Digital Commons Network^™

The Taxonomy Of Extinction: Brian Jungen’S Tombstone, Jasen Evoy

Theses

This thesis focuses on the recent work (Tombstone, 2019) by Brian Jungen, a Canadian artist of mixed European and Dane-zaa heritage. The work is explored in detail, leveraging concepts present in Jungen’s existing body of work to extract intent and meaning through Jungen’s complex use of space, materiality, and iconography. Tombstone is a large scale, multimedia sculpture consisting of white plastic Rubbermaid stepstools cut and assembled into the form of a turtle or tortoise shell resting on a bank of thirty-seven black filing cabinets. While Tombstone initially presents itself as aesthetically sparse, it is a deeply-layered commentary on inequity, power …

Creating Better Musicians Through Musicality: A Guide To Building An Instructional Unit, Shelby Leo

Theses

This project provides an in depth focus on how to strengthen an ensemble's approach to musicality through lesson plans, assessments, and activities. The primary focus group of this project is high school aged performance based classes including band and choir. The aim of the project is to provide a music educator with a detailed curriculum to teach musicality that is adjustable to any size ensemble and any score. Furthermore, this project is not a study but instead an explanation to the approach of developing the curriculum unit. The project consists of a four unit curriculum with two to three lessons …

Cross-Cultural Currents And Syncretism In Early Modern Opossum Iconography, Deniz Martinez

Theses

Opossums (Order Didelphimorphia) are marsupial mammals endemic to the Americas. They are also the first marsupials Europeans ever encountered, over a century before any Australasian species. Because of their unique marsupial characteristics, opossums have historically been viewed as an “anomalous” animal form across both Indigenous American and European cultures, and thus developed a rich and complex transatlantic cultural history. By tracing the development of opossum imagery through the millennia, one can uncover clear patterns of how their distinct features became embedded in iconographies relative to biogeocultural sphere, and how certain iconographic conventions were transmitted through various media both within and …

Art Curriculum Lesson Plan: Horace Pippin’S World War I Journal, Tracie Dana Sykes

Theses

This report contains a detailed curriculum plan for a ninety-minute, eleventh grade Art class. The purpose is to provide the students with a thorough study of Horace Pippin’s World War I journal, while implementing two assignments to test their understanding of the areas which will be emphasized in the lesson. The students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of Pippin’s War journal by presenting a detailed slideshow about the artist and his journal. The students' foundational knowledge of Naive art will be recognized through the creation of his/her unique piece of art which will implement the mannerisms of Naive …

A Non-Traditional Approach: Seventeenth-Century Dutch Women Artists And The Nocturnal Genre Scene Market, Jordan J. Harris

Theses

Nocturnal genre scenes were on the rise in the seventeenth-century Netherlands. With new technologies and advances taking place during this time, people were staying out later and partaking in more nocturnal activities. Both men and women engaged in these new nightly endeavors, but there were still notable expectations in regards to gender roles for men and women. As seen in the scholarship included within this thesis, men were allotted more freedom than women. The Dutch artists who chose to specialize in nocturnal genre scenes depicted these well-known gender roles within their paintings. Seventeenth-century women artists Judith Leyster and Gesina ter …

The Control Of Morality As Demonstrated Through Allegorical Symbolism In Late Medieval Tapestry And Morality Plays, Kelsey Cook

Theses

This paper examines the use of allegory in the late medieval tapestry The Prince of Malice and His Court, produced between 1470 and 1480, alongside similar allegorical devices used in the contemporary French morality play L’Homme Juste et L’Homme Mondain. Recent scholarship on late medieval tapestry has included conversations of literary influence, mainly focusing on romance literature in particular. Although these comparisons have laid a foundation for the use of allegory within tapestry, a comparison to other literary examples is lacking. The following research, therefore, will analyze tapestry against morality plays to further extrapolate the visual exchange that occurred between …

Creating A Social Media Marketing Strategy For A Small Business, Kaila Trowbridge

Theses

As the world continues to digitalize, it has never been more crucial to use and understand social media when running a business of any size. Social media is where people share their ideas, experiences, and information with the world. People can reach a larger audience once they grow their profiles and understand who the audience truly is. From a business standpoint, social media should be used to display products, services, and develop an open relationship with the audience and customers.

Modernizing Handmade Crochet Lace, An Antiquated Craft, Through The Development Of A Blog, Livier Olson

Theses

This project investigates the degree of difficulty involved in initiating a web-based blog and growing its content with the intention to create craft-based entrepreneurship. With the advancement in technology and the help of the internet and social media, this project also aims to express how a vintage craft can be modernized and continue to thrive as a cottage industry. The final deliverable is a blog that intends to educate the public about the history of crochet and its ties to the lace and fashion industry, tutorials for crocheted lacemaking, and the continued use of crocheted lace in modern fashion.

Mythology In Art History: Course Curriculum, Marianna Martino

Theses

The course entitled Mythology in Art History contains a scaffolded curriculum that introduces students to mythology throughout art history by learning how to analyze fine artwork. With each unit, students will demonstrate an increased control of art criticism, analysis, and knowledge as they develop stronger understanding of content. Students will be able to distinguish the elements of art and principles of design through various 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional art pieces from various time periods and cultures. Upon completion of this year-long program, students will demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of art analysis, allegory, and storytelling throughout art history, showing knowledge of the …

Effects Of Fire On Vegetation Of The Black Oak Sand Savannas Of Kankakee Sands From 2002-2020, Megan Alkazoff

Theses

Many plant and animal species rely on tallgrass prairie and sand savanna ecosystems that once covered much of northern to central Illinois but are now fragmented landscapes across the Midwest. In northeastern Illinois, The Nature Conservancy manages five sites containing fragments of remaining tallgrass prairie and sand savanna within the Kankakee Sands section of Illinois using techniques such as prescribed burning and invasive species removal. The objective of this study was to conduct an eighteen-year resampling of the ground flora to assess management impacts on species composition and conservation status. Permanent transect lines were resampled using a 1m² quadrat to …

Effects Of Prompting Via Automated Phone Calls On Documentation Completion, Erin Malinowski

Theses

This study attempted to determine if a low-cost, minimally time consuming intervention could increase document completion – specifically end of shift reports. Using a concurrent multiple baseline design, automated phone calls reminded staff to complete their end of shift reports. Participants were the staff members at 16 group homes. All participants were trained Direct Support Professionals. The dependent variable was completion of end of shift reports as a percent of opportunities. There was a measurable response to the intervention. Overall, the percent of completion increased from 4% in baseline to 22% during intervention. The agency desired a much higher response …

Reducing A Dog’S Problem Behavior Using Functional Communication Training: A Case Study, Audrey Blunt, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Many dogs are relinquished to animal shelters and subsequently euthanized each year due to problem behaviors, such as excessive barking (ASPCA, n.d.). Unfortunately, punishment-based procedures (e.g., bark collars) have been commonly used to reduce these behaviors, despite negative side-effects such as escape and aggression. Functional communication training (FCT) involves teaching a replacement behavior that is functionally equivalent to the problem behavior and is a documented strategy to reduce problem behaviors in humans (e.g., Carr & Durand, 1985). In the current study, one 11-month old dog who had a history of whining, mouthing, and pawing was taught to mand (request) for …

Using Information Technology Tools To Help Address Company Supply Chain Communication Challenges: A Case Of Workflow Processes, Akinola Samuel Olorunfemi

Theses

The evolution of cloud computing is one of the major and recent developments in the computing world. Cutting-edge web technology applications have improved the manner in which business is conducted, allowing organizations to deliver business projects effectively. Microsoft SharePoint is an enterprise content management system that provides a collaborative platform for end users to design, monitor and execute business processes. It provides core functionality such as the ability to quickly undertake reporting, provision collaboration sites, and a sophisticated document repository featuring collaboration necessities. This study reviews the limitations of the current part setup workflow using email at Company XYZ, and …

Falling Through The Cracks: Two Understudied Populations In The Criminal Justice System, Ashley Hum

Theses

This capstone project aims to identify gaps in the criminal justice literature by examining how the criminal justice system interacts with demographic groups that have been historically overlooked in traditional criminal justice studies, specifically Asian Americans as a racial/ethnic group and LGBTQIA+ individuals of any race or gender identity.

An overarching narrative and finding in the first two sections of the following project is how constructed identities construct narratives and policies. Importantly, the constructed identities are most often assigned by those in power to Asian Americans or LGBTQIA+ people, rather than created for themselves by in-group members, and then become …

Alternative Participation: An Exploratory Study On Participation In Open Source Software Beyond Code Contributions, Benjamin Dow

Theses

While it is commonly accepted that well-engineered commercial software projects rely on a variety of activities, this not the case with open source software development. A poorly understood area of open source software is what types of activities are present and being completed day-to-day. Understanding what activities exist would give developers and project leads additional attributes of the software engineering process to modify and improve. Identifying these activities is challenging as they are often abstract in nature and activities may not be formally defined within projects, but may still be executed; for example, the way in which a project accepts …

(Un)Tethered, Morgan Sychtysz

Theses

(Un)Tethered is an exploration of my tendency to simultaneously build and deconstruct metaphorical structures throughout my life. This written thesis discusses visual metaphors implemented within the installation and prints, such as line and pattern, which represent my personal idiosyncrasies. These elements are realized as motifs such as step ladders, organic matter, and fibrous materials (crocheted, knotted, frayed, etc.) symbolizing my need for a thoroughly calculated life. Fibrous materials are ideal for representing my obsessive tendencies as they are continuous and malleable. One strand of torn fabric can be wrapped countless times around the crocheted form beneath, symbolizing a compulsion with …

I Like To Think You Can Still Hear Me, Sage Green

Theses

My work performs the act of mourning. In this body of photographs, I resurrect the items previously owned by my great-grandmother as I explore the new reality those who are living face after losing a loved one. I am curious about how we grieve and remember moments from the past. Asking myself the question, when we no longer can physically hold onto our loved ones, what are the ways that we can still find moments of connection? I use the ambiguity offered by the lumen print process to illuminate the trace of the past in the presence. I examine and …

Eye-Tracking Using Deep Learning, Sam Trenter

Theses

Eye-tracking can be valuable for researchers in many domains. Most eye-tracking technologies require an extra piece of costly hardware. Several other available eye-tracking solutions are usually not very accurate and require a costly subscription. Our project was oriented at creating a free and open-source alternative that does not require additional equipment. We developed a deep learning-based solution as a prototype for this project. Specifically, we developed a deep learning model to predict a user’s gaze position on the screen. We created our training data set using a commercially available eye-tracker to train the model. Each training sample consists of a …

Android Malware Detection Using Machine Learning Techniques, Mohamed Salem Alhebsi

Theses

Android is the world's most popular and widely used operating system for mobile smartphones today. One of the reasons for this popularity is the free third-party applications that are downloaded and installed and provide various types of benefits to the user. Unfortunately, this flexibility of installing any application created by third parties has also led to an endless stream of constantly evolving malware applications that are intended to cause harm to the user in many ways. In this project, different approaches for tackling the problem of Android malware detection are presented and demonstrated. The data analytics of a real-time detection …

Preservation Of Autonomy In Pediatric Decision-Making, Crystal Brown

Theses

Pediatric patients must rely on proxy decision-makers, usually a parent or guardian, to make their health care choices for them. There are 3 main frameworks in place for such decision-making. The default is usually that the decision-maker will make the decision that they feel is in the best interest of the child. Limitations on the decision-maker are an aspect often discussed with abuse and neglect at the forefront as thresholds for when limitations and intervention are deemed necessary. Concern for the child’s future autonomy is not made a consideration. Instead, the values and beliefs of the decision-maker are used to …

What Is Assertiveness?, Mirjana Trifunovic

Theses

My main aim is to define assertiveness, to distinguish assertiveness from aggressiveness, and to raise the question of whether we should be assertive. Most articles on assertiveness are from the field of psychology. In psychology, assertiveness is defined as a healthy way of expressing oneself. But what does assertiveness mean? How should we define assertiveness and is assertiveness desirable, or is it closely connected to aggressiveness? Should we say that assertiveness is a part of our character, an innate quality, or an acquired skill? In this thesis, I will define assertiveness and show how to distinguish assertiveness from aggressiveness. Most …

Invisible Pain, Hairuo Ding

Theses

My thesis work was the exploration and thinking of the outbursts that can occur out of hiding emotions in people's minds, and the prejudice against mental illness. It was based on a question in my mind: Is psychological injury a real injury? If so, why do people always advocate gratitude for suffering? Why is it that when someone is experiencing frustration and pain, it's just seen as an obstacle to become a better person? What about the scars that these extreme emotions create, the ones that are hidden deep within people's hearts, under the polite and cheerful appearance that they …

Deep Into The Eyes: Applying Machine Learning To Improve Eye-Tracking, Aayush Kumar Chaudhary

Theses

Eye-tracking has been an active research area with applications in personal and behav- ioral studies, medical diagnosis, virtual reality, and mixed reality applications. Improving the robustness, generalizability, accuracy, and precision of eye-trackers while maintaining privacy is crucial. Unfortunately, many existing low-cost portable commercial eye trackers suffer from signal artifacts and a low signal-to-noise ratio. These trackers are highly depen- dent on low-level features such as pupil edges or diffused bright spots in order to precisely localize the pupil and corneal reflection. As a result, they are not reliable for studying eye movements that require high precision, such as microsaccades, smooth …

I Heard The North Wind Call Your Name, Ian Edward White

Theses

"I Heard the North Wind Call Your Name" is a photographic series of portraits and post-industrial landscapes made in Rochester, NY. In the fall of 2020, I began wandering, hoping through photography, that I could make connections to people and gain a better understanding of my new home. With no agenda in mind, I allowed myself to become comfortable with the unknown - to follow my intuition and curiosity wherever they took me. Chance encounters and conversations with strangers often turned into portraits. My work, and understanding of the city, are informed by these shared experiences with my subjects. I …

Modeling Users Feedback Using Bayesian Methods For Data-Driven Requirements Engineering, Moayad M. Alshangiti

Theses

Data-driven requirements engineering represents a vision for a shift from the static traditional methods of doing requirements engineering to dynamic data-driven user-centered methods. App developers now receive abundant user feedback from user comments in app stores and social media, i.e., explicit feedback, to feedback from usage data and system logs, i.e, implicit feedback. In this dissertation, we describe two novel Bayesian approaches that utilize the available user's to support requirements decisions and activities in the context of applications delivered through software marketplaces (web and mobile). In the first part, we propose to exploit implicit user feedback in the form of …

Nursing Documentation Environment In The Hospital Setting, Alice E. Cavin

Theses

Nurses often document in open nurses' stations exposed to frequent interruptions. Much has been written on the need to limit distractions while collecting and administering medications but little has been published on the effects interruptions have on nursing documentation. The purpose of this study was to examine the environment in which nurses chart and to gather their perceptions of the documentation environment. Marilyn Ray's Theory of Bureaucratic Caring was the guiding framework for this study. A review of the literature revealed the effects open work spaces, noise, and interruptions can have on work performance. This study, a focus group discussion, …

The Role And Responsibility Of The Nurse In Caring For The Dying Patient, Julia M. Robinson

Theses

The problem undertaken in this study was to learn the specific nursing functions a selected sample of registered nurses performed in an effort to meet the needs of the dying patient and how adequate they felt in performing these functions.

Movement Patterns Of The Shovelnose Guitarfish (Pseudobatos Productus) And California Bat Ray (Myliobatis Californica) In The Southern California Bight, Annabel Gong

Theses

While the movement patterns of large elasmobranch species have been studied extensively, those of smaller, mesopredatory species remain understudied. The shovelnose guitarfish (Pseudobatos productus) and the California bat ray (Myliobatis californica) are among the least studied elasmobranchs in the Southern California Bight. This study quantified the broad- and fine-scale movement patterns of these species using passive acoustic telemetry. Twelve guitarfish were surgically implanted with coded acoustic transmitters at a known aggregation site off La Jolla (San Diego County), California, USA and tracked for 849.5 days each, on average. Six bat rays were also implanted here and tracked for …

Seeing Slavery, Lulu Hamissou

Theses

This paper examines the resilience of Laura Clark, Carrie Davis, and Delia Garlic, three formerly enslaved women from Alabama whose memories and experiences during enslavement were part of a large slave narrative project called Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936 to 1938. The design exhibition, Seeing Slavery, visually communicates and portrays the accounts and portraits of the three women. Printed and embroidered fabrics visually communicate the narrative stories of these women, while their portraits are made from screen printed acrylic glass.

Following an introduction, a literature review details the history of the three slave …

Comparative Modeling And Evolutionary Comparison Of Serine Protease, A Timber Rattlesnake Venom Protein, Qawer Ayaz

Theses

The aim of this study is to create a homology model of VG35 serine protease and evaluate the evolutionary comparison of secondary structure on basis of protein model using YASARA. This method was furthermore used to predict the potential epitopes which can help in the investigation of future studies.

The VG35 was used to run a BLAST search which gave most resembled serine protease of different species which was then translated and modeled in YASARA. The modeled protein data was then used to determine the secondary structure. This was then used for evolutionary comparison of all proteins to VG35. Then …