Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Africa's Global Influence, Faez Al-Haq - Abidemi Salami

Masters Theses

This thesis believes in the design and production of an interactive kids' coloring book on Africa's extensive influence on world cultures, history, economies, and artistic heritage. In a bid to reverse centuries of misrepresentation and large-scale miseducation regarding Africa within early childhood textbooks, this work aims to design an interactive, kid-friendly guide that informs young readers about the central role Africa plays in today's world. Informed by thorough literature review and referencing case studies of successful education and culture intervention, the proposal positions Africa's global reach, spanning from its precolonial trading networks, philosophic structures, diaspora contributions, art heritage, and cultural …

Black Girl Magic Is Real, Bethany M. Duff

Masters Theses

This thesis began with an inquiry into the state of representation of Black women authors within the fantasy fiction genre. The artist statement delves into the development of a fantasy story with a Black young woman protagonist written by a Black woman. The story serves as a vehicle for the author to continue the authorial legacy begun by Black women authors decades before. The critical research paper operates as a literature review of five books within the fantasy fiction genre, written by Black women. It discusses the themes of: the connection between race and the narrative, race and the magic …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Implementing Gestures Into Vocabulary Instruction To Aid Recall And Retention, Emma Dilley

Masters Theses

This study highlighted the idea of incorporating gestures into vocabulary instruction to help the students recall and retain the new vocabulary words. The researcher predicted that with the incorporation of the strategy of gestures into instruction, kindergarten students will be able to retain more vocabulary words compared to vocabulary instruction that does not include gestures. A total of 22 students and one teacher from a rural town in central Illinois participated in the study. This study was a mixed methods study, which included quantitative data in the form of pretest and posttest and qualitative data in the form of a …

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 …

Teachers' Perceptions And Professional Uses Of Artificial Intelligence In Education, Lexie Coartney

Masters Theses

This study explores Illinois teachers’ perceptions and professional uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. A mixed methods approach was implemented, including a survey completed by 137 Illinois teachers and four interviews. The research questions examined teachers' perceptions of AI, their professional use of AI, and their approach to students’ use of AI. Findings concluded that participants generally hold positive perceptions of AI, especially its time-saving abilities and being supportive, while also holding concerns including reliability, accuracy, and ethical issues. Results showed that 77% (n = 106) of teachers use AI tools mostly for lesson planning, creating assessments, differentiation, …

Long-Term Compositional Shifts In The Fish Community Of The Wabash River, Olivia R. Wertman

Masters Theses

There is concern about declining biodiversity in the world today and an increasing need to monitor biodiversity through collecting data and gauging changes occurring in biodiversity over time. Large river fish communities are one area of particular interest due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. One program seeking to address this is the Long-Term Survey and Assessment of Large River Fishes, LTEF, which monitors fish populations in the large rivers of Illinois. In this study, I assessed changes in the fish community of the lower 322 km of the Wabash River from 2010-2025 using annual direct current boat electrofishing surveys …

Robust Broadband Characterization Of Flexible Absorbers, Sheet Material, And Liquids Using A Coaxial Structure, Joseph Christopher Stecher

Masters Theses

Modern high-frequency measurement systems require reliable calibration and sample positioning to ensure measurement fidelity. This thesis presents three studies addressing practical limitations in broadband material parameter extraction and instrumentation.

The first study introduces a modified Nicolson–Ross–Weir (NRW) technique for flexible, compression-sensitive materials from 100 MHz to 18 GHz. Rigid 3D-printed spacers ensure precise sample positioning, and a T-matrix–based de-embedding procedure removes spacer effects. Validation using microstrip measurements and full-wave simulation confirms accurate permittivity extraction across compression levels.

The second study extends NRW to sheet materials enabling accurate material characterization. Independent validation using toroidal inductors with leakage correction and parallel-plate capacitors …

Optimal Slotting In Hybrid Warehousing For Industry 4.0, Teng Yang

Masters Theses

In the era of Industry 4.0, the warehouse management system (WMS) employed by many firms prescribes hybrid storage, i.e., products with high turnover, called fast movers, are kept in random storage for a short time duration before being shifted to a dedicated storage area, while products with low turnover, called slow movers, remain in random storage. From dedicated storage, the products are dispatched to the customer. The challenge for managers is selecting the slot in dedicated storage to assign to each product while demand data change because of fluctuating market conditions; this problem is referred to as slotting in the …

Assessment And Comparison Of Selected Carbon Ablation Models In Hypersonic Free-Flight And Arc-Jet Conditions, Andrew Steven Heider

Masters Theses

Accurate prediction of ablative thermal protection system (TPS) performance is critical for hypersonic vehicle design. However, numerical prediction of ablation remains challenging because results are influenced by complex physics and the choice of surface chemistry model and assumptions made in material response calculations. The objective of this work is to evaluate several carbon ablation models and their implementation within modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes. Numerical simulations were performed using NASA’s LAURA flow solver and the commercial CFD code ANSYS Fluent, which coupled Navier-Stokes with surface chemistry models describing carbon oxidation, nitridation, and sublimation reactions. Several reaction sets were considered, …

Analyzing Sleep Architecture And Brain State Transitions Via Hidden Markov Models On Fmri Data, Brileigh Jay Cates

Masters Theses

Sleep is associated with systematic changes in brain activity and functional connectivity observable in functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) signals. Because subjects often fall asleep during resting-state experiments, the absence of vigilance monitoring can confound the interpretation of resting-state dynamics. Although electroencephalography (EEG) is the gold standard for sleep staging, simultaneous EEG-fMRI acquisition is not always feasible.

This study investigates whether sleep stages can be inferred directly from fMRI using a probabilistic latent-state framework. Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are applied to blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) time series to identify latent brain states and their temporal transitions. Inferred states are aligned with EEG-derived …

Calcium Based Carbon Negative Fillers And Additives: Effects On Hydration And Performance Of Low-Carbon Cement Systems, Smita Bhowmick Shithi

Masters Theses

Cement production is a major source of global CO₂ emissions creating an urgent need for carbon-negative fillers and functional additives that lower clinker use while maintaining cement performance. This thesis investigates the effects of organic mineral salts as fillers and additives on cement hydration, fresh properties, compressive strength and pore structure. In the first study, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was partially replaced with calcium carbonate or calcium oxalate to enable a direct comparison under controlled particle size distribution (PSD). Rheology, flowability, hydration kinetics, phase evolution, mechanical performance and water absorption were evaluated. Calcium carbonate promoted early hydration through nucleation and …

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 …

Developing Discharge Estimation Algorithm Using Low-Cost Velocity Sensor And Machine Learning, Barkha Gautam

Masters Theses

Accurate river discharge estimation is essential for flood forecasting, water resources management, and hydraulic decision-making; however, continuous discharge records are unavailable at many river locations. Traditional stage-discharge rating curves are widely used but their reliability may decrease when channel conditions change or flow conditions vary rapidly. This study develops and evaluates Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models for discharge prediction using 15-minute time-series data from river monitoring stations in Missouri. Two model configurations, a baseline stage-only model and an enhanced stage-plus-velocity model, are developed and evaluated independently at two river sites to determine whether the inclusion of surface velocity improves discharge …

Investigating The Dynamic Rating Method: Effects Of Flood Wave Geometry On Discharge Estimation, Daniel James Read

Masters Theses

Rating curves are a vital tool to convert from observed stage to discharge in streamflow monitoring. Most gaging sites utilize a simple rating curve, which assumes a monotonic relationship between stage and discharge. In most cases, this assumption is valid; however, dynamic effects of flood waves often cause significant error in discharge estimation for mildly sloped streams. The dynamic rating method utilizes a numerical solution of the St. Venant Equations applied to time series stage data to compute discharge. Within this method, there is a flood wave parameter called the flood wave factor. The researchers designed a formal computational model …

Castrip Process Technology: Non-Grain Oriented (Ngo) Si Steels Extension And Carbide-Free Bainitic (Cfb) For Flat Products, Naram Naidu Meesala

Masters Theses

"This research explores the development of advanced steel grades manufactured through Castrip® twin-roll thin strip casting technology, with particular attention to non-grain-oriented electrical Si-Steels (NGOES) and carbide-free bainitic (CFB) steels. The Castrip® process offers a near-net-shape route for producing thin steel strips, which greatly decreases the number of processing stages, lowers energy demand, and reduces carbon dioxide emissions when compared with traditional steel production methods.

In the NGOES part of the study, several industrial Fe–Si steel compositions were cold rolled to final thicknesses ranging from 0.35 mm to 0.15 mm. These materials were then exposed to short-duration continuous annealing at …

Optical Fiber Eaf Refactory Lining Temperature Monitoring For Safety And Operating Efficiency, Manoj Kumar Pullagura

Masters Theses

"Electric arc furnace (EAF) sidewalls experience severe thermal, chemical, and mechanical loading, especially near burner and injector regions where refractory wear and water ingress from damaged cooling components pose safety risks. Conventional thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors provide reliable point measurements but lack the spatial resolution needed to capture steep gradients and localized anomalies. This research investigates embedded optical fiber sensors for high-resolution temperature monitoring of EAF refractory safety linings to support early water-leak detection and assessment of refractory thermal behavior. A combined Rayleigh backscattering-based optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) approach was evaluated through laboratory …

Validating A Low-Cost Radio Frequency Characterization Framework For Development-Grade Software-Defined Radios In Short-Duration Cubesat Missions, Thomas Wayne Francois

Masters Theses

Software-defined radios (SDRs) and CubeSat platforms have reduced the cost and complexity of space-based communication systems, enabling broader participation in satellite missions. While low-cost radio hardware is increasingly accessible, the ability to characterize and validate its performance remains constrained by the high cost and limited access to traditional RF test equipment. This disparity creates a challenge for small satellite development teams, which must characterize communication-system technical performance with limited access to laboratory-grade instrumentation.

This thesis presents a low-cost RF characterization framework for assessing key radio-frequency performance metrics using readily available hardware and measurement techniques. The approach integrates frequency translation, SDR-based …

The Occurence Of Expansive Clay Soils In Illinois And Their Effects On Shallow Lightly Loaded Foundations, Greg James Gollaher

Masters Theses

"The damage caused to shallow foundations and slabs on grade by the shrink-swell activity of clay soils is well documented across the United States. There are local and national resources available that delineate areas that are problematic and areas that are not. These resources paint Illinois as an undemanding foundation environment. However, our experience differs from this. Our experience tells us that damage related to the shrink-swell activity of clay soils is widespread, and commonly severe causing not only cosmetic damage to structures and hard improvements but also affecting the serviceability and longevity of structures. My goal is to accurately …

Compositional And Functional Shifts In Fish Community Structure In Response To Low-Head Dam Removals, Joshua D. Bruegge

Masters Theses

Low-head dams serve as intermittent barriers to aquatic connectivity and directly alter both upstream and downstream habitats and biotic communities. In 2018 and 2019, two low-head dams in the Vermilion River watershed of eastern Illinois were removed, reconnecting over 1,700 kilometers of upstream habitat within the basin. To determine the impacts of these dam removals, fish community surveys were conducted at 12 fixed sites across three reaches in two rivers from 2012-2022. This study assessed reach-specific temporal responses of the fish community and habitat characteristics. I linked trait expressions within the fish community to abiotic variables using the co-inertia RLQ …

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 …

You’Re Gonna Be Popular: A Semiotic Exploration Of Meaningful Tools Used To Promote Popular Music Artists, Maya Raye Kurth

Masters Theses

I have been to dozens of concerts, but after experiencing The Era’s Tour I became a Swiftie so quickly and passionately that I was looking for comparable concerts and fan experiences and found very few. It made me wonder how and why this fan experience stuck with me and what made it so special. With that question in mind, I started this project with the question of how successful indie music is marketed.

To answer this question, I used semiotics as the driving theory behind this study. Semiotics allowed me to establish a binary between organic and manufactured and allowed …