Digital Commons Network^™

Vectra: Medication Cart System Designed For Nurses, Chris Dimovski

Theses

Medication administration is a critical phase of patient care where errors are most likely to occur, often contributing to adverse drug events and increasing risk to patient safety. At the same time, rising levels of nurse burnout highlight the growing cognitive demands placed on healthcare professionals. Although systems such as medication carts, digital records, and safety protocols are intended to reduce errors, they operate independently rather than as a connected system. This leaves nurses responsible for connecting each step, relying on memory and constant adjustment throughout the workflow. This thesis focuses on the medication administration phase and looks at how …

Asobi: Play In Every Language, Jeffrey Gibbs

Theses

In the era of iPad kids and screenagers, toys are struggling to engage children. The modern toy industry prioritizes eye-catching designs over meaningful stimulation, choosing to profit off of media franchising rather than encourage creative expression. Toys are too often designed in a way that limits the scope of play, forcing kids down a specific path rather than opening a world of creative possibilities. This narrow scope prevents imagination and decreases the overall lifespan of the product by encouraging product turnover. All of this contributes to an abundance of toys in the home, a reality linked to negative development outcomes. …

The Next Generation Of Police Station Design: Integration Of Officer Wellness With Operational Demands, Kayla Zill

Theses

The design of police stations has traditionally prioritized efficiency of operations and security, overlooking the wellness of officers. This research analyzes the integration of Trauma-informed Design (TiD) and WELL Building Standards into police stations design to create environments that aid officer well-being while maintaining operational functionality. Through literature review, including research of current police station design guidelines, trauma endured by officers, Trauma-Informed Design principles, WELL building standards, and understanding of the need for wellness to be incorporated into police station design. Officer interviews then further understanding of the needs of officers to create a scorecard and program guidelines to refocus …

Generative Ai To Support College Students During The Writing Process, Damionie Vernon

Theses

The growing integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) in higher education raises important questions about its role in supporting college students during the writing process. I used a mixed-methods approach, with a focus on quantitative questionnaires and qualitative written artifacts, to analyze patterns of GAI usage and perceptions by testing 34 college students. My thesis will explore these questions: (1) How do college students approach writing tasks in college?, (2) How do college students utilize generative AI to assist with writing tasks?, (3) What are the perceptions of college students on the use of generative AI to assist with writing …

Political Legacies Of Malcolm X, Sumair Ahluwalia

Theses

This study explores the ways in which Malcolm X’s legacy has been co-opted by various institutions and actors, including, but not limited to, politicians, historians, the general public, the federal government, and other commentators. As a result of this co-optation, Malcolm’s revolutionary ideals have been diluted or sanitized in the years since his assassination in 1965. Different approaches have been utilized to reframe Malcolm’s legacy, which include associating him with American liberalism, framing his arguments at the end of his life as markedly less radical, and external interference with popular works about Malcolm, including The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Additionally, …

The Developmental And Emotional Journey Of Bear Trap Garden From Proposal To Production, Mikayla Delos-Santos

Theses

Beginning with the conception of an idea and ending with a three-year reflection, this thesis outlines the creation of a full-length play: Bear Trap Garden by Mikayla Delos-Santos, which will have a production with the School of Theatre and Dance at Southern Illinois University Carbondale on April 23-26, 2026. Bear Trap Garden is a dystopian crime drama that takes place in a matriarchal society in the distant future. Emme, a bright and eager sixteen-year- old volunteers in the boys’ school. She meets Elliot, a boy who was raised outside the system by his mother, now dead, and his father, now …

Evaluation Of Otolith Microchemistry For Identifying Walleye Stocked As Fry Or Fingerlings, Joshua Fluur

Theses

Walleye (Sander vitreus) is a popular sport fish whose populations are often supported by maintenance or supplemental stocking, with most fish stocked as fry, fingerlings, or advanced fingerlings. Evaluation of stocking efficacy is important to inform decisions regarding fish stocking rates and sizes and allocating hatchery fish to locations where maintenance or supplemental stocking is most needed. Several types of artificial tags or marks have been proven useful in the identification of stocked fish, but they often have various drawbacks. Natural chemical markers in otoliths offer several advantages compared to conventional tags or marks and can be used to identify …

At The Crossing, Timothy Mulhall

Theses

At the Crossing is a body of photographic work that stemmed from daily walks through the Genesee Valley Park. Having moved to a new and unfamiliar place, these walks were a way of drawing closer to the city of Rochester and the people who call it home. In the process, I discovered the vitality and democratic function of the park and its relationship to the larger city. In this space, people gather, celebrate, rest, and dream. It exists as a wild refuge, a pressure valve within the overall function of the city. In this way, it is one of the …

Loosie: A Nesting Furniture Collection, Maurice Bryan

Theses

A persistent challenge in housing design is the efficient use of limited space, particularly in densely populated urban environments, where residents balance comfort with the need to minimize clutter and spatial constraints. This study investigates strategies for optimizing interior space through space-saving methods, using multifunctional furniture design. The primary objective is to develop multipurpose design solutions that enable users to express personal style while maximizing spatial efficiency, with a focus on approaches that emphasize multifunctionality and transformability. These strategies enable residents to use living spaces more efficiently, accommodate a broader range of activities, overcome clutter and spatial constraints, express individual …

Genui: Customizing And Improving User Interfaces In Real-Time With Generative Ai, Ursula Parker

Theses

MOTIVATION: Users must conform to the interfaces they are given, which are designed for a generalized user base rather than individual workflows or preferences. Existing UI customizations are often limited to fixed options predetermined by developers, restricting meaningful user control. Advances in generative AI introduce the possibility of modifying the underlying code of a production system that defines interfaces, enabling more flexible and targeted adaptations. However, the feasibility, scalability, and usability of such user-driven customization remain open questions. GOAL: The goal of this work is to help people customize their user interfaces, by investigating how they can linguistically specify the …

Existing Buildings Against Climate Zone Shifts: Analysis Of The Resilience Of Existing Buildings In Changing Climate Zones, Adriana Rodriguez

Theses

This thesis investigates how climate zone shifts affect the hygrothermal performance and durability of existing building wall assemblies designed under previous International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requirements. As global climate change continues to alter temperature, humidity, and extreme weather patterns, building codes and climate classifications are increasingly challenged to keep pace with current and future environmental conditions. The research focuses on whether 2×6 wood-framed wall assemblies designed under the 2018 IECC remain resilient under updated climate zone classifications and future climate scenarios. A comparative analysis of four U.S. counties—Davidson (TN), Garfield (OK), Allegany (MD), and Marion (IN)—was conducted based on …

Like A Rolling Lychee, George Meng

Theses

I grew up in Shanghai, China—a megacity with over 25 million people. I was privileged enough to avoid the grueling fate of taking the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao). At 16, I moved to Sewanee, a small college town in rural Appalachia with a population of only 3,000. Overshadowed by that curiosity was the collision of two worlds and my sense of belonging and identity. I wasn’t fully aware of how I watched and copied others’ behaviors and mannerisms to blend in as an adolescent. Being a minority in the middle of nowhere Tennessee meant I was conditioned into fitting …

أثر الفيتو على فعالية مجلس الامن في النزاعات الدولية المعاصرة "دراسة تحليلية", محمد سلطان الكويتي

Theses

The Impact of the Veto on the Effectiveness of the Security Council in Contemporary International Conflicts: "An Analytical Study"

The League of Nations, which was established in 1919 after World War I to maintain peace, failed in its mission. Therefore, in 1945 the victorious allies established the United Nations through San Francisco Conference on June 25, 1945. This was followed by the establishment of the Security Council, with its primary responsibility in maintaining international peace and security. The establishment of the Security Council represented a tremendous hope for achieving world peace after the horrors of World War II. However, The …

Dissolved Nostalgia, Mckenna Ludmilla Brazie

Theses

No memory is eternal, no nostalgic experience is entirely authentic. This mantra is the catalyst for my thesis work, propelling the hunt for truth within my mind. I search through dissolving recollections and misplaced emotion in order to obtain some semblance of my life and how I feel about such experiences. While acknowledging my childhood, GenZ zeitgeist, metaphor, and surrealism through the ages, I strive to represent these findings in my large scale oil paintings. I refer to Fauves, surrealists, and landscape painters, among others to assist in my quest for personal truth. My paintings exist in the context of …

Exploring Eating Behaviors And Dietary Patterns Among Adolescents And Emerging Adults With Adhd: A Scoping Review, Annika Waller

Theses

Objective     To map global evidence on eating behaviors and dietary patterns among adolescents and emerging adults with ADHD, with attention to executive function, medication-related appetite timing, and gender. Introduction     Adolescents and emerging adults with ADHD gain increasing autonomy over food choices during a developmental period marked by heightened executive-function demands and irregular routines. Research examining ADHD and diet is fragmented across disciplines and uses heterogeneous eating and dietary outcomes, limiting synthesis. Inclusion Criteria Studies were eligible if they included adolescents or emerging adults aged 12 to 25 years with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and reported at least one eating behavior, dietary pattern, …

Crave Nothing More Fervently, Jesse Gwilliam

Theses

Crave Nothing More Fervently is an expressionistic journey that struggles with my fear of time’s ceaseless advance towards death. Through the establishment of a personal visual style I call psychedelic perception, I look for a future that struggles against my personal fears of loss and death. This strategy aestheticizes the world as a strategy of pursuing a creative life that stands against fatality.  In Crave Nothing More Fervently my concept of psychedelic perception is a framework that extrapolates from the late cultural theorist Mark Fisher’s manuscript Acid Communism defined as a political ethic of adaptive creativity. Besides simply revealing the …

Guillemette, Fiona Veronique

Theses

In my photography project, Guillemette, I entertain the idea of inheriting an ability for mediumship from my maternal family lineage. As an origin, I use the question of having (or not having) these powers to explore intertwined relationships between myself and my mother, mediumship and theater, belief and entertainment, and the spirit and earthly worlds. The setting of the series moves between France, where my maternal family is from, and Western New York, where I currently reside, and the birthplace of 19th-century Spiritualism, the belief that spirit mediums can communicate with the dead. Mediumship, a central pillar in the work, …

265 Screens, Don Casper

Theses

265 Screens documents twenty-nine cinemas across six states which shut down since March 15, 2020. My project blends photography with cinematography set in a darkened space creating an alternative cinematic experience - reflecting on the changing film industry through the rise of digital technologies and what it means to lose these physical spaces that connect us. Digital streaming has made it possible to watch films at home or alone on a mobile device – creating more isolated viewing experiences. This body of work embodies this transition through the blending of the materials used to create the images themselves. The photographs …

Bodyrevolt, Lauren Oliver

Theses

BodyRevolt examines the body as a mutable site shaped through performance, material intervention, and photographic mediation. Working across still and moving image, I stage choreographic interactions between my body and constructed forms—materials that function as both extensions and substitutions—destabilizing the notion of a fixed bodily truth. Through acts of sculpting, contortion, and repetition, I explore the tension between the body I inhabit and the body I imagine, using the camera not simply as a recording device but as an active participant in rehearsing transformation. Central to this inquiry is the construction of surrogate bodies, which offer a form of control …

Exam Analysis: A Quantitative Approach To Software Pedagogy, Christopher Shepard

Theses

Software engineering exams serve as a tool for evaluating a broad range of skills in the classroom, including theoretical understanding, practical application, and process reasoning. Despite their importance, post-assessment analysis is often overlooked, and the absence of structured reflection by instructors can limit their effectiveness and mask patterns in student performance. By treating exams as data, educators can uncover trends that drive more effective teaching strategies, refine evaluation methods, and work to strengthen student support systems. We conducted a systematic analysis of existing exam data and administered a student survey to determine if student perceptions align with actual outcomes, asking …

Development Of A Survey For Assessing Women’S Perceptions Of Weight-Related Side Effects Of Hormonal Contraceptives, Ayla Mae Laro

Theses

Background —Hormonal contraceptives (HCs) are widely used among reproductive-age women, yet concerns about weight gain remain common and are frequently cited as a reason for dissatisfaction or discontinuation. Dissatisfaction and discontinuation of HCs can lead to unintended pregnancy—a serious health concern in the United States. Existing research has largely focused on objectively measured weight change as a secondary outcome rather than on perceptions of weight-related side effects, and no validated tool currently assesses these perceptions. Additionally, studies have historically failed to include women with overweight and obesity. This cross-sectional mixed-methods study developed and face-validated an online survey measuring reproductive-age women’s …

Anthropometric And Lifestyle Metrics Compared In Postmenopausal Women, Amanda Louise Daniel

Theses

Background: Hormone changes and aging that lead to menopause have a significant impact on quality of life. Understanding health thresholds for the components of body composition in this population are not well known. The relationship between menopausal symptoms and lifestyle factors is understudied. Methods: A mixed-methods approach included surveys and face-to-face body composition analysis using bioelectric impedance. Eating competence, sleep quality, and physical activity were assessed online with validated surveys prior to body composition measurement. Data were transformed to normality and analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficients and independent t-test correcting for multiple comparisons. Results Of the 69 interested people, 50 …

Post-Operative Delirium: A Neurocognitive Syndrome Expressed Through An Interactive Website Module Of Animations, Bailey Mikytuck

Theses

Post-operative delirium (POD) is a neurocognitive complication that can arise in patients who have undergone a surgical procedure. It is characterized by the onset of reduced attention or cognition, mood or personality disturbances, and hallucinations that occur between 10 minutes to multiple days after waking up from anesthesia. These symptoms may only be brief, but in some cases can lead to long-term cognitive impairment and dysfunction and have been associated with the development of dementias. It is estimated that rates of POD occurrence are between 13.2- 41.7% with major risk factors including being over the age of 65 and the …

Assessing Readiness, Perceptions, And Behaviors Of Midlife Adults To Adopt A Dietary Pattern Associated With Cognitive Benefits, Meghan E. Sullivan

Theses

Objective:  To explore the barriers and facilitators for following a brain-healthy dietary pattern by assessing readiness, cognitive dietary adherence, eating competence, quality of life, and health beliefs in midlife adults. Design: Quantitative cross-sectional online survey. Participants: Adults aged 30-60 years (N=189) recruited through social media, flyers, email, and text. Main outcome measures: Readiness to adopt a brain-healthy dietary pattern, eating competence, health beliefs, quality of life, and dietary adherence to a brain-healthy pattern such as the MIND diet. Analysis: Descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, Chi-Square, and correlations were conducted to explore associations among readiness, eating competence, health beliefs, quality of life, and …

The Transformation Of Physical Archives In A Digital Age, Gabriel A. Stadler Mr.

Theses

Scholars involved in archival studies have increasingly examined how digitization has transformed the accessibility of archive collections. For example, Clifford Lynch, a leader in digital libraries and a computer scientist, argues that the development of institutional repositories emerged as a new strategy that allows universities to apply what he calls “serious, systematic leverage to accelerate changes taking place in scholarship and scholarly communication” (1). He later clarifies that he defines these institutional repositories as places that hold digital materials and are created by the institution. Similarly, archival theorists such as T.R. Schellenberg emphasize the research value of records and the …

Understanding The Alternative Normative Concepts, Dewitt W. Spiller

Theses

Matti Eklund's challenge to normative realism in Choosing Normative Concepts (2017) turns on the possibility of "alternative normative concepts"—concepts that play the same normative role as ours but have different extensions. Eklund argues that the ardent realist cannot express what he calls “the further question” about which concepts to use without either trivializing the answer or changing the subject. I argue that this challenge rests on an unstated assumption about how normative concepts are differentiated. I call this the Fragility Assumption. What I seek to show is that this assumption is not obligatory; there are live views of normative concepts …

Hidradenitis Supprativa: Communication Strategies To Improve Awareness And Reduce Stigma, Temilade Adewale

Theses

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition associated with significant physical and psychosocial burden. Despite increasing clinical recognition, patients frequently experience diagnostic delays, stigma, and inadequate communication with healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to examine communication patterns surrounding HS and explore how these patterns relate to stigma, misinformation, and patient experiences. This study used a qualitative design incorporating a structured literature review and semi-structured interviews with 85 participants. The Narrative Paradigm guided analysis, focusing on how individuals construct meaning through their experiences and interactions. Thematic analysis identified key patterns in patient-provider communication, misinformation exposure, and …

Visualizing Perception: Systems Of Perception And Cognition In Animal Species, Felicia Soto

Theses

Animal species utilize various modes of perception based on their individual adaptations and survival needs. The sensory organs of an organism serve as an interface between the present environment and the organism’s central nervous system (Dangles et. al, 2009). An organism will make decisions based on the information being perceived and processed by that individual's nervous system. Studies investigate the mechanisms of these interactions in a variety of ways, from studying physiology and functional morphology, to conducting observational studies of perception. These studies concerning perception and cognition in animals can help to uncover parallels between animal species, as well as …

Intermediates Or Intermedius? An Examination Of Lotic Sternotherus In Baldwin And Mobile Counties, Al, Peyton A. Wilson

Theses

The Southeastern United States is a biodiversity hotspot, and turtles are no exception to the rule. This is particularly true for the genus Sternotherus. Alabama is the only state home to all six species of Sternotherus, including the recently described Intermediate Musk Turtle (Sternotherus intermedius). It was thought that the Perdido River was the western boundary of Sternotherus intermedius; however, surveys in recent years produced questionable individuals in several small watersheds feeding into the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, bringing the species true range into question, as well as the question of if this species has hybridized with its congener, …

Fish Community Composition Across Marine Habitats Around St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Assessed Using Underwater Video, Maya L. Seesholtz

Theses

Coral reef ecosystems support highly diverse fish assemblages that are strongly influenced by habitat structure and environmental conditions. Understanding how fish communities vary across habitat types is critical for effective monitoring and management. This study evaluated habitat-associated patterns in reef fish assemblages around St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, using stationary underwater video data collected through the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) Caribbean.

A total of 37 video deployments were analyzed across coral (n=20), macroalgae (n= 9), and sand habitats (n=7), with seagrass (n=1) included for descriptive purposes only. Fish abundance was quantified using the MinCount metric, and taxon …