Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Crime Through Harm: A Multi-Stage Study Of Rochester, Ny, Hayder Alhafedhi

Theses

This capstone project develops, critiques, and applies a Crime Harm Index (CHI) for the City of Rochester, New York, as an alternative to traditional crime measures that rely solely on raw counts. Rather than treating all offenses as equal “one crime = one unit,” the project weights crimes by the severity of harm they cause, using New York State sentencing guidelines as the core metric. Across four working papers, the project moves from conceptual foundations and limitations of harm-based metrics, to the construction of a Rochester-specific Crime Harm Index, and finally to a set of spatial regression models that link …

Understanding The Relationship Between Mental Health And Criminal Justice Involvement: Pathways, Disparities, And Improving System Responses, Haley Bly

Theses

This capstone project examines the complex relationship between mental health and involvement in the criminal justice system, emphasizing how pathways, external conditions, structural inequities, and system responses interact to shape long-term outcomes for persons with mental illness (PwMI). While mental illness alone is not a predictor of criminal behavior, the intersection between psychological disorders, social strain, stigma, and systemic failures significantly heightens the risk of criminal justice involvement. Combining four working papers, this capstone examines these relationships across individual, environmental, institutional, and community levels, ultimately arguing that treatment and rehabilitative-centered reforms are essential for improving the experiences of individuals with …

Content Aware Intra And Inter Prediction Using Texture And Motion Analysis, Yashaswi Karthik Reddy Danda

Theses

Modern video codecs rely on highly optimized block based intra and inter prediction frameworks,  in which block partitioning is determined through exhaustive rate distortion optimization (RDO)  searches. These exhaustive searches evaluate many possible block configurations to identify the  partitioning that minimizes overall rate distortion cost, and they have proven extremely effective  across diverse visual content. This thesis explores a complementary perspective by investigating  whether block partitioning can be guided more directly by content characteristics specifically,  texture complexity for intra prediction and motion complexity or motion density for inter  prediction.  For intra prediction, we introduce a texture adaptive approach that utilizes …

Catherine, Reagan Christie

Theses

A golden lamb sleeps peacefully in a quiet meadow, showcased in an intricate golden frame. She wakes up and slowly begins to stand, her knobby knees trembling all the way up. She steadies herself, turning toward the viewer, blinking. Catherine looks at her reflection in a grimy sink full of water. The sink drips, reflection dissipating. She looks up into the mirror above the sink in an endless bathroom, tucks a loose curl of hair back into her habit, and exits the bathroom. Catherine makes her way down a long spiral staircase, humming a hymn to herself. In the kitchen, …

The Impact Of Screen Time Patterns On Digital Behaviour And Productivity: A Data Analytics Study Across Age Groups, Maytha Alshamsi

Theses

The increasing incidence of screen time of all ages has generated a greater interest in the effect of screens on the human psyche. This paper looks at behavioural data of 2, 000 individuals aged 13-64 to investigate the predictability of a composite mental- health score by various modalities of screen-time, lifestyle and psychological charac- teristics. We determine, based on exploratory statistics, multivariate regression and su- pervised machine-learned models, that in as much as the influence of total screen time and social-media consumption has significant relationships with worse mental health, the effects are small when juxtaposed to those of lifestyle and …

An Educational Approach To Mitigating Stormwater Debris Pollution In The Great Lakes Basin, Autumn Potts

Theses

Accumulation of anthropogenic debris (AD) in the environment, especially plastic, is a pervasive issue that impacts human communities and ecosystems worldwide. Since AD pollution at every scale stems from human activities, its mitigation is contingent on analyzing and modifying the scale-dependent drivers of human behavior surrounding this issue. Although the underlying mechanisms driving litter input and accumulation are not well understood, these patterns suggest a need for hyperlocal solutions. Because environmental education (EE) fosters a significant influence on environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, it can play an important role in the mitigation of debris input and littering behavior. One method …

Social Media's Impact On Female Generation Alpha's Beauty Standards And Consumer Habits, Matisen O'Brien

Theses

This study examines how social media shapes beauty standards and consumer behaviors among female Generation Alpha (ages 7–13). As the first generation fully immersed in digital culture, these young girls face early exposure to influencer marketing, algorithmic promotion, and adult beauty practices, which influence their skincare routines and product preferences. The research highlights the decline of child-centered physical spaces, intensifying their engagement with digital platforms. Using a mixed-methods approach focused on a subgroup of female gymnasts, the study combines quantitative surveys and qualitative analysis to reveal how social media affects identity formation, consumer choices, and related mental health concerns. Results …

These Yellow Stars Of Ours, Vinh Hong Nguyen

Theses

These Yellow Stars of Ours is an experimental documentary that traces the intertwined histories of Thaun and Nam Nguyen as they flee war-torn Vietnam, fall in love, and build a life in Western New York. Through their accounts and those of their two sons, the film explores the complexities of generational trauma and the ongoing experience of bicultural straddling—the negotiation between inherited Vietnamese identity and the shaping influence of an American upbringing. The project examines how trauma, memory, and cultural displacement circulate across generations, shaping identity in both visible and invisible ways. Methodologically, the film is structured around the conceptual …

Mercurial, Bhavana Neti

Theses

Mercurial is a groundbreaking visual journey through typography that charts the fluid and often volatile passage, from the depths of sadness, eventually finding the light in the end, inspired by the song title Louder than Bombs by BTS, a Korean boyband. Over a carefully observed period, this book captures the subtle and dramatic transformations of emotion through a unique lens. "Mercurial" represents a unique and multi-layered approach to understanding and visualizing emotions. Initially, the exploration of shapes as a representational tool proved inadequate for capturing this complexity. This led to a pivotal shift towards typography, where the inherent qualities of …

A Comprehensive Digital Marketing Strategy Guide For Independent Musicians, William Elree Hilburn

Theses

Creating and implementing a sound digital marketing strategy is a crucial element to consider as an independent musician. In this thesis report and the strategy guide that follows, a number of current digital marketing strategies are discussed at length. The strategies that are discussed in this report and within the strategy guide have been gleaned through semi-structured qualitative interviews with two separate up-and-coming music artists. The information shared by these case studies has been documented and synthesised into this report, as well as, into a comprehensive strategy guide that has been written to aid fledgling music artists in their digital …

Exploring The Relationship Between Social Media And Anxiety In Deaf Community Students: A Mixed-Methods Approach., Gigi Zheng

Theses

The mental health of Deaf individuals, particularly in relation to social media engagement, is an understudied area amid growing global concerns about anxiety disorders. Deaf individuals face unique challenges, including communication barriers, social isolation, and stigma, all of which can heighten anxiety levels. Although social media offers valuable opportunities for connection and self-expression, it may also amplify stress and feelings of inadequacy when accessibility barriers persist. This mixed-methods study examined anxiety among Deaf college students and explored the cultural validity of two widely used anxiety measures—the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Quantitative data were collected …

Ecotheology For Kids, Lana Glenn

Theses

This project includes research into the eco-anxiety of children and how ecotheology may help ease the children’s minds. This project is meant as a sign of hope in the climate crisis; there are so many reasons to look forward to ecological improvements for the Earth. As adults, we should remind children of these reasons to be hopeful for the future. This 24-page book has illustrations with prayers to help calm the readers, while the cover is informational and inviting.

The Vampire In Video Games: Narrative Structures, Game Mechanics, And Cultural Significance, Ricardo Longo Minervino

Theses

This thesis examines how vampires are represented in video games by analyzing narrative structures, game mechanics, and cultural meaning. Using the existing games of Vampyr, V Rising, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, The Sims 4: Vampires, Skyrim: Dawnguard, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Bloodlines 2, the study identifies which design strategies successfully create an engaging and believable vampire experience for the player, as well as determining which development decisions could hurt the experience for players. Using formalism, symbolism, feminist methodology, and player reception theory, this thesis argues that vampire games function best when players confront moral dilemmas, experience consequences for feeding …

Rubbing Away Respect: How Repeated Touch Alters The Meaning Of Women’S Statues, Olivea Kittrell

Theses

This thesis examines how repeated public interactions with statues of women, particularly the ritualized rubbing of their breasts, alter both the material surfaces and symbolic meanings of statues. We will focus on three bronze sculptures: the Molly Malone statue in Dublin, the Juliet statue in Verona, and the Bust of Dalida in Paris. Through these, we will investigate how statues created with commemorative intent become sites of sexualized behavior based on gender. The problem this thesis addresses is the lack of scholarly analysis on how gendered public interaction physically and symbolically transforms statues of women. While some scholarship covers either …

Frameworks Of Genius: Fresco, Labor, Scaffolding, And Patronage In The Making Of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Jackelyn Eileen Adkins

Theses

This thesis examines how the materiality of production and the patronage of Pope Julius II influenced the visual and conceptual outcome of Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. It argues the physical demands of the fresco medium, the architectural constraints of the chapel, and the material infrastructure, such as the pigments, scaffolding, and spatial dynamics related to the political, theological, and ideological imperatives of papal authority. The materials served as a symbolic extension of Pope Julius II’s ambitions, embedding his message directly into the frescoes. By foregrounding the complex web of labor and materials that supported the project, this …

Identity And Representation In Contemporary Art: An Inclusive 400/500-Level Art History Seminar Course, Laura E. Franz

Theses

This project is an upper-level art history seminar addressing identity and representation – specifically related to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality – in contemporary art. Primarily a discussion-based course, the course is focused on inclusivity and is highly structured, with weekly low-stakes assignments that provide students with ample opportunities to practice engaging with academic texts. Designed for students with varying levels of academic skills, it is built around current non-academic articles that students select via an online survey. Students then “unpack” the “big ideas” in each of the four chosen non-academic articles via a cluster of academic readings and videos …

Accessible Preservation: Developing A Low-Cost, Iiif-Compliant Workflow For Small Art Collections, Robyn Palescandolo

Theses

This project explores the development of an affordable, standards-based digital collections management system designed for small galleries, independent artists, and emerging institutions. Using the artist’s own studio collection as a case study, the research integrates accessible hardware and open-source technologies, including the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF), Artwork Archive, GitHub Pages, and the Internet Archive, to establish a transparent, replicable workflow for cataloguing and publication. The project demonstrates how interoperability, metadata consistency, and open access can be achieved without reliance on costly proprietary systems, such as TMS Collections or PastPerfect.

The workflow includes high-resolution image capture, 3D scanning, data normalization, …

Asymptote, Aybuke Yilmazer

Theses

Asymptote is a short film that is an expression of mankind’s emotional consumption through confusing love with sex. This film is a frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation that combines digital and analog techniques. It was produced between August 2024 and April 2025, and its music was re-produced in August 2025. This paper is a written declaration of the motives and intentions of the director, Aybuke Yilmazer, in making this film, and analyzes the filmmaking process. The text of the thesis is in third person except for the self-evaluation section.

Exploring Denitrification In Wetland Nitrogen Cycling And Biostimulant-Based Agricultural Strategies To Improve Ecosystem Health, Alexander Bechtel

Theses

The overuse of fertilizers has doubled the amount of reactive nitrogen in the environment. Agricultural runoff then carries these pollutants into the waterways eventually causing severe ecological damage such as the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. Nitrogen plays an important role in all life on this planet, here we describe two complementary projects that investigate ways to mitigate nitrogen pollution. The first project investigates denitrification rates in soil after the Len Small Levee breached in 2016 which reconnected the Dogtooth Bend Floodplain with the Mississippi briefly. The denitrification process that began in the hydrologically activated soils was hypothesized to be …

Echo’S Repertoire: Performing Science Fiction And Trans Care Models, Juniper Blue

Theses

Echo’s Repertoire is a mixture of a passion piece and a call for more work with performing science fiction. It focuses on interpersonal communication within trans studies and the experiences of transgender individuals and myself. Echo’s Repertoire is also an example of the Lyrical Model proposed by Awkward-Rich as a new model for trans affirming speech. The show is laid out non-linearly and follows along with Echo as he starts to build new relationships with the advice of his spaceship ai, Eep, who is a previous version of himself prior to transformation (transition).

Make Ready: Productive Disruption And Interstitial Sites Of Graphic Design Practice, Peter Maybury

Theses

This thesis draws on five publications produced between 2010–22: My 2020 film installation Landfall; a series of four museum and gallery-published books made with artist Gerard Byrne (2010–18); Gall, my practice enquiry with Tom dePaor which encompasses film, writing, books, sculpture, curation, and gallery works; releases and live performances by my band Thread Pulls during the period 2010–12; and my exhibition, conference talk, and book Make Ready (2015), the structure of which is taken as ‘armature’ for the writing of the thesis. Through these wide-ranging pursuits, this thesis articulates a non-normative role for the graphic designer. It identifies my operative …

Out To Pasture, Amandeep Singh

Theses

With a wildly successful acting career approaching its final days, Marcel T. Cow looks back at his rise to fame, as well as a rollercoaster of a career. A toxic relationship, substance abuse, and living a lavish lifestyle all lead to his downfall, ultimately making him face one final decision: Leave the vices behind and save his career, or give in and lose everything. Out To Pasture is an animated biopic parody about Marcel’s life as an actor and how his career comes to an end. The film starts with a flashback to Marcel’s humble beginnings, moving to the Big …

Unmasking Corruption And Bribery Using Predictive Analytics, Maha Salem

Theses

The initiative (Unmasking Corruption and Bribery Using Predictive Analytics) aims to identify employees in government sectors who commit corruption and bribery by addressing issues such as the lack of transparency, fairness, equality, and public trust, as well as weakened loyalty and poor reputation. This project focuses on data analytics and predictive modeling to detect suspicious or high-risk employee behaviors related to corruption and bribery. The main objective is to reduce these unethical activities in government sectors, strengthen integrity, and promote transparency and public trust through predictive capabilities. It also seeks to raise awareness about how serious and harmful these crimes …

Predicting Inmate Overcrowding To Improve Facility Management, Mayed Ali Alameri

Theses

Overcrowding is a major challenge to correction systems because the conventional forecasting techniques are inaccurate and inadequate in most cases. This paper will solve this by constructing and testing a machine learning-based model to predict facility-level overcrowding. With the use of the XGBoost Regressor model on a dataset comprising of U.S. correctional facilities, the research identified key structural drivers but showed that the static facility attributes alone have limited predictive power (r-square approx 0.18) The discussion shows that overcrowding is non-linear, and a complicated problem not confined to the facility characteristics but to the larger, non-measurable regional influences, of which …

Beyond The Mozart Effect: How Musical Experience And Emotional Response Shape Individual Differences In Spatial Reasoning, Connor Watkinson

Theses

Research on the Mozart effect (the short-term enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning after music listening) has yielded inconsistent results, often due to overlooking individual differences and using limited stimuli. This study examined multiple musical conditions (popular lyrical, classical, and white noise control) while considering the moderating roles of musical experience and the mediating influence of emotional responses. Undergraduate participants (N = 162) completed spatial reasoning assessments before and after an eight-minute listening session, alongside measures of musical background, listening habits, mood, and music-evoked emotions.Analyses revealed no overall difference in spatial reasoning improvement between music and white noise conditions. However, substantial individual …

Three Forks, Virginia Van Enckevort

Theses

Three Forks is a thesis drama series about a 19th-century woman sent West to live with her estranged family in Muscogee, a lawless town where justice bends to power and survival means learning the game — or being buried by it. As we follow our lead, Eleanor Davis, out West and eventually her settlement into town, we gain a look into her new world, one where tribal council contend with encroaching U.S. jurisdiction and where settlers, freedmen, and railroad men jostle for influence in a town on the brink of statehood. The many fabled stories and myths about the West …

The Impact Of The 2008 Financial Crisis On Crime And Cybercrime In The United States, Rashed Adel Alsuwaidi

Theses

This thesis will examine how the traditional crime and cy- were affected by the 2008 financial crisis. United States are also experiencing a rise in crime between 2005 and 2012. Based on the FBI data at the national level. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Uniform Crime Reports and important economic indicators. The study, which involves tors, including unemployment, GDP, rates of foreclosures, and mortgage rates, is a combination. correlationbased interpretation supported by exploratory descriptive trend analysis. model-fit checks. The results indicate that contrary to the conventional expectations, violent and property crime also maintained their long-term reduction during the period …

Predicting Residential Real Estate Prices In Dubai Using Integrated Data Analytics: A Machine Learning Approach, Mohammad Nasser

Theses

Dubai’s rapidly evolving real estate market attracts substantial global investment yet remains characterized by information asymmetry, pricing volatility, and fragmented data sources. This study examines how integrated data analytics and ensemble machine learning can be used not primarily for precise price prediction, but rather to identify and quantify the key behavioral and transactional drivers of residential property prices in Dubai. A unified dataset was constructed by integrating over 100,000 residential property transactions from the Dubai Land Department with macroeconomic indicators, web-scraped listing attributes, and sentiment measures derived from online reviews and social media discussions. Supervised learning models including Linear Regression, …

Predicting Loan Defaults: A Behavioral Scoring Approach For Portfolio Risk Monitoring In Banking And P2p Lending, Humaid Sultan Almarri

Theses

The critical challenge of lending institutions and peer-to-peer investors is to single out high-risk active borrowers in order to avoid defaults and corresponding losses. This thesis is devoted to the development of a data-driven approach to predict loan defaults, which balances predictive accuracy with interpretability and cost-sensitive evaluation. Using a large dataset of loans from LendingClub, we applied the CRISP-DM methodology, performing extensive data preprocessing and exploratory analysis before training several machine learning models-logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, and XGBoost-to classify loans as default or non-default. Class imbalance was addressed through resampling, and models were tuned via cross-validation with …

Segment-Level Machine Learning For Detecting Partial Deepfake Audio: An Rnn–Svm Hybrid Approach For Real-World Adversarial Environments, Ahmad Alhelli

Theses

This study investigates the detection of real, fully fake, and partially fake (PF) audio using classical machine-learning models as well as a segment-level analysis model. Unlike most existing research, which focuses solely on binary real-vs-fake classification, this work introduces a three-class detection framework and constructs realistic PF samples by inserting short synthetic speech segments into otherwise genuine audio recordings. Its method combines MFCC and spectral feature engineering,Wav2Vec2 embeddings, controlled PF synthesis and various models such as SVM, Random Forest, XGBoost and an attention based RNN. Segment level windowing allows fine-grained study of transition of time and breaks of manipulation. The …