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Masters Theses

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On The Shores Of Perga: A Theological Analysis Of John Mark’S Departure From The First Pauline Missionary Journey And Its Implications For The Gentile Mission, Erbey Galvan Valdez May 2022

On The Shores Of Perga: A Theological Analysis Of John Mark’S Departure From The First Pauline Missionary Journey And Its Implications For The Gentile Mission, Erbey Galvan Valdez

Masters Theses

In approximately AD 48, the Apostle Paul, his coworker Barnabas, and Barnabas’ cousin, John Mark, boarded a ship at Seleucia and headed for Cyprus to initiate their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4). It was during this mission that an unexpected setback occurred—John Mark departed from the mission shortly after their arrival at Perga in Pamphylia. Although Luke offers no direct reason for Mark’s departure, the events that soon unfold point to an unprecedented movement that occurs within the Gentile mission. This study examines the viability of the idea that John Mark's departure was potentially motivated by theological differences with Paul …


Family Lore And Believability In Historical Fiction, Amy Elizabeth Cimino May 2022

Family Lore And Believability In Historical Fiction, Amy Elizabeth Cimino

Masters Theses

This thesis began with a story of family lore about life at the Manhattan Project plant site at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The artist's statement tells the story of lore passed down from grandmother to granddaughter during a road trip. As the family lore was written down on the page, the question of how to write believable historical fiction arose. Limitations in the research showed gaps in the narrative that the author needed to fill in. The critical theory paper evaluates how those research gaps can be used as opportunities for the craft of writing to bring this family story to …


A Two-Part Rebuttal Of Probability-Based Arguments Against Christian Theism, David Keith Wilson May 2022

A Two-Part Rebuttal Of Probability-Based Arguments Against Christian Theism, David Keith Wilson

Masters Theses

This thesis addresses probability-based arguments (PA) from atheism against theism. This popular form of atheistic argument, rather than arguing that there is no such being as God, instead argues that God’s existence is very improbable. This would imply that the theist is unjustified in their belief, and therefore epistemically obligated to forsake their belief. By pairing a cumulative warrant with Alvin Plantinga’s inside straight argument, it is shown that the theist is under no such obligation. As there are many things that are unlikely as well as true, it can be that theism is both unlikely and true. Therefore, the …


Vaccine Hesitancy And Biden's Rhetoric, Samuel J.M. Bell May 2022

Vaccine Hesitancy And Biden's Rhetoric, Samuel J.M. Bell

Masters Theses

Within the setting and context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study uses Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) framework to analyze fantasy themes which emerged from the rhetoric of the American President, Joe Biden, regarding vaccinations. The main question of this study is why President Biden’s rhetorical vision either chained out and was accepted among the American public resulting in increased vaccination or failed to chain out resulting in Americans refusing to become vaccinated. To answer this question, a selection of artifacts consisting of examples of President Biden’s rhetoric are gathered, and using those artifacts, SCT fantasy themes are developed. …


The Pastoral Connection - Examining Parallels Between Pastoral And Political Rhetoric During The Revolutionary War, Abigail A. Zedwick May 2022

The Pastoral Connection - Examining Parallels Between Pastoral And Political Rhetoric During The Revolutionary War, Abigail A. Zedwick

Masters Theses

This paper examines the parallels between rhetoric in sermons preserved from the Revolutionary War period and rhetoric in political speeches and writings from the same period. The aim is to establish the extent of the parallels in rhetoric and to demonstrate that the rhetorical stances from the pulpit preceded the same rhetorical stances in political, secular work through establishing the date each document was published or presented. Studying these sources alongside reliable secondary sources on both the political and religious rhetorical themes will demonstrate, when put together to form a more complete picture of the period, that the political rhetoric …


Revisiting The Future: The Future Indicative And Perfective Aspect In Johannine Literature, Casey Lou Price May 2022

Revisiting The Future: The Future Indicative And Perfective Aspect In Johannine Literature, Casey Lou Price

Masters Theses

As Greek aspectual studies continue to develop, there remains a significant gap in research on the future as it pertains to aspect. The nature of the future indicative is debated, especially as to whether or not it conveys aspectual value. Using Buist Fanning’s premise that aspect and Aktionsart interact to produce predicable outcomes, Mark O’Brien has shown that future STATIVE verbs consistently create an ingressive meaning that mirrors that of STATIVE verbs in the aorist tense. He has used this to demonstrate that the aorist and future share the same aspect-Aktionsart interactions and that they therefore both communicate perfective aspect. …


The Struggle For Identity: How Female Writers Find Their Voice, Allison Joanne Call May 2022

The Struggle For Identity: How Female Writers Find Their Voice, Allison Joanne Call

Masters Theses

The purpose of this project is to examine the value and purpose of the female voice in literature. In the first part of this project, my artist’s statement clarifies my intent as a writer and an academic. This statement describes certain specific works that have influenced my writing style and content, and my literary aspirations. The second part of the project is the critical paper, which analyzes the importance of the feminine voice and identity in literature throughout different time periods and through different lenses. Within this paper, I examine how male writers have dominated the writing world and explore …


Save Our Love, Jaime Constance Belk May 2022

Save Our Love, Jaime Constance Belk

Masters Theses

Andy Crouch wrote in his inspirational book, Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling that “culture is inescapable” and if we are dissatisfied with it, we must “make new culture” (140). These words have inspired my creativity and influenced my writing in so many ways. Romance literature is constantly growing in popularity, but the genre is not evolving. In a world of monotonous storylines and happily-ever-afters, I seek to shift the romance genre with my project, Save Our Love. This is a romance manuscript that tells the powerful stories of Joseph and Denver, two disparate college students who build a bond …


Bias As A Worldview Engine, The Terminus A Quo Of The Problem Of Evil, Eric Spencer Mccrickard May 2022

Bias As A Worldview Engine, The Terminus A Quo Of The Problem Of Evil, Eric Spencer Mccrickard

Masters Theses

Evidential evil is an encompassing title for moral evil, natural disasters, disease, famine, divorce, suffering, or other calamities in life that yield dissatisfaction or discernable discomfort. This area of evidential evil is the focus of this paper generally, including the argument posed by William Rowe from evidential evil and contemporary treatments offered by Bruce Russell. The argumentation is God’s nonexistence from the platform, or derivative of no greater good observed or known, of the justification or allowance of evil. It is not a refutation of the premises, per se, but instead, the biases associated with them are de facto statements …


Deciduous: Using Gamified Skill Trees And Mapping To Define Learning Opportunities For Students, Daniel Allen Burau May 2022

Deciduous: Using Gamified Skill Trees And Mapping To Define Learning Opportunities For Students, Daniel Allen Burau

Masters Theses

Students can have difficulty visualizing the end goals of units of study and how one learned concept impacts another. They will benefit from seeing their progress toward completion and are motivated by how far they have come in their class. Progress in a course can be measured with the implementation of gamification tools. Gamification involves the integration of game frameworks into non-gaming areas. This research seeks to find how these and other gamification systems help increase student motivation or classroom performance. Elements of gaming are already found in some areas of education. Some schools have access to various tools to …


Telling The Story: Diabetes Prevention And Management, Brandi Caitlyn Frizzell May 2022

Telling The Story: Diabetes Prevention And Management, Brandi Caitlyn Frizzell

Masters Theses

Diabetes has been studied for thousands of years, however the root cause of this disease is still unknown. Although there are have been many disoveries for treatment options for this disease, there has yet to be a discovery of a cure. Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic that currently affects millions of people and is expected to affect millions more in the future. This disease often results in fatal health complications which contribute to years of life lost and mortality rates. The project proposes a solution for individuals affected by diabetes and those that are currently undiagnosed. The expected outcome of …


Teaching Through Screens, David Dell'osso Ritter May 2022

Teaching Through Screens, David Dell'osso Ritter

Masters Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic affected educational delivery dramatically, as many classes were transferred from ground to online in just a few weeks. This research explored the impact this transfer had on teachers and students. The research focused on student motivation and productivity in the online environment, as well as teacher presence in and preparedness for the online environment. The problem statement for this research is as follows: The COVID-19 pandemic responses to education diminished teacher presence resulting in a steep decline in student motivation and productivity. In addition to an extensive literature review, three case studies to better understand what had …


Examining The German Public's Response To The Third Reich's Anti-Jewish Policies, Georgetta M. Moore May 2022

Examining The German Public's Response To The Third Reich's Anti-Jewish Policies, Georgetta M. Moore

Masters Theses

The anti-Jewish policies of the Third Reich progressed from anti-Jewish legislation, stripping German Jews of their rights, to systematic mass murder. Deeply rooted antisemitism and Nazi propaganda serving as a vehicle for ideology fostered an environment of approval among most of the German public for certain anti-Jewish policies such as the Nuremberg Laws. The non-Jewish, German public responses to these anti-Jewish policies by the Third Reich shifted over the course of the Nazi’s rule and during World War II. Most of the German public supported anti-Jewish legislation such as laws removing German Jews from civil service occupations because it made …


Recovery Posture Post Hiit Exercise In The Active Population, Sydney Goll Apr 2022

Recovery Posture Post Hiit Exercise In The Active Population, Sydney Goll

Masters Theses

Introduction: By stimulating the sympathetic nervous system during a high intensity cycle HIIT workout, the effects of body posture on heart rate recovery can be recorded as the body is returning to a resting state. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the physiology of recovery related to different body positions after high intensity exercise in order to account for the quickest recovery. Design: Original research. Methods: 18 healthy college aged individuals, 9 males, 8 females, mean age 21.7 ± 2.22, performed a submaximal HIIT workout on a cycle ergometer with a metabolic cart to record respiratory data. …


An Examination Of The Underutilization Of Mental Health Resources In Collegiate Student-Athletes, Kathleen Olivia Glover Apr 2022

An Examination Of The Underutilization Of Mental Health Resources In Collegiate Student-Athletes, Kathleen Olivia Glover

Masters Theses

Previous and developing literature indicates that collegiate student-athletes, while more susceptible to psychological problems, are underutilizing mental health resources. This project examines the aforementioned problem through the use of extensive student-athlete mental health literature to identify themes that are affecting student-athlete’s likeliness of seeking psychological services. Throughout the themes, the need for additional support from student-athlete stakeholders is presented. A workshop series to guide increased mental health literacy in student-athlete stakeholders to create opportunities to recognize signs of mental illness and form cultures that encourage the utilization of psychological services is constructed. It is anticipated that by including stakeholders in …


Blood Flow Restriction And Various Intensity Exercise In The Upper Extremity, Noelle Ashlyn Kaminski, Andrew Lowe Apr 2022

Blood Flow Restriction And Various Intensity Exercise In The Upper Extremity, Noelle Ashlyn Kaminski, Andrew Lowe

Masters Theses

Purpose: To determine if using Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) combined with low-load exercise can elicit an increase in strength and tendon size of the distal biceps tendon when compared to high-load exercise protocol. Methods: Twenty-one participants (11 M, 10 F; 2 Left-handed: 19 Right-handed; Age range 18-25yoa) were randomized to either the treatment group (BFR + low load exercise) or the control group (high load exercise). Participants were enrolled in a 7-week exercise protocol, with exercise sessions held twice weekly. The first week included measurements of each participant's 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and ultrasound measurements of the dominant distal bicep’s …


The Transfer Equity Program A Plan To Increase Baccalaureate Attainment For Students Of Color, Olivia M. Knodel Apr 2022

The Transfer Equity Program A Plan To Increase Baccalaureate Attainment For Students Of Color, Olivia M. Knodel

Masters Theses

The primary goal of a higher education institution is to provide students with a quality education and help them obtain a bachelor’s degree. By earning a bachelor’s degree this provide an opportunity of a social mobility. The racial institutional stratification in higher education continues to be problematic for underrepresented students and their baccalaureate attainment goals. This issue is important to address, for students of color who start at a community college and transfer to a degree granting institution. The project will explain institutional barriers that students of color face in their post-secondary transition. The project will offer specific services and …


Amendment 4: A Movement To Reduce Ex-Felon Disenfranchisement In Florida, Hunter L. Harding Apr 2022

Amendment 4: A Movement To Reduce Ex-Felon Disenfranchisement In Florida, Hunter L. Harding

Masters Theses

The paper explores the foundations of Felon Disenfranchisement in the State of Florida and how the United States Constitution allowed for individual states to implement disenfranchisement measures. The historical foundations are necessary for understanding the implications of felon disenfranchisement and its disproportionate outcomes on minority communities. With previous attempts to change policy regarding the restoration of civil rights for those disenfranchised, a different approach was needed to solve the plagued restoration process in the State of Florida. Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, a group led by ex-felons, fostered the movement to create the ballot initiative of Amendment 4 in the 2018 …


An Examination Of Mental Health In First-Year College Students, Emily Jolin Luettke Apr 2022

An Examination Of Mental Health In First-Year College Students, Emily Jolin Luettke

Masters Theses

Research shows that first-year college students are likely to struggle with their transition into a higher education institution, which can lead to an influx of various mental health issues. This project explores factors that impact the adjustment to college as well as examines barriers that individuals face that keep them from seeking professional help. As mental health issues are on the rise, especially with the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to have conversations with students on mental health. The goal is to educate students in an effort to reduce mental health stigma and share information about resources …


Building Stronger Student-Teacher Relationships Through A Mentorship Program To Increase Student Reading Achievement, Emily Nicholas Apr 2022

Building Stronger Student-Teacher Relationships Through A Mentorship Program To Increase Student Reading Achievement, Emily Nicholas

Masters Theses

Research has shown that students learn best when their teachers know and understand them. When there are strong student-teacher relationships in place, reading achievement improves. In the following project, teachers will be part of a yearlong mentorship program at their school to improve student-teacher relationships in their classrooms. Teachers that are struggling to build positive student-teacher relationships will be the mentees and they will be paired with staff members who have already established strong, positive relationships with their students and will act as their mentors. The program will have three main components: cultural competence training, community connection and classroom library …


Design And Optimization Of An Electron Cyclotron Resonance Thruster, Austen Thomas Apr 2022

Design And Optimization Of An Electron Cyclotron Resonance Thruster, Austen Thomas

Masters Theses

Presented in this work is the process in the design and optimization of a coaxial electron cyclotron resonance thruster. Electron cyclotron resonance thrusters are novel microwave-based thrusters which possess select technological advantages over mature electric propulsion concepts such as being electrodeless and only requiring a single power source. The thruster constructed in this work is a coaxial configuration and is termed the Western electron cyclotron resonance thruster. Thruster dimensions were optimized based on past experimentation completed with ECR thrusters. In an attempt to enhance the microwave plasma coupling of the coaxial thruster design three different antenna configurations were considered: a …


Living With Stuttering: Authenticity, Identity, And Mental Health, Sarah Musilli Apr 2022

Living With Stuttering: Authenticity, Identity, And Mental Health, Sarah Musilli

Masters Theses

In an effort to manage stigma, some PWS attempt to conceal stuttering and pass as a fluent speaker (Constantino et al., 2017). These efforts to conceal may be counterintuitive, as concealment of stuttering is predictive of elevated distress (Gerlach et al., 2021) and decreased quality of life among PWS (Boyle et. al., 2018). Although this association exists, the factors explaining how and why it exists are unexplored. Identity conflict and feelings of in/authenticity are two potential factors that are explored in this study. Qualitative interviewing supplemented with quantitative survey data is utilized to explore the lived experiences of identity conflict …


Cultivating Meaningful Consultation And Collaboration: Tribal Environmental Protection In Michigan, Zachary Reed Apr 2022

Cultivating Meaningful Consultation And Collaboration: Tribal Environmental Protection In Michigan, Zachary Reed

Masters Theses

In the year 2022, there are 12 federally reaffirmed Native American tribes in Michigan. These tribes all maintain natural resource departments to manage tribal environments. Indigenous groups have a rich history of protection and understanding of the natural world. This connection to land and water has been systematically challenged through patterns of colonialism. Through policy making, revitalization efforts and environmental ethics, the State of Michigan has been improved by tribal natural resource departments. But, while the United States and the State of Michigan recognizes tribal sovereignty, meaningful tribal consultation is inadequate. Through collaborative interviews, historical sources, and contemporary evidence, this …


Neurogenic Stuttering: Exploring Potential Emotional And Life Impact, Natalie Devries Apr 2022

Neurogenic Stuttering: Exploring Potential Emotional And Life Impact, Natalie Devries

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to explore the potential emotional and life impact of living with neurogenic stuttering and how and when an impact develops, if present. The current diagnostic criteria for neurogenic stuttering includes no emotional impact (Canter, 1971). The literature is divided in supporting this criterion (Lebrun et al., 1990; Leder et al., 1996; Perino et al., 2000; Theys et al., 2008; Tani &Sakai, 2011; Ellis & Sheehy, 2013; Vanhoutte et al., 2014). The current study relied on qualitative interviewing which was analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis to explore potential for emotional and life impact (Braun …


The Shawnee And The Long Knives: Loyalty And Land In Lord Dunmore’S War, C. Nicole Rigney Bialko Apr 2022

The Shawnee And The Long Knives: Loyalty And Land In Lord Dunmore’S War, C. Nicole Rigney Bialko

Masters Theses

This thesis looks at Lord Dunmore’s War, the last Indian War of the colonial period, from a social history perspective. Essentially a land dispute, it was heightened by the political pressures of 1774 and ongoing conflicts between white colonists and the Shawnee, Lenape, and Haudenosaunee of the Ohio River Valley. These events were complicated by the actions of Captain John Connolly at Fort Pitt and Virginia’s Governor Dunmore. Dunmore endeavored to secure the loyalty of Virginians and American Indians through this war and instead lost both. Many historians have mistakenly portrayed this as a war with only one battle—the Battle …


Development Of A Ppg Sensor Array As A Wearable Device For Monitoring Cardiovascular Metrics, Jose Ignacio Rodriguez-Labra Apr 2022

Development Of A Ppg Sensor Array As A Wearable Device For Monitoring Cardiovascular Metrics, Jose Ignacio Rodriguez-Labra

Masters Theses

Wearable devices with integrated sensors for tracking human vitals are widely used for a variety of applications, including exercise, wellness, and health monitoring. Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors use pulse oximetry to measure pulse rate, cardiac cycle, oxygen saturation, and blood flow by passing a light beam of variable wavelength through the skin and measuring its reflection. A multi-channel PPG wearable system was developed to include multiple nodes of pulse oximeters, each capable of using different wavelengths of light. The system uses sensor fusion along with a machine learning model to perform feature extraction of relevant cardiovascular metrics across multiple pulse oximeters …


Dynamic Maneuvers For Satellite On-Orbit Servicing Utilizing Novel Continuum Robotics: Development & Experimentation, Nathan Dalton Apr 2022

Dynamic Maneuvers For Satellite On-Orbit Servicing Utilizing Novel Continuum Robotics: Development & Experimentation, Nathan Dalton

Masters Theses

Robotic on-orbit servicing is a developing technology that seeks to increase the longevity and repairability of faulty or aging resident space objects. In this research, the development of a flexible continuum manipulator for a small satellite system that performs low-complexity on-orbit servicing or debris removal is presented. Derivations of manipulator kinematics are described in detail, a non-linear control scheme has been developed, and the accuracy and servicing applications for the prototype are evaluated and discussed. The manipulator has been tested on an air-bearing dynamics simulator, and the results are extensively analyzed. System recommendations and future work suggestions are presented.


Autonomous Eco-Driving With Traffic Light And Lead Vehicle Constraints: An Application Of Best Constrained Interpolation, Yara Hazem Mohamed Mahmoud Apr 2022

Autonomous Eco-Driving With Traffic Light And Lead Vehicle Constraints: An Application Of Best Constrained Interpolation, Yara Hazem Mohamed Mahmoud

Masters Theses

Eco-Driving is a critical technology for improving automotive transportation efficiency. It is achieved by modifying the driving trajectory over a particular route to minimize required propulsion energy. Eco-Driving can be approached as an optimal control problem subject to driving constraints such as traffic lights and positions of other vehicles. Best interpolation in a strip is a problem in approximation theory and optimal control. The solution to this problem is a cubic spline. In this research we demonstrate the connection between Eco-Driving and best interpolation in the strip. By exploiting this connection, we are able to generate optimal Eco-Driving trajectories that …


Exploring Discourse Markers As A Treatment Outcome Measure For Aphasia, Anna K. Cedoz Apr 2022

Exploring Discourse Markers As A Treatment Outcome Measure For Aphasia, Anna K. Cedoz

Masters Theses

Discourse Markers (DMs) are communicative tools or resources that people use to organize conversations. The use of DMs among individuals with aphasia has been documented to support their communicative competence (Simmons-Mackie & Damico, 1996). Further research on the use of DMs by individuals with aphasia has been limited. The current study features a secondary analysis using existing data from Devanga (2020), which studied the effects of Collaborative Referencing Intervention (CRI; Hengst et al., 2010) on three participants with chronic aphasia. This study analyzed 18 conversation probes from one participant across baseline, treatment, and maintenance phases with clinician and spouse partners. …


Instructor Selection And Use Of Virtual Field Experiences In College Geoscience Course, Kristen Foley Apr 2022

Instructor Selection And Use Of Virtual Field Experiences In College Geoscience Course, Kristen Foley

Masters Theses

Virtual Field Experiences (VFEs) are a growing supplement and gateway to traditional fieldwork in the geosciences. With VFEs becoming more accepted for use in college geoscience courses, how instructors find and choose VFEs for their students is critical to creating greater accessibility and future resources. VFEs that are not easily accessed by instructors may go unused, and the effort put into making them would have been wasted. This phenomenological descriptive study utilized five focus groups of college geoscience instructors in the United States. Each 1-to-1.5-hour focus group session of 3-7 participants took place on video conferencing software, which was recorded …