Digital Commons Network^™

“The Bloodstained Letters Of Hannah:” The Creation And Development Of A Visual Novel, Thien Ong

Theses & ETDs

The purpose of this project was to create a visual novel developed and designed using the game engine Ren’Py. Ren’Py contains all the tools to create an immersive story experience. Using Ren'Py, layered audio tracks, such as sound effects and background music were added, as well as illustrations layering for background, character interactions, and foreground. Using this engine, the mystery novel “The Bloodstained Letters of Hannah” was created. In this novel, the player investigates the sudden disappearance of her sister. As the player continues to explore the story, the plot diverges into two paths. In the first path the player’s …

Creating Experiences That Drive Profit: How Leadership Style, Servicescape, Menu Design, And Break-Even Point Shape Business Performance In The Case Of Amoranto, Sofia Hernandez Cruz

Theses & ETDs

The present study aimed to determine the extent to which leadership style (transformational vs. transactional) and the perception of the servicescape influence business outcomes, particularly when integrated with menu engineering analysis (popularity and profitability) and break-even analysis, in the case of Amoranto. Amoranto is a concept house located in Cali, Colombia, composed of three sectors: restaurant, flower shop, and boutique, situated in the upper sector of the city. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining psychological and economic factors, the study demonstrates that these dimensions are complementary when analyzing overall business performance. The first study showed that transactional leadership is positively associated …

The Erosion Of The Middle Class In The United States From 2008-Present: A Financial Perspective, Evan M. Kilmer

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the erosion of the middle class in the United States from 2008 to the present from a financial perspective, specifically focusing on the interconnection between household debt, asset affordability, and income growth. The 2008 financial crisis sparked a period of expansionary monetary policy, which aided the recovery of asset prices and equity markets. However, these gains have far exceeded real wage growth for middle-class households, which has resulted in a widening gap in affordability. As these citizens struggle to maintain consumption habits and access to goods and services associated with upward mobility, mortgages, student loans, and consumer …

Decoding Trafficking Films: Advocate Perspectives On Human Trafficking Portrayals, Avery Mock

All Theses

The crime of human trafficking is often used as a plot point in popular action films in the United States, however, many of these portrayals do not fully represent the truth of the crime, how it occurs, and who the victims are. Nonprofit organizations often combat this misrepresentation to re-educate the public, in addition to aiding survivors and fighting for legislation. Previous research has looked into false representations of human trafficking in both news and fictional media, as well as public and advocate sentiments of popular film portrayals. This thesis aimed to better understand the ways in which anti-trafficking advocates …

Understanding Barriers To Breast Cancer Screening Among Rural Women In South Carolina: A Qualitative Study Using The Idea Model, Israt Jahan

All Theses

Breast cancer screening rates remain low among rural women in South Carolina, leading to higher incidences of late-stage cancer diagnosis. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to investigate reasons why many women delay or avoid screenings, even when free screening programs such as the Best Chance Network are available in South Carolina. Guided by the IDEA model, the study explored how women interpret cancer risk, how they seek and trust cancer information, how they understand screening explanations, and what barriers affect their ability to take action. Participants described fear of pain, fear of diagnosis, personal relevance, confusion about the screening …

Effects Of A Passive Assistive Hamstring Device On Overground Running Kinematics And Hamstring Activation., Quinn Castner

All Theses

Hamstring strain injuries are among the most common and recurring injuries in sports, occurring most often during the terminal swing phase of gait. Despite progress in rehabilitation, the incidence of injury has only increased, suggesting a need for a novel intervention. We designed a passive, assistive, wearable device with two specific criteria in mind: to offload the hamstrings during running, and do so without hindering normal kinematic patterns. The device consists of an adjustable elastic band anchored proximally at the waist and distally just above the ankle joint center. It stretches and shortens with the hamstrings, providing passive hip extension …

Robustness Of Vision Language Models For Pedestrian Detection Tasks, Ostonya K. Thomas

All Theses

Autonomous vehicle (AV) systems typically employ modular systems in which discrete components handle separate tasks such as perception, computation, and path planning. While flexible, this approach allows errors to propagate and compound across the pipeline, and many AI systems offer little transparency into their internal decision-making. Such limitations are particularly concerning in safety-critical domains where failures can carry lethal consequences. Vision Language Models (VLMs) have emerged as a promising alternative because they support end-to-end implementations that bypass compounding error risks and provide natural language explanations of their outputs. Despite these advantages, prior research has demonstrated that both computer vision systems …

Redefining The Teenager: Liminality And The Dystopian Young Adult Heroine Who Overthrows The Government To Save The Child And Preserve Innocence, Ashtyn Zavala

All Theses

The teen girl figure has swept young adult dystopian fiction from 2008 onward, continuously overthrowing governments and acting outside of her socially defined roles. This stock character became a cornerstone in most YA fiction during its time, leading to this thesis’s investigation of its necessitation: why must a teenage girl save her country’s people from an oppressive government and why can none of the other children or adults do this saving? This thesis attends to Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (2008-2025) and Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me (2011-2021) to examine the conditions and subsequent formula that give rise to this teen …

Disney's Illusion Of Inclusion, Marissa Davis

All Theses

Walt Disney’s films were not simply entertainment, but a use of racial stereotypes as a profit strategy. Even scholarship that explores these tactics and critically analyzes his most problematic misrepresentations do not to consider the role of Walt Disney, as a man, in creating and promoting these narratives. These depictions, while somewhat in line with the culture when he first entered the business, failed to evolve as society changed. Rather, they were deliberate choices to attract white audiences and increase revenue.

Over time, these tropes became socially unacceptable, yet Disney maintained them for public consumption. While Disney and his company …

The Burnout Machine: Finding The Guide Between Burnout And Meaning Making Using Ifs And Role Theory For Mental Health Professionals (An Integrative Literature Review), Jade Ahneman

Expressive Therapies Theses

Burnout is a syndrome in which compounded stress leads sufferers to feel physical and mental exhaustion, mental distancing, cognitive and emotional impairment, depressed mood, psychological distress, and psychosomatic complaints. Originally thought of as a phenomenon affecting only individuals in helping roles (i.e., mental health workers, teachers, nurses, and police officers), research on burnout and its effective management has become increasingly important since the 1980s, highlighting its pervasiveness across occupational and personal realms. This integrative literature review focused on understanding the effects of burnout on master 's-level counseling students, investigating how Internal Family Systems theory (IFS) and drama therapy’s role theory …

Implementing Narrative Family Art Therapy To Address Trauma And Conflict Resolution, Haley Elizabeth Watson

Expressive Therapies Theses

This study explored the implementation of principles and approaches from a complementary framework of narrative therapy, art therapy and family therapy using a trauma-informed approach with clients and their families receiving in-home therapy (IHT) services. Existing research demonstrates that narrative approaches and techniques support clients to identify alternative perspectives to their reality to promote a more empowering narrative. The intention of this research was to identify themes and possible areas of exploration for future research about how trauma-informed narrative family art therapy may be a suitable and beneficial framework for addressing conflict within the family system and healing from traumatic …

Art Therapy And A Strength-Based Approach For Working With Children With Emotional And Behavioral Challenges: A Qualitative, Arts-Based Study, James D. Wyld

Expressive Therapies Theses

Abstract

            Children with emotional and behavioral challenges represent a vulnerable population that needs more attention and innovative forms of treatment. The behavior of these young people is often marked by impulsive behaviors and intense emotions in the process of getting their basic needs met. The current study explores how a combination of art therapy and a strength-based approach is beneficial and appropriate for children in a behavioral based therapeutic school. Progress was traced through one singular client in both group and individual settings over the course of 6 months. Interventions varied with the goals of increasing self-awareness, fostering autonomy, increasing …

Menstrual Awareness & Symptomology: A Social And Biological Exploration Of Cycle Experiences, Perceptions, And Meaning-Making, Abigail Pratt

Theses & ETDs

The present study is an exploratory mer ger between sociology, psychology, behavioral endocrinology, and cognitive neuroscience, all with a focus on menstrual studies. Past research regarding menstrual impact, attitudes, transdiagonstic pathology, and clinical cognitive reframes have inspire three research objectives: 1) Examine how the transdiagnostic Dimensional Affective Sensitivity to Hormones across the Menstrual Cycle (DASH-MC) framework is represented across the hormonal patterns of two consecutive cycles, 2) Investigate how perceptions of menstruation relate to these observed fluctuations, and 3) Utilize a gratitude intervention to try and promote positive menstrual meaning-making. Six female participants completed the study, providing insightful, valenced trends …

The Epic Work Of Grief: Loss And Narrative Evolution From Classical Epic To Beloved, Marie Manassee

Yale Divinity School Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of the epic tradition through Virgil’s Aeneid, Dante’s Purgatorio, and Toni Morrison’s Beloved, arguing that grief functions as the central force through which epic form is continually reshaped across historical and cultural contexts. While epic is often associated with heroic conquest, divine destiny, or national foundation, this project contends that the genre is equally structured by acts of loss, mourning, and departure. In the Aeneid, grief becomes the condition of imperial becoming, as Aeneas’s movement toward Rome depends upon the relinquishment of personal attachments and the transformation of loss into historical action. Dante’s Purgatorio inherits …

Addressing Socioeconomic Factors Related To Health Disparities In Predominantly Hispanic Texas Communities, Gabriela M. Gomez

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the socioeconomic factors that influenced health outcomes in predominantly Hispanic Texas communities in San Antonio, Texas. Few studies have been conducted that address how socioeconomic conditions have shaped the lives of the Hispanic population in Texas, indicating a significant gap in the research. The research question guiding this study asked: How do Hispanic individuals between the ages of 26 and 64 who live in predominantly Hispanic communities describe health disparities in San Antonio, Texas? To address the research question, a qualitative inquiry was conducted using semi-structured in-person interviews with participants who met the inclusion criteria. A …

Exploring The Transformative Effects Of Executive Coaching On Leaders: A Qualitative Study, Dwayne Norman

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation examines the transformative effects of executive coaching on leaders’ development, personal growth, decision-making, and overall effectiveness across varied organizational contexts. Grounded in authentic leadership theory and employing a generic qualitative inquiry design, the study investigated how leaders who completed executive coaching describe changes in their behavior and mindset. Eleven experienced leaders participated in semi-structured interviews selected through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis, guided by the cyclical and inductive coding methods of Saldana (2021), generated 187 initial codes, which were distilled into 72 final codes. These final codes were then further refined into twelve categories and four overarching themes: …

A Case Study Of Doctoral Students' Perspectives Of The Drastic Move From An In-Person To Virtual Environment During Covid-19, Martha Patricia Cias

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case research study investigated the students’ perspectives during the drastic transition from an in-person to a virtual environment during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) at the doctoral level. The findings were grouped into six themes and revealed (a) the loss of structure and increased isolation, (b) development of online literacy and increased flexibility, (c) social movements stress and peer/professor support, (d) emotional resilience and resource use, (e) recognition of hybrid and mentorship models, and (f) the need for institutional preparedness considering students as stakeholders/customers. Concluding with the acknowledgement of the capacity of doctoral students to adapt in an unforeseen …

The Faculty's Perception Of The Role Of Equity In The Formation Of Cooperative Learning Groups In University Classrooms: A Qualitative Inquiry, Ethel Nwogu

Theses & Dissertations

THE FACULTY’S PERCEPTION OF THE ROLE OF EQUITY IN THE FORMATION OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING GROUPS IN UNIVERSITY CLASSROOMS: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY

Submitted by Ethel K. Nwogu A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, Texas December 2025

This study investigates how university faculty perceive and apply equity in the formation of cooperative learning groups. It examines the beliefs guiding instructional decisions and the practical strategies used to ensure fairness and inclusion. The central purpose is to understand how equitable group formation practices influence student …

From Preparation To Performance: Assessing The College And Career Development Program's Role In Goal Setting And Act Success, Tambra Sweet-Hayes

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The transition from high school to post-secondary paths represents a critical juncture in students’ lives, often influencing their future academic and career success. Despite its impact, many students struggle to make informed and confident decisions about their futures, especially those from rural and low socioeconomic backgrounds. The College and Career Development Program (CCDP) at York Institute in Jamestown, Tennessee, was established to address this gap by providing students with the knowledge, resources, and support necessary to navigate this complex transition. Findings from this study determined the effectiveness of the CCDP in supporting students’ academic and career aspirations, focusing on student …

An Examination Of School Counselors' Self-Efficacy For Promoting College Knowledge, Kimberly E. Norfork

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, the researcher examined how professional, demographic, and school-level factors relate to high school counselors’ self-efficacy for promoting college knowledge across five domains. Using survey data from counselors in Georgia, the researcher evaluated the extent to which factors such as professional development frequency, membership in professional organizations, school characteristics, and counselor demographics predicted differences in self-efficacy through multivariate and univariate analyses. The results indicated that schools tracking first-generation student status had counselors who exhibited higher self-efficacy in assisting students with college applications and working with disadvantaged populations. Additionally, there were notable broad multivariate effects related to membership in …

An Examination, Analysis, And Evaluation Of The Employee Onboarding Process In A Southeastern University, Julie G. Brown

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The onboarding phase is one of the most impactful moments in an employee’s life cycle (Baker & DiPiro, 2019; Kumar & Pandey, 2017; Ritz et al., 2023). New employees’ ability to adjust to their jobs, develop working relationships, and feel a sense of belonging during onboarding influences their decision to remain with the organization (Hassan, 2020; Kumar & Pandey, 2017; Narayansany & Isa, 2021). Creating a positive and engaging experience for employees at the beginning of their time with the organization could help increase job satisfaction and create a better sense of belonging and organizational commitment (Blount, 2022; Pike, 2014). …

Tennessee County Commissioners' Perception Of The Relevancy Of The University Of Tennessee Extension Agriculture Program, Walter Battle

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The University of Tennessee Extension (UTE) receives 15% of its funding from county governments (University of Tennessee Extension, 2021a). According to Blevins, Jayaratne, Bruce, Bradley, and Stumpf-Downing (2020), the relationship between Extension and county commissioners is vital to the success of county-based programming. Extension agents and specialists program the education services required for agriculture producers to qualify for State Department of Agriculture grants. This study assessed 60 county commissioners’ perception of UTE agriculture education programming efforts. Participants completed a modified version of the instrument utilized by Koon (2006) to assess state legislators’ perception of UTE. Findings suggested there were no …

On The Parametrization Of Self-Adjoint Extensions Of Singular Sturm-Liouville Operators, Caleb Beckler

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The self-adjoint extensions of a lower semi-bounded minimal Sturm–Liouville operator are parametrized using generalized boundary values defined by fixed choices of special nonoscillatory solutions, called principal and nonprincipal solutions. However, principal and nonprincipal solutions are not unique, and different choices yield different generalized boundary values. Therefore, the parametrization of self-adjoint extensions inherently depends upon the choices of principal and nonprincipal solutions. Using known properties of principal and nonprincipal solutions, Wronskian techniques, and the Pl¨ucker identity, we find the relation between self-adjoint extensions for two different parametrizations.

The Nature Of Violence: Exploring How Community And Incident Characteristics Influence The Likelihood That Gun Crimes Become Multi-Victim Events, Kathleen Hillman

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Gun crime continues to represent a substantial threat to public safety in the United States. Firearms are disproportionately involved in most crimes of violence, particularly murder (Collins et al., 2017; Cook & Pollack, 2017; Goldsmith et al., 2022; Johnson et al., 2021), and firearm-related offending is more pronounced in the U.S. than any other industrialized nation (Carson et al., 2022). A large body of literature has examined the extent to which characteristics of communities, place, victims, and offenders contribute to the likelihood and frequency of gun violence. Yet the vast majority of these works have restricted their analyses to single-offender, …

Anxious Impairment: Exploring Executive Functions And Anxiety In College Students, Dawson C. Mathis

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

College students are tasked with juggling a variety of responsibilities. To manage these responsibilities college students must rely on their executive functioning (EF). Executive function refers to cognitive processes that are used to set goals, make plans to achieve those goals, and shift between tasks when necessary. A large portion of college students report experiencing anxiety and anxiety has been theorized to negatively impact cognitive performance, generally. This study sought to explore the impact of anxiety on inhibition and vigilance performance. Participants’ anxiety scores significantly correlated with the number of omission errors made on the inhibition task. Participants also made …

Transform-Based Quantum Potential Reconstruction From Sparse Spectral Data: Generalized Bertlmann-Martin Moment Inequalities, Matthew Plott

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Inverse quantum problems ask whether a central potential V(r) can be reconstructed from limited spectral information under explicit modeling assumptions. This dissertation develops and validates a reproducible, transform-based framework for reconstructing ground-state radial densities rho(r) = |R(r)|^2 and central potentials V(r) from discrete bound-state energy levels using generalized Bertlmann-Martin (GBM) moment inequalities as physics-informed constraints. In the Laplace route, L(q) is assembled from moment data and inverted numerically to recover rho(r). In the Fourier/form-factor route, even moments determine F(q) and inverse transformation yields rho(r). To support sparse spectral inputs, analytic continuation is performed with Pade approximants, and the framework is …

Unsupervised Discovery And Validation Of Affective Engagement States Using Synchronized Eeg And Eye-Tracking During Digital Learning, Menekse Adar

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores affective engagement states in digital learning environments using synchronized EEG and eye-tracking data. EEG signals were collected from frontal channels and processed using sliding windows to extract band-power features. Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA; log alpha power difference, F4–F3) and the Beta–Alpha ratio (BA; log beta/alpha power ratio) were used as affective proxies. Instead of predefined emotion labels, unsupervised clustering methods were applied to identify latent engagement patterns directly from EEG features. To ensure robustness, non-overlapping parity analysis and hold-out validation were performed. Statistical tests were conducted to compare FAA and BA values across the identified clusters. Results …

Where Springs Not Fail, Hannah Guo

Graduate Thesis Collection

Where Springs Not Fail is a 23-minute multimovement work for mixed choir, mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists, and a chamber instrumental ensemble. Drawing texts from Gerard Manley Hopkins and Rabindranath Tagore, the composition explores themes of spiritual darkness, anxiety, and a profound yearning for hope—shared human experiences that are often under-acknowledged. The work aims to reside between sacred and secular expressions, offering a space of vulnerability, reflection, and honesty for performers and listeners alike.

The composition engages a wide range of stylistic influences, including serial and minimalist techniques, chant-like melodic writing, modal language, and motivic symbolism. Structured as an arch form, …

Assessing Tourism-Induced Impacts In Communities Around The Indiana Dunes National Park, Charles James Kovacs

Masters Theses

This project aims to examine the effects of the tourism industry in and around a new National Park within the United States’ National Park system (NPS). The Indiana Dunes National Park (IDNP) received National Park designation in 2019. The park, situated on the south shore of Lake Michigan, is a roughly fifty-minute drive east of Chicago. This project seeks to ask and answer how the tourism industry has grown and continues to impact the lives of residents near the IDNP. Two communities, Michigan City and Chesterton, serve as the primary study areas along with the park itself. Qualitative methods, centered …

Moral Injury Among Healthcare Chaplains: Responding To Systemic Racism Through Ethical Advocacy And Spiritual Care, Stephanie Drew

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Systemic racism against minorities has woven its way into every facet of everyday existence, especially for Black Americans, and Healthcare is no exception. There are numerous proven instances of unfair and inequitable treatment of marginalized patients throughout the Healthcare system, and some have even caused Black patients to lose their lives. The mistreatment of Black and Brown people during perhaps one of the most vulnerable times of their lives is well documented dating back centuries. There are massive cuts to Medicaid, and insurance premiums are steadily going up making it very cumbersome for the poor and disenfranchised to navigate the …