Digital Commons Network^™

Using Path Analysis To Examine The Psychological Well-Being Model For U.S. College Students, Pi-Ming Yeh, Cheng-Huei Chiao, Gavin Waters

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Background: College students’ psychological well-being and mental health issues are very important in this society. Little is known about a comprehensive psychological well-being model for college students.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was using Path Analysis to examine the Development of Personality and Psychological Well-Being Model among US college students.

Methods: This was a cross sectional, descriptive design. The 481 participants were recruited from nursing and business college students in the United States. After IRB approval, the trained researchers explained this study to college students. After agreeing to participate, they signed an informed consent form. Upon completion of a …

In Vitro Vs. In Vivo Studies On The Interaction Of Natural Products With The Gut Microbiota: The Example Of Stw 5, Olaf Kelber

Oxford ICSB

Background: Recent evidence suggests that natural products can modulate microbiome composition, offering health benefits. This study evaluates the effects of STW 5 (Iberogast) on microbiota in functional dyspepsia (FD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) through a comparison of in vitro and in vivo data. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed and other scientific databases to collate data on STW 5's impact on the gut microbiome at phyla and genera levels. Results: In vitro studies demonstrated an increase in Enterococcus and a decrease in Clostridium and Bacteroides. Further in vitro research confirmed an increase in Firmicutes and a …

Amplifying The Issues Of Colorism: How Literature Challenges Colorist Beauty Standards, Wytinsea Jones

Liberty University Research Week

Colorism is a major concern in our society, including literature. Colorism excludes darker-complexioned people and perceives lighter complexion as more desired, favorable, and acceptable. In Alice Walker’s book, In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens, she defined colorism as, “preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on the color of their skin” (Myers, n.d.). This research presentation aims to explore how damaging colorism has been to ethnic communities and its impact on literature. Analyzing data on colorism found in Hispanic, Asian, Black, and Native American families will help provide context on the global phenomenon. Additionally, examining the correlation colorism has in …

A Parlamente Of Liberté, Égalité, And Fraternité: Gender Inequality In The Heptameron, Gabriella Wiehe

Liberty University Research Week

Marguerite de Navarre’s Heptameron emerges from the cultural and religious upheaval of sixteenth-century France as a sophisticated critique of patriarchal society. This research argues that through her use of “truthful” nouvelles, Marguerite transforms narrative into a tool of social reform, exposing systemic abuses against women while advocating for female liberty, equality, and fraternity. Unlike its model, Boccaccio’s Decameron, the Heptameron insists upon the veracity of its stories, positioning them as reflections of lived female experience and thereby legitimizing women’s testimony within a culture that routinely silenced it. By dramatizing issues such as sexual coercion, marital inequality, and moral double standards, …

Just One More Thing, S'Il Vous Plaît: The Use Of Affective Presentation In Fictional Detectives Hercule Poirot And Lt. Columbo, Rachel Smith

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Women In The Early Church: Developing A Documentary, Sana Washa

Liberty University Research Week

Many Christians do not recognize the vital impact that women played in the development of the early church, from witnessing the resurrection, to working in planting and leading house churches. There are certain women mentioned in Scripture or in the works of the church fathers whose lives have been generally swept over, and this research project aims to highlight several prominent women in the early church for the sake of creating a future documentary. I am working with Professor Bennett from the film department to synthesize information and sources on women’s roles in church history so that he can create …

The Assessment Of Women: A Study Of The Recruitment, Assessment, And Training Of Female Personnel In The Oss, Adaline Brenning

Liberty University Research Week

This study of the recruitment, assessment, and training of female OSS personnel sheds light on often overlooked aspects of the employment process within OSS. Through primary and secondary source research, including the study of undigitized archival material at the National Archives II, this research presents the earliest stages of the employment of female personnel as the first chapter of a broader M.A. thesis study of the women of the OSS. Key findings include an understanding of the rapid and effective development of the whole organization visible through the expansion and improvement of onboarding processes, contributions to scholarly understandings of women's …

To Loot Or Not To Loot: The Rise And Fall Of The Louvre (1793-1815), Rebecca Felton

Liberty University Research Week

The recent break-in at the Musée du Louvre resurrected centuries-old questions having to do with conquest, colonialism, and—above all—culture. The ease with which a group of criminals walked into the Galerie d’Apollon and walked out again with priceless artifacts in tow undercuts one of the primary justifications for the creation of the museum in the first place—that only a nation as civilized as France could safeguard the cultural inheritance of the West. The robbery thus begs the question: if France cannot even do that, why should she be allowed to keep the artwork she acquired through dubious means in the …

A Historical Analysis Of The Development Of Childbirth In The U. S., Kristen Montgomery, Kayleigh Berg Bsn, Rn, Emily Greer Bsn, Rn, Marsha Hedgecough Bsn, Rn, Emma Holden Bsn, Rn, Halle Ingle Bsn, Rn, Alexis Tolbert Bsn, Rn

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Purpose: The purpose of this project is understand the historical development of childbirth from early documentation of birth in the home to modern day obstetrics, where most deliveries occur in the hospital. Approximately 3.5 to 4 million births occur each year in the U. S.

Aims: The aim of this study is to understand the historical development of childbirth in the U.S. with a particular emphasis on maternal autonomy. Depending on the amount of materials available, the research may be limited to the Appalachian Region.

Methods: Using a historical method, materials were located that traced the trajectory of childbirth from …

All The Glory, Mother Nature, Steph Kotropolous

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition. Poetry by a Bryant University student.

Bird, Kharma Jones

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition. Poetry by a Bryant University student.

Denial, Syd Parker

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition. An Ekphrastic poem inspired by Shirley Bernstein’s work in the Evocative Mark Twain Exhibit by Syd Parker.

Lonely Little Stars, Syd Parker

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition.

My Grandma's Skin, Kaitlyn Hoy

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition. Poetry by a Bryant University student.

Pulsing Possession, Julia Hallam

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission to the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition. Earth Day Prose Poem.

Summer, Brendan Ardito

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition. Earth Day Haiku.

The Taste Of Soil, Xinyu Bai

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition. Poetry by a Bryant University student.

The Forest, Syd Parker

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition.

From Theses To Podcasts: A Digital Humanities Analysis Of Religious Communication From The Reformation To The Digital Age, Fallon Tridento

Liberty University Research Week

This project looks at how religious communication has changed alongside major technological developments, from the printing press to artificial intelligence, throughout history, using a digital humanities perspective. Beginning with the Protestant Reformation, it explores how print culture allowed ideas to spread more quickly, especially through the work of Martin Luther. It then follows how later figures, including St. Maximilian Kolbe, Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, and Mother Angelica, made use of emerging forms of media, from print to radio and television, to reach wider audiences. The project also considers the work of Fr. Roberto Busa, whose use of early computing marked …

Past His Prime: Polonius And The Language Of Advice, Mandy Bergeron

Liberty University Research Week

This paper focuses on the language of advice in Hamlet. It uses a close reading method and secondary sources to answer the research question: How has the characterization of Polonius transformed the nature of advice in modern speech?

The Cold War's Impact On Abba--The Ussr's Temporary Acceptance Of Abba, Samantha Foster

Liberty University Research Week

The 1970s pop band ABBA is not normally thought of in terms of the Cold War, but the ideological conflict had an impact on the group. For instance, the Soviet Union was more accepting of ABBA than other Western groups in large part due to their home country of Sweden's policy of neutrality. Additionally, disco was tolerated to a degree in the USSR for a time, and since ABBA's music is disco-adjacent, they were more accepted there for a time. This acceptance, though, was short-lived as the Soviet government denounced ABBA in the early 1980s and eventually banned them and …

Landscape In Early 20th Century Canadian Literature, Madeline Kohut

Liberty University Research Week

This project will explore the use of landscape in early 20th century Canadian literature and its role in the identity of narratives and characters. Attention will be given to links between landscape and personal and cultural identity, as well as the degree to which different approaches to landscape align with or deviate from the biblical worldview. The presentation draws from primary sources from a variety of genres set in different geographical areas across Canada between 1907 and 1922.

The Mental Game: Understanding Mental Health Challenges Among Ncaa Diii Student-Athletes, Kaitlin J. Bouchard

Thinking Matters Symposium

This study explores the lived experiences of NCAA Division III student-athletes as

they relate to mental health challenges, coping strategies, and perceptions of

institutional support. Although awareness of student-athlete mental health has

increased, barriers such as stigma, limited resources, and cultural pressures

within collegiate athletics continue to influence help-seeking behaviors. Using a

phenomenological qualitative approach, confidential survey data were collected

from approximately 56 NCAA Division III student-athletes across divisions. Data

included both multiple-choice and open-ended responses, allowing participants

to share their experiences in their own words. Thematic analysis was used to

identify common themes and inform recommendations for improving mental …

Bridging The Educational Gap To Strengthen Democracy, Caroline D. Thompson

Thinking Matters Symposium

There are many ways to start looking at how we could strengthen democracy and looking at our education systems is a great way to start. Looking at how we can provide equal opportunities despite the location of schools and their funding will try to diminish inequality not just within the education system, but for opportunities outside the classroom. When schools in different communities have unequal access to funding, programs, and resources, students don’t have the same opportunities to further their knowledge and skills needed to be good active citizens within their communities.

Education serves as a major institution that can …

How We Can Make Representative Democracy Actually Representative, Olivia Davis

Thinking Matters Symposium

In order to answer the question “What could and/or should be done to strengthen democracy?” It is necessary to look at the way decisions are made and how power is distributed and held in our government, which currently operates as a representative democracy. Some critics of this representative democracy express that the U.S. government currently works more as a spectacle for officials rather than actually representing what the citizens want and also questions whether our system is still operating as a true democracy, or if it is moving toward authoritarianism. A solution to these issues is moving toward a combination …

Do We Need The Electoral College?, Adriana Lamesta

Thinking Matters Symposium

This project will look at whether taking away the Electoral College would strengthen democracy in the United States by ensuring that the candidate who receives the most votes across the country wins the election. My central question is: How would replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote affect representation and political equality in the United States? I can show that taking away the Electoral College would strengthen democracy by balancing election outcomes with the majority of voters and reducing inequalities within the structure of political representation. This poster uses some key concepts from political sociology, including political power, …

Redefining Inclusion: The Lived Experience Of Physically Disabled Nurses In The United States, Vanessa Cameron

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of inclusion among physically disabled nurses actively working in the United States, including how those experiences differ based on disability timing—before or after licensure. Current literature largely centers on sensory or learning disabilities within academic settings; thus, this study addresses a critical gap by focusing on inclusion within professional nursing practice.

Significance: Physically disabled nurses remain underrepresented and underexamined in nursing research and workforce discussions. Applying Critical Disability Theory (CDT)—a framework never before used in nursing—this study explores how ableism and inclusion shape workplace experiences and opportunities …

Reimagining Hwe: Preparing Graduate Nurses For Cultural And Safety Transformation, Shanna D. Chapman, Rose Nieves

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The healthcare landscape has undergone profound transformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing critical vulnerabilities in workforce well-being and safety. Recent data indicate that 65% of nurses report high levels of stress and burnout, with 40% reconsidering their career choice, and 67% expressing concern over workload management. These challenges are compounded by staffing shortages, compensation concerns, limited organizational support, and a troubling rise in workplace violence—75% of nurses are likely to experience violence during their careers, with 77% reporting verbal abuse and 25% physical assault, contributing to 10,000 injuries annually and costing the industry $2 billion (Cross Country …

Improving Novice Nurses’ Assessment Proficiency With The Global Minded Three-Minute Assessment Tool, Anita G. Fennessey

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Physical assessment is a core nursing competency, yet new graduates frequently struggle to apply these skills consistently in practice, contributing to missed care, documentation errors, and preventable adverse outcomes. This study evaluated whether structured education, coaching, and reinforcement of the Global Minded Three-Minute Assessment Tool (GM-3MAT) within a nurse residency program improved novice nurses’ assessment performance.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design compared intervention (n=21) and control (n=22) groups of residency nurses at an academic medical center. The intervention included live Zoom education with expert demonstration, reference materials, a pocket guide, individualized coaching, a 30-day practice challenge, and performance scorecards. Assessment …

Temperature-Induced Uncertainty In Fixed-Context Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Steven Zeng, Murat Kuzlu

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This study examines how decoding temperature affects output uncertainty in a fixed-context retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system. We define uncertainty as the semantic dispersion among repeated answers under the same fixed retrieved context, with greater dispersion interpreted as higher uncertainty. To isolate this answer-generation variability from retrieval drift, each question was paired with a fixed retrieved context, and repeated generations differed only in temperature. The experiment used nine questions drawn from a machine-learning textbook corpus, with three questions each at easy, moderate, and hard difficulty. Each question was evaluated at five temperatures (0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0) over 30 iterations, …