Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Effects Of Multi-Functional Stations, Direct, And Motivational Messaging On Paper Cup Recycling, Madisyn Wynter Slater

Masters Theses

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), within Michigan alone, the municipal solid waste that has been collected in landfills contains approximately 31.5 million dollars in mixed paper and 18.8 million dollars in plastics (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2016). One important aspect of recycling awareness is the impact that recycling has on the world. Whereas products like paper and plastic are accepted in recycling programs, any lined paper products (e.g., soda cups and to-go hot cups) are typically not accepted and therefore go to a landfill. Recent technology that can separate the lining from the paper, however, enables paper-lined …

Increasing Accuracy Of Mapping Local Climatic Zones Using Building Height And Spectral Unmixing, Ian Douglas Stauffer

Masters Theses

Local climatic zone (LCZ) classifications are traditionally done using reflectance, population data, and often climatic data. The goal of this research is to utilize Google’s new “Open Buildings Temporal v1” building data set as well as “spectral unmixing”. With the objective of testing, assessing, and implementing this data set into the workflow of LCZ mapping. After testing the quality of the data against a validated LiDAR data set from the same year as a given “Open Buildings Temporal v1” band, I implemented it into the Random Forest machine learning process. Secondly, I justified the use of spectral unmixing as a …

Scholarship As A Means For Musical Performance: An Exploration Of Johannes Brahms Violin Sonata In G Major, Op. 78, Josh Zallar

Masters Theses

Developing a quality musical performance is a complicated and time-consuming endeavor. Endless hours are spent learning a musical instrument, developing technique, and growing into a mature sound. Learning the notes, rhythms, dynamics, and basic musical markings of a score compound this task, not to mention the preparation for performing by managing nerves, among other areas of concern. Amidst the undoubtedly enormous amount of work, however, often focus gets lost. Musicians forget that, despite the inherent fact that our inner voice is heard when we perform, that it is ultimately the composer whose voice and musical meaning must be conveyed in …

Grace And Generosity: A Nt Defense Of Christian Giving And Stewardship, Jermaine Mcinnis

Masters Theses

This thesis holds that Christian stewardship and giving remain divinely appointed activities in the NT, despite growing skepticism in modern ecclesial and academic circles. Firmly grounded in biblical theology and canonical exegesis, the research argues that the disciplines of tithing, giving, and sacrificial stewardship are not eliminated by grace but are redirected and intensified with Christ. The research examines OT assumptions, Jesus’ instruction, and apostolic instruction to illustrate consistency in God's expectation of His people's obedience regarding finances. Drawing on current scholarship, the thesis refutes assumptions that giving is optional or less culturally relevant, underlining its vital importance to church …

The Sacrificial Vs. The Luzhinian Figure: Comparing Sacrificial Love In Crime And Punishment, Pride And Prejudice, And A Tale Of Two Cities, Natalie Rose Kubala

Masters Theses

Many works of art and literature exploring the theme of love focus on trying to define what love is; in contrast, this thesis dives deeper into defining what love is not, specifically focusing on the relationship between love and sacrifice. This thesis argues that love is not the same as sacrifice because a true sacrifice requires that love is already present prior to the sacrifice being made. This thesis will compare those who perform true sacrifices to those who perform sacrifices for their own personal gain by exploring grandiose narcissistic characters who perform (or attempt to perform) sacrifices without love …

Sdn Controller For Distributed Quantum Computing, Firas Selmi

Masters Theses

Quantum networks promise transformative capabilities for computation [1], but current hardware remains limited; state-of-the-art quantum processors still operate with only a few hundred qubits [2], far below the scale required for practical applications. This limitation motivates the use of Distributed Quantum Computing (DQC), where computation is performed across multiple interconnected nodes. However, efficient DQC requires global network awareness and orchestration, a role analogous to Software-Defined Networking (SDN) in classical systems. In this work, we investigate the impact of SDN-inspired control logic on quantum networks by executing a scaled distributed implementation of Shor’s algorithm to factor N = 15 over a …

They Write Themselves: Romancing The Vampire Of Lighthouse Landing, Dezi Vaile

Masters Theses

Many fantasy creatures have dark pasts; supernatural, often disturbing, stories that have been tossed in a sauce of romance to appeal to a wider palette. While vampires are typically regarded as creations of nightmares, these creatures of the night have been no exception to this cycle. Although legends of blood suckers far predate the birth of Bram Stoker, Dracula is arguably the most enduring and important example of vampire literature. By beginning with Dracula, alongside earlier works like The Vampyre and Carmilla, we will track what has and has not changed within the genre of vampire literature. With the passage …

Rhetorical Strategies In Writing-Based Suicide Prevention: A Qualitative Study For Navy Chaplains And Command Leadership In Region East, Herode Jean-Vilien Thomas

Masters Theses

Suicide prevention remains a critical challenge within military environments, particularly in operational settings where communication between leaders and service members often occurs under conditions of stress and urgency. While the United States Navy has implemented numerous prevention initiatives, limited attention has been given to the role of written communication as a relational and persuasive tool in crisis response. This study examines how rhetorical strategies influence writing-based suicide prevention communication within Navy Recruiting Command Region East. Drawing on classical rhetorical theory and contemporary communication research, the study explores how tone, clarity, message structure, and audience awareness shape the effectiveness of crisis …

Destination: Love And Redemption In The Underworld, Alexis P. Johnson

Masters Theses

This essay serves as an artist’s statement for Alexis Johnson, outlining her journey as a storyteller and the development of her MFA thesis work, focusing on her feature film screenplay, Destination. Johnson details her lifelong connection to Arizona and the desire to propose storytelling on film that moves outside the stereotypical standard the state is known for. Through Destination, she aims to expand the Western genre by weaving in elements of magic and imagination, showcasing Arizona as a place rich in narrative potential. The screenplay explores themes of death, identity, and transformation. She reflects on how her life’s challenges have …

The Intermediate State: Scriptural, Philosophical, And Scientific Evidence For Conscious Existence After Death, Timothy R. Perry

Masters Theses

This thesis examines whether Scripture and supporting evidence affirm that believers enter the immediate presence of Christ in a conscious and possibly embodied state prior to the resurrection. It argues that compelling scriptural, scientific, and philosophical evidence supports the doctrine that believers enter the presence of Christ immediately after death, in a conscious and possibly embodied state until the final resurrection. The study employs a multidisciplinary argument drawing upon biblical exegesis, philosophical reasoning, and relevant scientific insights from the emerging field of near-death experiences. This study uniquely frames the intermediate state as an apologetic issue, offering hope to Christians who …

Backstory And Conflicts Of Character Development, Kayla Smith

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the role of character development and its effects on the characters in the story. Through detailed research into literary works, this study will identify key factors that contribute to backstories and conflicts that keep the audience engaged. By comparing characters who have experienced trauma, the research will show how character development is affected by supporting characters, cultural background, and the illnesses they have experienced. The findings will suggest that character development is important and can change throughout the story. The thesis aims to provide insight to create characters that will make a difference in the story and …

Variances In Power Output Of Female Athletes During The Menstrual Phases, Julia L. Allen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine if there are any variances in a female athlete’s ability to produce power, that could be correlated with the menstrual cycle phases. The study observed three elite female athletes throughout 13 weeks, collecting relative propulsive power and relative braking power data from their vertical jump performances which occurred multiple times a week. At the end of the 13 weeks, participating athletes were asked to download their personal Oura Ring data. The Oura data points included in this study were used to identify and measure several physiological factors such as menstrual cycle day, …

The Crucible Of Marriage: Faith, Formation, And Spiritual Autonomy In Jane Eyre, Diana Pitsch

Masters Theses

This thesis treats marriage in Jane Eyre as the crucible of Jane's unique, experiential, and individually crafted faith. It examines marriage as the primary arena in which Jane's faith is shaped, tested, and, ultimately, fulfilled. Situated within Victorian Evangelical culture and restrictive gender ideology, the study examines how Jane’s spirituality is shaped through personal discernment rather than submission to institutional authority. Through close readings of Gateshead, Lowood, and Jane’s encounters with Rochester and St. John Rivers, the thesis demonstrates how Jane’s faith is tested against both passionate attachment and prescribed religious duty. Her refusal of both proposals reveals a developing …

Life, Death And The Aftermath, Charlotte E. Smith

Masters Theses

This research analyzes McClocklin and Lengelle's 'Cures for the Heart': A Poetic Approach to Healing After Loss." It finds that poetry therapy may offer a healthy outlet for processing grief. Further research supports the therapeutic benefits in writing and reading poetry as a way to cope, find meaning, and make sense of it all, after the loss occurs. My thesis is a collection of 49 poems, in which I chronicle the life of my adult son, Justin, who struggled with an opioid addiction and passed away due to an overdose in the Spring of 2025. My work was inspired by …

Selling The Impossible: A Critical Study Of Nostalgia, Persuasion And Ethical Implications, Francois Elmaleh

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the psychological, cultural and iconic influence of mid-20th-century comic book advertising and its enduring influence on modern marketing. With a concentration on adolescent readership, it examines how advertisements in comics shaped consumerist behavior through aspirational discourse, gendered address and emotional manipulation. Through literature reviews, visual analyses and case studies—such as the Charles Atlas bodybuilding campaign, Sea Monkeys and X-ray glasses—this research investigates the rhetorical strategies and ethical ramifications of advertising to children.

The objectives are fivefold: (1) to inventory and analyze dominant advertising strategies employed in comic book ads, (2) to explore how they reinforced cultural and …

Small Courageous Minds, Desirae Bach

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the barriers, agreements, and disagreements between mental health and Christianity, specifically as it relates to helping Christian children with anxiety. The following investigation explores how God defines and reacts to anxiety in the Bible and how anxiety is explained through scientific research. By explaining both scientific and biblical views of anxiety, the Christian community can grasp a better understanding of how to help children with anxiety. The research also builds a foundational investigation on how anxiety affects children and possible solutions for relieving anxiety in children. Educating children at a young age about mental health and offering …

Factors Influencing Sugary Drink Consumption Among Residential Students At Liberty University, Chinonso Felistas Eziechi

Masters Theses

Introduction/Background: Sugary drink consumption among college students remains a public health concern due to its association with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Despite high awareness of health risks, consumption among emerging adults remains elevated. Guided by the Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined the psychosocial, behavioral, and environmental determinants of sugary drink consumption among residential students at Liberty University. Objective: To identify key predictors of sugary drink consumption and evaluate how expectations, self-regulation, and environmental factors shape beverage behaviors. Design, Setting, Participants: This cross-sectional study used an anonymous Qualtrics survey distributed on campus. Of approximately 745 eligible residential students, 473 …

The Impact Of Awareness Of Campus Health Services On Utilization Of Medical Care Among Residential Students At Liberty University, Catherine Pandagade

Masters Theses

College students represent the most prominent group of individuals when considering their lifestyles throughout aging. Therefore, this age group serves as a good opportunity for health education that could build positive health behaviors for life. Existing literature have said that the 18-25 year olds tend to have fewer resources and be often uninsured and have the highest rates of preventable diseases.2 Objective: The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of awareness and its subsequent effect on utilization of available health resources on campus among the student population of Liberty University. Additionally, the purpose of the research through …

The Relationships Between Ego Depletion And Social Behaviors Across Different Degrees Of Psychological Flexibility, Jacob Cage Norris

Masters Theses

Social behavior includes behaviors that are influenced, directly or indirectly, by the realistic, anticipated, imagined, or implied presences of others. Particular social behaviors such as altruism or aggression may vary in how accessible they are, depending on the degree of self-control that has been recently exerted. Specifically, self-control fatigue, or ego depletion, seems to make aggression more likely and altruism less. However, individuals who are psychologically flexible, or who tend to be in contact with the present moment while engaging in behaviors that support the pursuit of values may not respond to ego depletion with the same changes to social …

Feeding Performance And Survival Of Louisiana Poeciliid Fishes Exposed To Residential Wastewater Effluent, Jonathan Chapman

Masters Theses

Mosquitoes are a primary transmitter of vector-borne disease, and their larvae can thrive within shallow pools of stagnant water. Rainwater drainage ditches are a common sight in many communities, and in Louisiana, they are dually used as outlets for onsite residential wastewater discharge in neighborhoods disassociated from municipal sewage treatment. However, when discharge systems malfunction, the water becomes uninhabitable to mosquito predators, allowing mosquitoes to thrive. This research examines the predation performance of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna), and least killifish (Heterandria formosa), the primary biological control agents utilized to combat mosquitoes within ditch communities. Individuals were captured …

The Role Of Isotocin In Female Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Reproductive Behavior And Its Implication For Intranasal Oxytocin Therapy In Humans, Katelynn M. Benge

Masters Theses

In the past several decades, oxytocin has been colloquially termed the “cuddle hormone,” due to its role in pair-bonding and monogamy (Carter et al., 1992). In addition to being used experimentally for psychological disorder, it has also been used in couple’s counseling settings (Anagnostou et al., 2014; Domes et al., 2016). The outcomes of this research reveal mixed results, creating a need for further research in the topic to understand the exact mechanisms by which oxytocin works in the brain to induce this prosocial response. This study sought to address this deficit through the zebrafish animal model. The zebrafish serves …

Public Preferences And Trade-Offs In Critical Mineral Mining Development In The United States, Bamidele Joseph Ajiga

Masters Theses

Rising demand for battery-critical minerals has increased U.S. mining efforts, but projects often face public opposition. There is limited work on how individuals in affected regions evaluate trade-offs between economic and environmental risks.

This research applies a discrete choice experiment to examine individual preferences for proposed battery-critical minerals mining projects in Missouri, Minnesota, and Idaho. 1908 respondents evaluated hypothetical mining projects defined by jobs, state tax revenue, the proportion of tailings reprocessed, groundwater impacts, and surface water impacts, under gold and silver versus battery-critical mineral framings.

Conditional and mixed logit models were used to assess the importance of attributes, demographic …

Autonomous Navigation Development And On-Ground Validation For Satellite Rendezvous And Proximity Operations, Logan Banker

Masters Theses

Spacecraft rendezvous and docking are critical mission phases for various applications of spaceflight, including active debris removal (ADR) and in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM). While previous missions utilized humans to perform rendezvous and docking, this style of mission greatly increases safety risks and cannot be implemented on a large scale. Autonomous servicing satellites provide a path towards scalable rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) because these autonomous agents do not require human intervention. This work presents a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) for the navigation system of an agent which analyzes monocular images and predicts the target's position and orientation …

College Athletes’ Perception Of The Specialization Process Through Youth Sport, Clayre J. Shaver

Masters Theses

This study explored the adolescent sport experiences of Division I student-athletes, focusing on early sport specialization versus sampling. Past research was seeking the influences that drive athlete and stakeholder decision making through adolescents up until college. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, important themes emerged in these athletes’ stories, including family involvement, financial support, birth order, transitions within athletics and the athletes’ internal goals and motivations. The core finding of this research was the role family played in these athletes’ lives, both positively and negatively, that shaped their athletic and mental development. Athletes expressed how important it is to have …

The Effect Of Occupational Roles, Burnout, And Efficacy On Job Satisfaction Among K-12 Teachers, Chloe Schwahn

Masters Theses

The aim of this study was to investigate variables that may impact the ratings of job satisfaction by practicing Illinois K-12 teachers specifically examining if the variables of occupational roles, burnout, efficacy, and other relevant covariates are correlated and/or have predictive utility on teacher job satisfaction. A secondary goal was to raise awareness about the stressors teachers face in their work environments. Survey materials included a demographics questionnaire, an occupational roles catalog, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale, and the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale. Seventy-six practicing Illinois K-12 teachers completed the study. Results of the current …

Crisis Communication Guidebook For Small And Medium-Sized Food Business: From Theory To Practice, Yixin Li

Masters Theses

This creative thesis aims to develop a practical crisis communication guidebook for small and medium-sized food businesses. Compared with larger businesses that have greater human and financial resources, small and medium-sized food businesses are often more vulnerable to the influences of crises on revenue and reputation. For this reason, they have a bigger need for practical and systematic crisis guidance. This project is grounded in crisis communication theory and analyzes existing literature in order to translate academic research and theoretical knowledge into an applied guidebook.

The guidebook is organized into three sections based on the timeline of crisis development: before …

Good Girl Bootcamp: Performative Femininity, Purity Culture, And Other Things Girls Are Taught, Kiersten Holland

Masters Theses

Performative femininity is a dangerous and controlling idea that subjugates women and places their inherent worth on how well they can conform to societal standards in male dominated spaces. Consequently, the reactionary messaging that surfaced as a result of these social pressures created a series of stereotypical female characterizations often depicted in the material and visual cultures of each period. By comparing contemporary literature with literature from the Victorian time period, it emphasizes the longstanding and controlling gender stereotypes pervasive throughout the past few centuries. This thesis attempts to understand and analyze the way that literature both critiques and supports …

Intermittent Versus Continuous Reinforcement: Which Is More Effective For Skill Acquisition In Children With Adhd Using Precision Teaching?, Samantha Pulling

Masters Theses

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can experience challenges learning academic skills, possibly because of altered reinforcement and learning processes. Reinforcement is commonly used to support learning and adaptive behavior; however, research examining continuous and intermittent reinforcement schedules for children with ADHD has produced inconsistent findings. Precision Teaching (PT) is a fluency-based, data-driven instructional approach that emphasizes rate and celeration of behavior and has been shown to effectively support academic learning for individuals with ADHD. This study compared the effects of a continuous reinforcement schedule with a small reinforcer and an intermittent reinforcement schedule with a larger reinforcer on …

If You Build It, Will They Stay? Fish Communities Continue To Utilize Restored Habitat A Decade Following An Instream Restoration, Alexis L. Vandenberg

Masters Theses

Lotic ecosystems are degraded at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities. In order to combat these changes, stream restorations are implemented to improve conditions such as water quality, habitat heterogeneity, and bank stability. However, the impacts of these restorations are often understudied and long-term impacts are unknown. Restorations are typically designed to be ‘fish attractors’; this idea is known as the ‘Field of Dreams hypothesis’ – ‘if you build it, they will come’. This study uses data collected in Kickapoo Creek, Coles County from 2009 to 2015 and again in 2021 and 2022 to assess the long-term impacts of …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Proactive And Reactive Behavior Management Strategies, Anna Wilzbach

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to expand the praise literature by examining K-12 teachers’ preferences for proactive behavior management strategies (e.g., praise, acknowledgement, rewards). In addition, teachers’ opinions on the efficacy of proactive strategies were assessed to see if efficacy of strategies decreased as grade level increased. Teacher opinions of efficacy and preferences for proactive strategies and reprimand were collected through the Teacher Praise and Reprimand Preference Survey (TPRPS). A total of 93 teachers from rural and suburban school districts completed the TPRPS survey. Results indicated as grade level increased, teachers found praise less effective for managing student appropriate …