Digital Commons Network^™

41.82379°N, 71.38497°W, Xiaotong Cai

Masters Theses

I, Xiaotong Cai, have known an abandoned bridge was lifted and stuck at 64-degree from 1976. I have walked and bent down towards it for over 60 times, each paralleling a journal entry. The visits and 27,351 words (up until May 5th) are the living proof: observation, encounters, correspondence, collectively and personally. It’s been nine months since it emerged in flux. Two flesh. A moving outsider and a still bridge. How can an Unused giant activate a human body? Who is the attractor and intervener?

Here, my solution is to conduct a series of small gestures. I say, interpreting without …

Breathing Structures: Hygroscopicity Of Fibers., Nawal Urooj

Masters Theses

Cities like Singapore, Mumbai, Karachi, and regions of Ghana experience persistently hot and humid climates. In these regions, humidity in built environments significantly affects both human comfort and the durability of building materials. Yet traditional mechanical dehumidification strategies are energy-intensive, environmentally taxing, and socially uneven in their accessibility. We must challenge the existing systems for thermal comfort, the inefficient role Architecture plays in it, and the socio-economic politics associated with thermal comfort in developing countries.

Karachi, a coastal city in the south of Pakistan, has extremely high relative humidity and high temperatures throughout most of the year. In this region, …

Specific Randomness, Xinyi Li

Masters Theses

Stability is not a default. It must be actively produced.

My work grows out of precarity. Everything around me is a running process, but nothing is guaranteed. This thesis is about how to keep form going under that condition. My argument is that pattern is the key: not as decoration, but as an information system that lets the effort of sustained construction be seen, while keeping its logic from being fully read.

I use computational tools to apply rules to source images. The condition of these source images is that multiple constrained processes are running at once, each following its …

Beyond The Tampon (Menstrual Equity & Justice Certification), Rucha Kale

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that while menstruation is a common life event, experiences related to menstruation are not inherently inequitable for a range of reasons that relate to wider currents that revolve around a narrow idea of the “default” human body. One imagined as non-menstruating, uninterrupted in its activities, or endowed with social, economic, and political agency. This project asks what becomes possible when those usually excluded from this norm are no longer treated as exceptions to accommodate, but as core and central constituencies to design with and for.

Using menstruation as a critical site of inquiry, the thesis first examines …

Waterway: A Steam-Based Therapeutic Device System, Mingyuan Dong

Masters Theses

Across history and global cultures, water has played a central and often spiritual role in practices of care, from cleansing rituals to saunas and steam therapies. Yet, within contemporary product design, water is typically treated as a utility rather than as an experiential material capable of shaping perception, attention, and well-being. This thesis, Waterway, investigates how water, specifically in its steam state, can be designed as both a therapeutic medium and a ritualized experience that engages the body and mind.

Waterway proposes a steam-based wellness system that addresses physical pain and somatic discomfort while cultivating slower, more attentive interaction. Rather …

My Utopian Dream, Pingfan Que

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the author’s feelings of exclusion and marginality through a critique of mainstream social narratives, consumerism, and capitalism. Written in an autobiographical and essayistic mode, it combines personal

reflection with an exploration of the motivations behind an art practice shaped by the desire for equality, belonging and co-existence. Because the author’s artistic practice revolves strongly around personal narrative, the thesis uses subjective experience and metaphor to affect as both material and method. Through the allegorical figures of the Bluebird, the cat, and “blankness,” it explores the difficulty of social belonging, the pressure of adaptation, and the emotional struggle …

The Wall As Commons, Raveena Deshpande

Masters Theses

Collective infrastructures for informal domesticity 

As urban populations grow, access to affordable housing declines, pushing certain sections of the population to build informal settlements outside legal and formal construction systems. These settlements often lack access to basic living infrastructures - water, sanitation, and electricity- even as they house a large share of the population in developing countries.

Current models of designing for informality exist as top down planning approaches, that ignore lived realities at the scale of the home. These design models are incongruent with informal lifestyles, and undermine the sense of belonging that comes with rituals of self-authorship in …

Perceptual Heterotopia: A Spatial Experience Through Light, Media, And Textiles, Anne Yeoji Kim

Masters Theses

This study originates from sensory experience of observing sunrises and sunsets. Although the space in which these phenomena occur remains constant, it is perceived in different ways due to changes in the light that enters the space at these times. From these sensory experiences, the study began to inquire into the relationship between reality and the ideal. From this inquiry, it evolved into an exploration of how the ideal, or utopian, could be experienced through the senses within the realm of reality.

The concept of a heterotopia, as proposed by Michel Foucault, was used to expand upon these issues. A …

Learning From The Remains: Meditations On Sustainability, Julae Tan

Masters Theses

What remains when a person or material assemblage is stripped of its

component parts?

What is left is the remainder, an irreductible core.

Purely cerebral learning can be fleeting. A hybrid approach of cerebral and

visceral, “perverse” learning grounded in a familial understanding of the

remainder yields a more resilient pedagogy that endures long after leaving the

site of formal education.

This research was completed under the aegis of the 2025/26 Sustainability

Design Lab and features the subject of making with paper discards as the

primary mode of interrogation.

Via a collection of essays, a literature review, as well as …

Billiards Cosmographies, Camilla Radoyce, Camilla Radoyce

Masters Theses

The world is full of systems too large to change. Climate catastrophe, extraction, infrastructure, and property organize everyday life while remaining largely invisible in their totality. We possess the tools to alter these conditions, yet the same arrangements continue to return. The same worlds are built again and again.

Billiards Cosmographies treats billiards as a way of thinking about how humans organize around inherited systems and enduring forms. This thesis proposes the billiards table not as a fixed object, but as a gizmo: a device for imagining how new social worlds might be assembled from a constellation of what already …

Fragments Of The Grassland, Zihan Liu

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates Tibetan nomadic pastoralism in the Himalayan region, where habitation is inseparable from seasonal migration and environmental conditions. Focusing on Ganzi County in Sichuan Province, where nomadic and settled lifestyles coexist.

The research positions "documentation" as both method and design driver, provides a possibility that architecture can mediate cultural continuity and coexistence between Tibetan nomadic pastoralism and its surrounding culture. By transforming documentation methodology into a design methodology, the mobility of architecture has become into a spatial strategy. Through a mobile marketplace, the project enables ongoing exchange between nomadic and settled lifestyles and among diverse cultural groups, positioning …

Unleashing Material Agencies, Yahui Chen

Masters Theses

Contemporary architectural practice has come to rely on a narrow repertoire of high-energy industrial materials, giving rise to what might be called a material "hegemonic structure" in which certain substances and construction logics dominate at the expense of others. This dominance suppresses material diversity and limits architecture's capacity to align with ecological processes, producing a systemic metabolic imbalance within the built environment. At its root, this imbalance reflects a structural absence: the persistent treatment of architecture as a closed, controllable system that imposes human will upon matter while suppressing its inherent agency.

Engaging with what Jane Bennett terms "vital materialism," …

Elementary Music Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Class Size On Tonal And Phonemic Awareness In Second-Grade General Music Classes, Ariel A. Supinger

Masters Theses

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative study was to investigate elementary music teachers’ perceptions of the impact of class size on tonal and phonemic awareness in second-grade general music classes. The researcher-designed questionnaire was sent to elementary music teachers who teach second-grade general music in elementary schools within urban, suburban, and rural school districts.

Behind The Lines In The Balkans: U.S. Military, Intelligence, And Diplomatic Operations In Romania During World War Ii And The Early Cold War, Timothy W. Brophy

Masters Theses

U.S. involvement in Romania during World War II was significant. This involvement began with a U.S. Army Air Forces bombing campaign against the country’s oil refineries, which provided approximately 25% of Nazi Germany’s oil supply during the war. Initial bombing raids occurred in 1942 and 1943, but it was not until April 4, 1944, that the Fifteenth Air Force (15th AF) launched a sustained bombing campaign against Romania. By August 1944, the American bombing of Romania had successfully crippled Romanian oil production and export to Nazi Germany, paved the way for the Soviets to drive German forces out of Romania, …

Modern Visual Solutions For Established Brands: Making Graphic Design Accessible To Legacy Businesses, Emma R. Shanton

Masters Theses

Legacy businesses, often family-owned shops or companies that have been around for decades, have real history and loyal customers, but many look old-fashioned and struggle to attract new people today. Outdated logos, hard-to-read designs, and the habit of using ready-made templates or AI-generated images lead to branding that feels generic, turns customers away, excludes people with disabilities, and can even cause legal trouble.

This study asks a simple question: How can small, long-running businesses update their look in a way that is affordable, easy for everyone to use, legally safe, and still feels true to their story, without high costs, …

The Names We Carry, Christan Hickman

Masters Theses

The Names We Carry explores the weight of the labels and expectations we carry from others and sometimes from ourselves. It tells the story of moving from exhaustion, self-doubt, and trying to be everything for everyone to discovering rest, boundaries, and a sense of wholeness. The book looks at identities people have given us and asks whether these names show who we really are or who we had to become to survive. It is about learning to live fully, care for ourselves without guilt, and embrace authenticity in work, relationships, and faith. At its heart, The Names We Carry is …

Adam, The First Scientist: Unlocking The True Foundation Of Scientific Thinking, Thomas E. Lohman Jr.

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the complex relationship between scientific thought and theological perspectives, proposing that God breathing life into Adam symbolizes a full divine inspiration for both scientific and theological understanding. The perceived conflict between science and theology arises from a shift in human thinking at the fall, which altered humanity's ability to rightly grasp both realms. After this crucial event, science shifted to a more naturalistic approach, while theology often downplayed God's sovereign power over creation.

The alterations to the original functions and purposes of science and theology have led to a fragile relationship between the two. According to Scripture, …

From Christology To Ontology: A Diachronic And Exegetical Evaluation Of A Maximalist Sacramental Interpretation Of John 6:51–58, Andrew R. Johnson

Masters Theses

John 6:51–58 occupies a central place in the debate regarding the ontological nature of the Eucharist, frequently serving as a primary scriptural warrant for sacramental realism such as articulated by the Council of Trent as it concerns the dogma of transubstantiation within the Roman Catholic tradition. This thesis conducts both an evaluation of historical reception and a critical exegetical analysis to determine whether the Evangelist’s primary intent was to establish sacramental doctrine in this passage or to further develop already pervasive Johannine soteriological and christological themes.

Methodologically, this study bridges the gap between historical reception and synchronic exegesis. The first …

Linguistic And Cultural Analysis Of Divine Command In 1 Samuel 15: Implications For Biblical Interpretation, Timothy Arnell Dunn

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that ḥērem in 1 Samuel 15 is not a relic of ancient warfare but a sacred act of covenantal devotion that reveals the tension between divine holiness, human obedience, and Israel’s identity as a people set apart for YHWH. Through historical, philological, narrative, and canonical analysis, the study demonstrates that ḥērem functions as a ritualized declaration of divine sovereignty in which destruction becomes consecration and obedience becomes worship. Saul’s partial compliance is therefore not strategic misjudgment but a rupture in covenant fidelity that exposes the costliness of holiness and the danger of selective obedience. Yet the canon …

Fiction Novel Chapters: Ghost Orchid, Ronald C. Whetsell

Masters Theses

There is a natural tension between governments whose structures are maintained by strong, centralized control like those of Russia and China, and one built on a decentralized, constitutional democracy such as the United States. Although Russia and China have functioned on the global stage in a manner largely reflecting their own self-interests since the early twentieth century, that configuration will change within the fiction novel, Desert Orchid. The narrative will detail their agreement to combine their resources which will better enable them to compete with the free economy of the United States. Their goal is to usurp the global economic …

The Law Of Christ As Eschatological Nomism: Paul’S Halakhic Framework For Gentile Inclusion In The Covenant Community, Jason Bagwell

Masters Theses

This thesis examines Paul’s “Law of Christ” as a halakhic framework for Gentile inclusion in the covenant community. It argues that Paul does not reject the Torah as God’s covenant instruction, nor does he replace it with a vague or subjective ethic. Rather, Paul reorients Torah through the Christ event and applies it to Gentile believers through Spirit-empowered covenant fidelity. By analyzing key Pauline texts, especially Galatians 6:2, 1 Corinthians 9:21, 1 Corinthians 7:17–20, and related case studies involving idolatry, sexual immorality, food, and table fellowship, this study demonstrates that Paul’s instructions to Gentiles function as concrete legal and communal …

Running For Home: Approaching Feminist Literary Theory Through A Biblical Lens In Women's Fiction, Tabitha Joy Lawson

Masters Theses

“Undeterred, Stephanie’s frown deepened. ‘Too bad you don’t have a mom. Maybe she could teach you how to be pretty’” (Lawson). These lines from the creative manuscript, Running for Home, capture a prevalent gender norm as eleven-year-old Eli attempts to navigate life in a new school. Gender norms as they apply to women, such as submissiveness versus independence, are a central theme of Women’s Fiction and is the genre of my creative manuscript. Written from the point of view of two characters, the story begins when Teresa is in her early twenties in 1974, and Eli’s begins in 1991. The …

Music Education For Diverse Learners: An Undergraduate Curriculum To Prepare Pre-Service Educators To Adapt Music Instruction, Phoebe Winey

Masters Theses

Music educators are required to work with students of all levels and abilities. Christian music educators understand that all students are created by God fearfully and wonderfully (Psalm 139:14, English Standard Version) and that humanity is Christ’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). Christians in education must perceive all students as the workmanship of Christ and work to provide them with fidelity and excellence in education. Music education has proven to be a critical method for developing the minds of learners with exceptionalities; therefore, music educators must be adequately prepared to educate students with diverse exceptionalities through accommodations that improve cognitive abilities and …

Artrepreneurs & Business Survival: Bridging The Gap To Creative Success, Ryan Michael Moore

Masters Theses

Artrepreneurs — freelance artists and small studio owners within creative industries — frequently lack training in essential business management skills in financial management, client pipeline development, and business sustainability. These factors exacerbate already statistically high business failure rates, adding to the burdens experienced by creative entrepreneurs. Conventional wisdom and guidance for entrepreneurs is found in experience-based advice from books, blogs and business mentors. While these offer valuable insights, the lack of data-driven advice highlights an opportunity to close the knowledge gap. This research investigates visually engaging educational systems to guide the creation of new visual solutions which address these challenges. …

The Other Summer Soundtrack: Mass Bands, Hbcu Influence, And The Future Of Culturally Relevant, Community-Driven Music Education, Thomas L. Jones Jr.

Masters Theses

This study examines the roles of mass bands, community bands, and all-star bands and explores how they can offer culturally relevant, community-driven alternatives to traditional summer music education programs. This is especially important for students from diverse and lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Traditional marching musical arts programs require students to have access to sufficient funding and transportation, effectively locking out low-income and culturally distant groups. This research explores how alternative band models offer a viable option for supporting young students in music education, social skills development, and leadership. The multiple-case study focused on three diverse program types. Over the course of …

Exploring The Uses And Gratifications Of Digital Ministry: A Qualitative Case Study Of Christian Engagement With Jonathan Pokluda’S Instagram, Lashalle A. Schornberg

Masters Theses

This study explores the uses and gratifications of Christian social media engagement through a qualitative content analysis of Instagram posts and user comments from digital ministry figure Jonathan Pokluda. While online ministries reach millions daily, limited research has examined how this content meets the spiritual, emotional, and relational needs of young audiences within a social media context. Grounded in uses and gratifications theory, this study analyzes 1,534 publicly available Instagram comments to identify patterns of engagement and user motivation. Through thematic analysis, eight primary forms of engagement emerged: brief encouragement and affirmation, emotional resonance, personal testimony and life disclosure, conversational …

A Quantitative Case Study Of Family Communication Patterns Theory And Parental Awareness Of Divine Rivals, Calista Coletti

Masters Theses

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how parents of different family communication pattern types are aware of the connect of the books their teens read. The problem is that parents have different awareness levels of the content of teens’ books or the books their teens read and it is unknown why they differ and what factors influence differences in awareness. This study focuses on the book Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. The findings show that families with a high conversation orientation have parents who know more about the content in the books their teens read. The results …

War Stories: A Rhetorical Criticism Of How The War Stories In Extreme Ownership Are Used To Teach And Reinforce Leadership Principles., Landon Roseberry

Masters Theses

This rhetorical criticism examines how military combat narratives, or war stories, exhibit distinct narrative elements that communicate leadership principles. This study operationalizes Walter Fisher’s (1984; 1989) narrative paradigm for rhetorical criticism to examine how narrative rationality (narrative fidelity and narrative coherence) is created in four war stories from the New York Times bestselling book Extreme Ownership, written by Jocko Willink and Lief Babin. This study views the narrative elements and leadership values through the lens of Generation Y values and norms. This study found that war stories create an extreme setting in which narrative consequences are heightened, and leadership values …

Fanning The Flames: Incorporating Faith Into Fantasy, Rachel E. Noonan

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the integration of Christian themes into fantasy literature through critical analysis and original creative work. The critical component traces the tradition of Christian fantasy from Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene to C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, arguing that faith achieves its greatest literary impact when woven organically into character and world-building rather than imposed upon the narrative. Contemporary novels by Shannon Dittemore and Chuck Black illustrate the dangers of didacticism and shallow characterization. The creative manuscript, Fanning the Flames, applies these principles through Kian Sai, a young conscript navigating an authoritarian military …

A Phenomenological Study Of Participation In Low-Threshold Choirs With The Lenses Of Flow Theory And Neuroscience, Jessie Mae Rajala Chapin

Masters Theses

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore participant perspectives on the multi-faceted benefits of participation in low-threshold choirs toward health and well-being as interpreted through the lenses of flow theory and neuroscience. The results of this study can inform the practice of choral directors to maximize the benefits of choral participation for the individuals they serve. The researcher interviewed twelve participants and analyzed data from thirty-two online survey respondents and two observations. Thematic analysis incorporated inductive coding of the data combined with deductive application of flow theory. Themes developed aligned with current research on the benefits of choral …