primary MEC were isolated from virgin, pregnant, and primiparous quiescent sibling mice. Computational …

Bi-Stability In The Wakes Of Platooning Ahmed Bodies, Daniel M. Stalters

Master's Theses

Autonomous heavy vehicles will enable the promise of decreased energy consumption through the ability to platoon in closer formation than is currently safe or legal. It is therefore increasingly important to understand the complex and dynamic wake interactions between vehicles operating in close proximity for aerodynamic gains. In recent years, a growing body of research has documented a bi-stable, shifting wake generated behind the Ahmed reference bluff body. At the same time, studies of platooning Ahmed bodies have focused on changes to the body forces and moments at different following distances or lateral offsets, typically based around time-averaged measurements or …

Assessing Risk In Iot Devices, David Levitsky

Master's Theses

The explosive growth of the Internet of Things ecosystem has thrust these devices into the center of our lives. Unfortunately, the desire to create these devices has been stronger than the one to secure them. Recent attacks have shown us ignoring security in Internet of Things devices can cause severe harm in both a digital and physical sense. This thesis outlines a framework for developers and managers to assess the risk of IoT devices using a weighted scoring system across five different categories. Our case studies suggest that devices with higher security considerations have a better security posture and lower …

Using Offline Activities To Enhance Online Cybersecurity Education, Sarah Padlipsky

Master's Theses

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the United States has experienced the impact of a technological revolution. One effect of this technological revolution is the creation of entirely new careers related to the field of technology, including cybersecurity. Continued growth in the cybersecurity industry means a greater number of jobs will be created, adding to the existing number of jobs that are challenging an under-educated and under-trained workforce. The goal of this thesis is to increase the effectiveness of cybersecurity education. This thesis studies whether an online course in cybersecurity can be enhanced by offline, in-person activities that mirror …

Progressing Flight: A Transformative And Somatically-Informed Performance Practice For The Aerial Dance Student Practitioner, Rosalinda Rojas

Master's Theses

Somatic based methods is an emerging area of interest within the subject area of dance study and more recent in aerial movement practice. Somatic movement experiences have inherent, distinctive and transformative characteristics to deepen understanding and knowledge of the concept of soma. This thesis investigates how somatic based exercises might influence physical strength, endurance, body awareness and sensitivity in an original research design. The study incorporates Progressing Ballet Technique or traditional based aerial circus methods with an aim to answer three essential questions. How might the use of somatic based or traditional aerial movement methods improve students’ muscular strength and …

Improving Student Skills Through Video-Guided Assessments In The Dance Classroom, Kate Elizabeth Secor

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to improve novice dance students’ technique and skill level through the use of video-guided summative assessments in the public high school classroom. The assessments and associated classroom activities examine how the use of video cameras can enhance movement instruction and promote the advancement of student skills if implemented in a meaningful way. The research was conducted in one semester with an introductory level dance class where nineteen student participants filmed themselves performing ballet exercises at the beginning and end of the semester. Participants and researcher assessed these videos using specific movement-based rubrics that measured …

Cultivating And Fostering Creativity, Communication, Collaboration And Critical Thinking Through The Choreographic Dance Making Process: A Dance Curriculum For Urban Elementary Students, Kristen Sylvia Mercer

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine how the four skills of creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration are defined and how dance making and choreography might be taught to urban elementary students in a way that also teaches each of these four skills. The thesis attempted to answer the four research questions by reviewing existing literature and qualitatively mining and analyzing the data in order to discover techniques and ideas that could be used to design the desired curriculum. The researcher used a similar process to understand how dance making might best be taught to elementary school children, …

Collaborating, Creating And Implementing: A Cohesive Project-Based Learning Social Studies Unit With The Goal Of Deepening Third Grade Student Learning Experiences, Sarah Avery Kulchinsky

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research study was to integrate dance in a social studies project-based learning (PBL) unit. The incorporation of dance in this unit was not only a learning experience for the students, but for the dance teacher and classroom teacher alike. The teachers worked cooperatively to plan and create this unit of study and through their collaboration taught the subject using their individual teaching styles. The classroom teacher used traditional instructional methods, while the dance teacher taught the same subject matter through the use of movement and dance. Throughout the unit, the teachers consulted to ensure student learning …

Teaching Musical Theatre Skills In The Performance-Based Classroom: James And The Giant Peach, Kelsey Alys Meiklejohn

Master's Theses

The popularity of musical theatre in America is driving more students to seek out performance opportunities while theatre classrooms are facing dwindling attendance rates. The goal of this thesis is to determine whether it is possible to employ the mounting of a full-scale musical production of James and the Giant Peach in a classroom setting to motivate student growth in acting, singing, and dance due to the product-oriented environment. The complex material in the script and score of James and the Giant Peach was adequately challenging to necessitate and promote significant student growth as musical theatre performers. Through working on …

The Boys Next Door: Progressing Disability Awareness And Representation Through Inclusive Production Practices, Shelby Lewis

Master's Theses

The Boys Next Door was a progressive and popular piece of theatre when first produced in 1986 and remains a ripe tool for spreading disability consciousness if mounted with research and respect. Playwright, Tom Griffin, chronicles a series of amusing and meaningful events in the lives of four men with varying levels of cognitive impairments told through the lens of Jack Palmer, their able-bodied supervisor. The goal of this thesis production was to illuminate the opportunities, challenges, and considerations required to produce this play with a message that is progressive to the goals of the disability community rather than detrimental. …

Nanosatellite Launch Data-Logger (Sync), Christopher Martin Gerdom

Master's Theses

CubeSat designers are increasingly looking to incorporate delicate structures and optics into their payloads. These delicate payloads, however, may not survive the required absolute-worst-case launch vibration testing needed for flight certification. To help address this problem, and to better match testing conditions to real-world launch environments, this thesis introduces Sync, a compact 1/4U CubeSat payload designed to collect data on the vibrations and thermal environments CubeSats experience inside a deployer on the way to orbit. This data can be used to better understand the launch environment for different vehicles, and help develop new, more realistic testing guidelines that could enable …

Amplifying The Prediction Of Team Performance Through Swarm Intelligence And Machine Learning, Erick Michael Harris

Master's Theses

Modern companies are increasingly relying on groups of individuals to reach organizational goals and objectives, however many organizations struggle to cultivate optimal teams that can maximize performance. Fortunately, existing research has established that group personality composition (GPC), across five dimensions of personality, is a promising indicator of team effectiveness. Additionally, recent advances in technology have enabled groups of humans to form real-time, closed-loop systems that are modeled after natural swarms, like flocks of birds and colonies of bees. These Artificial Swarm Intelligences (ASI) have been shown to amplify performance in a wide range of tasks, from forecasting financial markets to …

Improving Ultra-Wideband Localization By Detecting Radio Misclassification, Cory A. Mayer

Master's Theses

The Global Positioning System (GPS) and other satellite-based positioning systems are often a key component in applications requiring localization. However, accurate positioning in areas with poor GPS coverage, such as inside buildings and in dense cities, is in increasing demand for many modern applications. Fortunately, recent developments in ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology have enabled precise positioning in places where it was not previously possible by utilizing multipath-resistant wide band pulses.

Although ultra-wideband signals are less prone to multipath interference, it is still a bottleneck as increasingly ambitious projects continue to demand higher precision. Some UWB radios include on-board detection of …

Art As Invitation: The Effects Of Including Art Education In The Curriculum Of A Preschool Classroom Of Refugee Students, Nancy Heckmann Erekson

Master's Theses

This study is about how art constitutes an invitation for marginalized people. Refugees are the uninvited, and often remain on the periphery of host communities. This research examines how artmaking acts as an invitation for refugee preschool students and their families to connect with the broader community. I approached data collection through the method of educational connoisseurship and educational criticism and the theory of relational aesthetics. I analyzed data from observations conducted in a refugee preschool classroom and from interviews with six families. Further, I analyzed observations and surveys from a public exhibit of children’s art. These sources provided data …

Discovering Countries And Their Cultures Through Movement: Fifth-Grade Students Developing Awareness And Empathy Toward Each Other, Rebecca S. Epstein

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate and answer the following essential questions: 1) What are students’ responses to use of movement and dance to teach multi-cultural lesson content? 2) What movement and dance-based methods can be used to help fifth-grade students develop empathy towards classmates from different cultures and countries from around the world? 3) Which movement and dance-based lessons seemed to be most effective to develop student empathy for other students from a different culture and country? One goal of the study was to help students become more empathetic toward one another through movement. There were twenty-four …

Dancing The Diaspora: Discovering The Influence Of Traditional And Tribal African Dance In The History Of African-American Social And Concert Dance In The Caribbean And The United States, Kerri-Noelle Humphrey

Master's Theses

The primary goal of this research project was to identify the influence of traditional African dance on African diasporic dance in the Caribbean and the United States. The study demonstrated how movement connects people and gives them the opportunity to share common experiences, ideas, and traditions. This qualitative and quantitative study was designed to answer four essential questions. Q1 What is traditional African dance? Q2 What is Black (Africanist) dance? Q3 How the elements of dance (Time, Space, Energy) can be used to help students make comparisons between African tribal dance and a variety of Africanist dance genres? Q4 How …

Perceptions Of Technology In Dance Education: The Effect Of Technology On Student Learning And Teaching Strategies Of The Twenty-First Century Skills In Dance Education, Anna Kristine Gradwohl

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to assist educators in understanding the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in a dance classroom to teach the twenty-firstcentury- skills of creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. This research evaluated perceptions of technology integration through the lens of fifty-four current dance educators with a goal of discovering the effects technology has on teaching strategies and student learning in a dance classroom. The research instrument used in this study was an electronic survey that included both quantitative and qualitative questions to analyze the data. The data suggested that current dance educators supported the use of …

Postpartum Depression In The News Media, Lauren Michelle Mcdonald

Master's Theses

The current study analyzed the relationship between gender constructs and the construction of illness in the news media. Drawing on Entman’s (1993) framing analysis, the present study assessed if postpartum depression was constructed in the news media differently for men and women. Using LexisNexis, 153 news media articles were collected from major United States news sources between 1994-2016 using keywords such as, postpartum depression and paternal depression. The content analysis indicated that the definition of postpartum depression, the cause of the illness, the moral evaluations and the prescribed treatments were related to gender constructs. Overall, these findings enhance our understanding …

Rhetoric, Legislation, And The Felony Offender, Cyrus Taylor

Master's Theses

Rhetoric is arguably of more importance than the message that is being overtly conveyed. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand how rhetoric can be utilized to convey one message while simultaneously transmitting another distinct message (Walter 2017). In this study, discourse analysis was conducted by examining the rhetoric associated with the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (VCCLE), through the use of legislative speeches and newspaper articles, to determine how language has effectively resulted in the relegation of felony offenders within a class-based society. Utilizing two theories, class structure theory and distributive justice theory, an understanding was …

Antioxidant Genes In Apis Mellifera, Their Implication In Pesticide Detoxification, Nicholas Rinderer

Master's Theses

The effect of pesticides on Apis mellifera mortality as well as their effect on the transcriptional regulation of antioxidant genes was the aim of this study. Unlike previous studies, the work here shows the combined effects of pesticides imidacloprid and coumaphos on worker bees at levels likely encountered by workers using both toxological and molecular analysis. Bee brood were collected from hives and incubated until hatching. The 1 day old bees were then segregated and subjected to varying concentrations of coumaphos and imidacloprid both independently and in concert. Workers from each treatment group were removed and stored in RNA-later until …

Parental Attachment And Adult Attachment: The Moderating Role Of Dispositional Forgiveness And Gratitude, Christian Ammons

Master's Theses

Secure parental attachment, characterized by trust, care, and autonomy granting, is associated with improved psychological functioning and adjustment to college and is often associated with adult attachment relationships. Similarly, adult attachment, a characteristic of adult relationships, has been associated with improved college adjustment. Individual differences such as dispositional forgiveness and gratitude are often associated with secure adult attachment but have not been examined in relation to parent child attachment. The current study examined dispositional forgiveness and gratitude as moderators of the relationship between parental attachment and adult attachment. A sample of 185 college students participated and as expected, parental attachment …