Digital Commons Network^™

The Raye Montague Digital Collection, Paola Cavallari

Theses and Dissertations

The Raye Montague Digital Collection consists of 735 items that have been digitized and catalogued to tell the story of Raye Montague, the United States Navy hidden figure. The Collection addresses the need to remedy decades of historical invisibility Raye Montague was subjected to because of gender and racial discrimination despite her fundamental contributions to U.S. history. This thesis details how the Collection inserts Raye Montague within a broader historical context that uncovers the role Black women had as federal employees in the U.S. military during and after World War II. It also explains how, in designing the Collection, I …

A Frame, A Jar, And A Mural: An Exploratory Crafts-Based Arts Curriculum Infused With Making, Community, And Place, Laura Ann Rowley

Theses and Dissertations

Situated within the current landscape of loneliness and isolation facing today's youth, this research describes a place-based and crafts-based arts curriculum for elementary students in the Salt Lake area. It uses curriculum as an investigative tool to explore the relationships between crafts, place, making, community and belonging. The curriculum itself incorporates place-based activities including hikes, urban walks, and plein air making while looking at the lives and works of local Salt Lake maker-artists Pilar Pobil, Jann Haworth, and Ben Behunin. It also delves into a wide array of craft arts and making including: decorative frame painting, embroidery, quilting, pottery, rubbings, …

Lstm-Transformer Based Robust Hybrid Deep Learning Model For Financial Time Series Forecasting, Md R. Kabir

Theses and Dissertations

The inherent challenges of financial time series forecasting demand advanced modeling techniques for reliable predictions. Financial data, belonging to the category of multimedia data, contains an extensive quantity of information that is widely used for data analysis and decision-making tasks. Effective financial time series forecasting is crucial for financial risk management and the formulation of investment decisions. Accurate prediction of stock prices is a subject of study in the domains of investing and national policy. This problem appears to be challenging due to the presence of multi-noise, nonlinearity, volatility, and chaotic natures in stocks. This paper proposes a novel financial …

A Comparative Study Of Toxicity Propagation Using Epidemiological Models, Niloofar Yousefi

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the spread and intensity of toxic content on social media, with a particular focus on platform X (formerly known as Twitter). The growing presence of toxic interactions has sparked concerns about their effects on public discourse. Utilizing epidemiological models such as SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered), SIS (Susceptible, Infected, Susceptible), SIRS (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered, Susceptible), SEIRS (Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Recovered, Susceptible), and the novel SEImIhRS model (Susceptible, Exposed, Moderate Infected, High Infected, Recovered, Susceptible), which are traditionally used to study infectious disease dynamics, this dissertation examines toxicity in platform X discussions. A key contribution of this work is …

Flying Under The Radar: Navigating Through Frustrations, Tears, And The Politics Of The Liberal Arts Curriculum, Sandra Houghton

Theses and Dissertations

The elements and principles of art continue to highly influence curriculum in the typical art foundations class. The reduction of art and artmaking to their formal properties constricts a student’s ability to engage in real-life artist processes, and many important contextual meanings are lost. Consequently, art foundations curriculum derived from the elements and principles of art narrows the lens through which we create, teach, and talk about art. In my own experience as an art teacher, I have found that this approach limits my teaching and makes it difficult to fully and authentically understand the works of other artists and …

Investigating The Efficacy Of Prompt Engineering Techniques For Research Survey Paper Generation Using Large Language Models, Innocent Obed Awidi

Theses and Dissertations

The recent advancements in large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, offer promising potential for automating academic writing tasks. This study investigates the efficacy of prompt engineering techniques in guiding LLMs to generate high-quality research survey papers, specifically exploring their application in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug development and large language model customization for classification. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research assessed the impact of prompt engineering on the coherence, relevance, and overall quality of generated content through quantitative and qualitative analyses. Techniques including prompt refinement, contextual prompting, and iterative prompting were systematically applied to enhance the …

Division I Female Business Student-Athletes And Career Readiness During Their Academic Careers At A 4-Year Institution, Brianna Black

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to explore female student-athletes within a business major and the transition from student-athlete into a professional career in a nonplaying sport capacity. This qualitative study examines eight female student-athletes who have selected a business major and their experiences with career readiness. Literature shows that student-athletes are behind in aspects of career readiness due to their focus on academic coursework and aspects of athletics with potential hopes of still becoming professional athletes. In addition, female student-athletes specifically business students are behind their counterparts due to the competitive nature of being a business student let alone …

Impact Of Delphi-Developed Rubrics On Rater Consistency In 14 Cfr 141 Flight Training Assessment Environments, Lewis Robert James Archer

Theses and Dissertations

Pilot schools operating in accordance with 14 CFR 141 provide a substantial supply of pilots to the aviation industry. Recent high industry demand for pilots has created turnover among the flight instructor workforce, often considered an entry-level position used by aspiring aviators to build flight experience. This in turn means that check instructors, evaluators who are often selected from the more senior flight instructor population at a pilot school, are generally less experienced than in the past. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is low consistency among these check instructors when conducting performance-based assessments. This study sought to determine the existing …

Directivity Improvement Of A Broad-Beam Patch Antenna By Means Of A Flat Metamaterial Lens, Tyler Midas

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates the development of a flat metamaterial lens intended to enhance antenna directivity in RF applications. Development and evaluation was performed with ANSYS HFSS, where a theoretical convex lens model was developed and used as a basis for unit cell refractive indices of the metamaterial lens. The unit cell demonstrated in this study leverages the properties of a nested split-ring resonator merged with a center column. Adjusting the rings allow for refractive index optimization and effective beam focusing. The work presented also provides a 2x2 antenna array with a feed network, which enables the future work of bench …

Life In Sitcoms: Episodes In Love And Loss, Amy Kielmeyer

Theses and Dissertations

Sitcoms have been an enduring part of television history, but for as much as they have been an important part of the ways we’ve interacted with television, they have also been criticized over the years for being too the same, too unrealistic, for avoiding complexity, and minimizing the lived experiences of many people. These critiques are necessary, but they can also overlook some of the ways that these very critiques are part of what makes the sitcom a valuable vehicle for telling familiar stories. Using sitcoms, obituaries, and poetry, this collection of creative nonfiction offers ways of looking at sitcoms …

Barriers To Faculty Adoption Of Assessment: A Case Study In Engineering, Melodie A. R. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This case study at an undergraduate teaching-focused engineering program in a small faith-based liberal arts university is designed to evaluate tools for assessing the engineering accreditor ABET’s Student Outcome Five – teamwork skills of engineering students. This evaluation would set the foundation for developing an assessment program that meets the needs of faculty, administrators, and accreditors. Activity theory is used as the theoretical framework for the study. A literature review lays the foundation for a novel conceptual framework asserting “faculty resistance” is actually “systemic friction.” The methodology is described, including data collection procedures, data analysis methods, and the approaches to …

Developing Inclusive Practices Through Peer Coaching In College Science Teaching, Briana Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Historically underrepresented students pursuing STEM majors encounter systemic barriers. Students are more likely to experience success when faculty implement inclusive practices. Faculty often lack the pedagogical training necessary to adopt inclusive practices, further perpetuating inequities. To eliminate barriers and offer equitable opportunities for success in STEM majors, this case study explores the implementation of peer coaching and Culturally Relevant Science Teaching (CRST) in college level science teaching, focusing on the experiences of three participating faculty. Through a year-long professional development (PD) cycle, three science faculty members from a small liberal arts college engaged in reflective practices aimed at improving their …

Evaluating Uas As A Tool For Improving Elk Population Counts In A Suburban Forested Area Of North Central Colorado, Michael Wussow

Theses and Dissertations

For decades, wildlife researchers have taken advantage of an aerial perspective for performing population counts because of challenges associated with ground observations. Due to advances in aviation technology and regulations, unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) have become increasingly available for wildlife population monitoring in addition to manned aircraft, with success largely dependent on the species, their habitat, and UAS utilized. This study compares a currently accepted method of counting North American elk (ground/spotting scope counts) to a novel method (UAS) to evaluate if a commercial-off-the-shelf quadcopter (COTS) UAS equipped with zoom-capable RGB cameras would be an acceptable tool for counting elk …

Psychology Graduate Student Experiences, Social Support, And Mental Health, Kathryn Lang

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate school is a highly stressful experience for many psychology students. Accordingly, graduate psychology programs need to identify and minimize unnecessary sources of stress on their students. Despite the importance of this topic, there is little research on factors that increase psychology graduate students’ stress. The present study determined how a student’s financial difficulties, quality of their social support, quality of their faculty support, number of adverse experiences they had in their program, the impact of a student’s negative experience in their program; and the population size of the location of their program affect a student’s mental health, perceived progress …

Nanoparticles: Applications For Energy Innovation, Wen Sun

Theses and Dissertations

The work described in this dissertation will have three primary goals that are all essential for improving the energy demand using nanotechnology. The first goal is to comprehensively understand the application of SiO2-based nanoparticles (SiO2-based-NPs) in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and the challenges associated with their use. The second goal is to investigate the application of ruthenium-based nanoparticles using reduced graphene oxide as the matrix (Runano-based/rGO) for the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia under ambient conditions. The third goal is to develop binder-free 3D nanomaterials and assess their electrochemical properties for supercapacitor applications. To fulfill this goal, two different nanomaterials have …

Cyclical Musicians: Collegiate Music Students’ Experiences Of Instrumental Musicking Processes Across The Menstrual Cycle, Anne Marques Catarin

Theses and Dissertations

Instrumental music researchers tend to focus on non-sex-specific health topics, such as posture (e.g., Garnett et al., 2022; Rousseau et al., 2023), musculoskeletal health (e.g., Mizrahi, 2020; Pratt et al., 2020), or neurological movement disorders (e.g., Altenmüller & Jabusch, 2010; Frucht, 2009). Despite the considerable extent of topics covered in musician health, the role of menstrual health in instrumentalists is currently underdeveloped. Using a case study design (Stake, 1995; Yin, 2014), I explored the unspoken experiences of collegiate instrumental music majors who menstruate, in an investigation to better understand the role of menstrual cycles in their musicking. For four months, …

The Positivity Principle: Investigating A School Administrator Training Series Designed To Promote Systemic Positivity, Catherine Gillach

Theses and Dissertations

Education has historically been recognized as a stressful profession, yet the Covid-19 pandemic (2020) paired with intensified socio-political influences have exacerbated educator stress, anxiety, and negativity, prematurely pushing more career educators to leave the profession. Teacher and principal pre-service preparation programs largely neglect to train educators in strategies for personally managing negative stressors, and negativity mitigation strategies are often overlooked as a critical facet of school climate and culture. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation in practice was to examine the degree to which a school administrator training series could stimulate personal and systemic positivity within participants’ schools in a …

Investigating The Relationship Between Teachers’ State Evaluation Rating And Their Classroom-Based Assessment Practices And Systems, Christopher Jones

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative research study investigates the relationship between teachers’ evaluation rating and their classroom-based assessment practices using a survey approach. Four middle schools consisting of 39 (grades six through eight) teachers in the Southwestern U.S. participated in the study. Research has shown that when teachers regularly use a system of evidence-based classroom assessment practices, student achievement increases. The problem addressed within this investigation is that students nationwide are performing at lower proficiency rates in math and English Language Arts than previously seen. Results from this study indicate that even teachers rated “highly effective” on evaluations are not employing evidence-based assessment …

Population Genetics Of Deer In The Northern Great Plains, Usa, Sarah Elizabeth Daman

Theses and Dissertations

Deer are currently under threat of chronic wasting disease (CWD) throughout North America. With CWD distribution increasing globally, understanding the spread of the disease is paramount for the effective management and conservation of deer populations. Conservation genomics has been shown as an effective method to study the behavior and movement of individuals on the landscape at a broad spatial scale. This approach allows for a multi-state evaluation of habitat and landscape features that may influence the dispersals and subsequent gene flow between populations. This study was designed to assess the genetic population structuring of deer within North Dakota and surrounding …

Elementary Teacher Instructional Self-Efficacy In Leader In Me Lighthouse Schools, Lara Storm

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a secondary data comparative analysis using the Leader in Me Measurable Results Assessment (MRA) to examine whether teachers at Leader in Me Lighthouse certified schools have a greater degree of instructional self-efficacy than teachers at non-Lighthouse certified Leader in Me schools. Literature shows that students in classes with teachers that have a higher degree of instructional self-efficacy experience higher student achievement and a more supportive classroom climate. In addition, those teachers with higher efficacy experience lower levels of stress and burnout and are more engaged in professional development. The guiding notion of this investigation is that implementing …

Indigenous Innovation: Exploring Substance Use And Drone Applications In Indigenous Contexts Across Canada, Jacob Nelson Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This is a dissertation in practice which addresses Indigenous health, substance use, dronetechnology, and ethical considerations of drone use. A dissertation in practice results in three products with practical application in community. Through development of a grant application, journal manuscript, and community toolkit for ethical drone use, this dissertation addresses a broader narrative about the empowerment of Indigenous communities in Canada.

In Chapter 2, a grant application has been designed for submission to Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program. The grant explores substance use among Indigenous Peoples working in the forest sector. The grant application addresses the need for …

Experimental Investigation Of Freezing Microdroplets For Understanding Chain Crystal Aggregates Observed In Atmospheric Clouds, Imteaz Osmani

Theses and Dissertations

Ice crystal aggregates are observed in upper stratospheric clouds. The crystal aggregates can form in different orientations, geometry, and shapes which are not well studied. These crystal aggregations are found in the clouds as crystal chains of various lengths and cause damage to hypersonic vehicles which include missiles, re-entry vehicles, and jet aircraft. The reasons behind such damage by atmospheric crystal chains to hypersonic bodies are unknown. That is why studying these ice crystals and their behavior in the hypersonic environment is necessary. Ice crystals form in the atmosphere in two different ways which are homogenous and heterogenous. Heterogenous freezing …

“How Can I Teach When I Was Not Taught How?”: Teacher Education For Mother Tongue Instruction For Stem In Southwest Nigeria, Motunrayo Adeosun

Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study, the experiences, training, and challenges of teachers in primary schools in a community in southwest Nigeria were explored. The purpose of this study was to identify the experiences of teachers about their training for mother tongue instruction and how they teach pupils with the mother tongue or local language of the community, the challenges faced by teachers in teaching with the mother tongue, and the strategies used by teachers to overcome the challenges. This study found that teachers received no training and there is no curriculum for the training of teachers to teach in the mother …

Investigation Of Gas Injection Eor In Conventional And Unconventional Reservoirs Based On Laboratory Experiments And Field Pilot Tests, Jin Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, fossil fuels (including oil, natural gas, and coal) are still the dominant energy sources in the United States. However, their extraction and utilization generate a significant volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) and associated gases, such as methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), etc. Injecting these gases back into deep oil reservoirs offers a practical means to enhance oil recovery while reducing air pollution. The target formations are usually characterized by good porosity and permeability to ensure sufficient injectivity and storage capacity. However, recent unconventional reservoir development indicated that tight formations could also be potential targets for enhanced oil recovery …

A Thematic Analysis Of Experiences With Accommodation Plans Of College Students With Disabilities: Recommendations For Students, Faculty, And Administrators, Christina Dimauro

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the experiences of students with disabilities in higher education through a multiple case study design, incorporating both surveys and follow-up interviews to perform a thematic analysis across the cases. The primary aim was to amplify the voices of these students, gaining insights into their perspectives on the accommodations provided and gathering their advice for navigating the accommodations process. The interviews provided a qualitative depth, allowing students to share personal experiences and practical advice for other students. Findings reveal a diverse range of experiences, highlighting both successes and challenges in accessing and utilizing accommodations. Recommendations included advocating for …

Multi-Task Learning For Deployable, Boundary-Refined Semantic Segmentation, Alessandro Dos Santos

Theses and Dissertations

Semantic segmentation is a task in computer vision that frequently employs convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn dense, pixel-wise object classification. Low-level feature preservation and robust, real-time network deployment are regarded as two of the biggest challenges in this task. The former challenge loses low-level features during downsampling operations, which are integral to learning object semantics, posing a seemingly paradoxical challenge. There have been many approaches for resolving this problem such as skip connections and multi-scale feature extraction, but none quite as explicit as modeling edge prior information. The latter challenge is often resolved by exploiting lightweight CNN architectures, where …

Targeting World Language Learning In The Target Language: A Qualitative Inquiry Of The K–12 Foreign Language Teacher Experience, Igor Ljevaja

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the current practices of K–12 foreign language teachers (FLTs) in using the target language (TL) within an urban school district in the Midwest United States. Focusing on how FLTs engage in professional development (PD) to optimize their TL use in the classroom, the study investigates the strategies and knowledge FLTs employ to foster TL proficiency among students. Purposeful sampling was employed to recruit participants (n = 5) who represented full-time FLTs, taught between sixth and 12th grade, and had at least four years of teaching experience and valid state licenses. Semi-structured interviews with current FLTs provide …

Fluorescence Imaging Systems To Detect Contamination On Surfaces Common In Food Processing And Medical Facilities, Benjamin Hu

Theses and Dissertations

Biofilm are aggregates of microbial cells encased under an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and resist sanitizers or antibiotics. Because of their persistence on various surfaces such as medical devices or industrial piping, biofilm formation is associated with approximately 65% of all microbial infections. Thus, their detection and deactivation are of great importance to public health. Many detection methods such as swabbing require sampling by rubbing , which can be inefficient and challenging. This study proposes the use of handheld multispectral fluorescence imaging systems to detect and deactivate biofilm in situ. We utilized the Contamination and Sanitization Inspection (CSI) and -Disinfection …

Outage Prediction And Detecting Influential Factors Under Extreme Weather Events Using Shap Analysis, Farishta Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

As electricity demands continue to grow and extreme weather events become more frequent, the need for resilient energy infrastructure is increasingly urgent. This thesis addresses three critical areas of power system resilience and monitoring. The first section of the thesis reviews the Texas power blackout in February 2021, which highlighted severe vulnerabilities in energy systems under extreme weather conditions. This analysis investigates the blackout event's causes, including generation capacity limitations and over-reliance on specific energy sources. The second section presents another weather event (ice storms) in North Dakota causing a multi-day blackout. Multiple machine learning approaches are deployed to predict …

The Fcc 5-Year Deorbit Rule’S Impact On The Space Industry Including Non-Traditional Scientific And Environmental Stakeholders, Kristin Shahady

Theses and Dissertations

In pursuit of a safer and more sustainable space environment, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) introduced the 5-year deorbit rule, a regulatory mandate aimed at mitigating space debris by requiring satellite operators to remove their spacecraft from LEO within 5 years after their mission is complete. While the intent behind this rule is admirable in the desire to remediate and limit the generation of orbital debris, it raises questions whether it was crafted with consideration of all stakeholders, whether it will truly mitigate the creation of orbital debris, and whether it exhibits characteristics of arbitrariness and capriciousness. Agencies’ actions be …