Digital Commons Network^™

Teachers’ Role In Supporting Students Growing Up Missing A Parent, Jesus A. Gomez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project examines how teachers support students who are growing up missing a parent. Through literature reviews, teacher and parent interviews, and anonymous student survey data from CSUMB students, the results revealed that parental absence and family instability can affect students academically, emotionally, and behaviorally. However, teachers can play an important role in students' lives by providing emotional safety, strong relationships, communication, and everyday support. In addition, students from single-parent or untraditional households were much more likely to remember a teacher as a role model as a second-parent figure. This capstone highlights the protective role teachers play …

Impact Of Dual Immersion Program On The Academic Achievement Of Elementary School Students, Juliana G. Carreto

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This study examines the impact of the dual immersion program on the academic achievement of elementary school students in reading, mathematics, and Spanish. Through literature reviews, classroom observations, and interviews with teachers and a principal, the results indicate that students in the dual immersion program do well and often outperform those in the traditional program. Besides student engagement and interest in learning, students in the dual immersion program gain problem-solving, memory, and critical thinking skills, as well as proficiency in both English and Spanish, despite their initial struggles in the 90/10 model. As a result, the dual immersion program positively …

The Effects Of Teaching History Through A Culturally Sustaining Lens On K-5 Students, Jessica Bazor

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The current canon in many aspects of the US education stemmed from that of the white male, but with the country becoming more diverse it is becoming more important that children are taught about history through the lens of other cultures as well. This senior capstone research project examines the effects of teaching history through a culturally sustaining lens on K-5 students. Through the use of literature review, anonymous student surveys, and interviews with an array of educators, the findings indicated that by bringing in more diverse viewpoints, children are encouraged to be more analytical and more engaged in learning …

Rompiendo El Silencio: Overcoming Emotional Suppression And Embracing Vulnerability In The Latine Community, Destiny Jimenez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on hosting and facilitating a free, Spanish-speaking support group for Latine individuals in Monterey County with the goal of creating a safe space for open conversation. The project aims to bring people together, encourage discussion around shared experiences, and provide emotional support in a culturally understanding environment. Overall, the event aimed to establish a starting point, an entry into an ongoing process of reflection, connection, and healing, while also helping individuals feel heard, supported, and more connected to their community.

Effects Of 1:1 Smart Device Usage On K-8 Student Learning And Long Term Retention, Cole D. Young

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The widespread adoption of 1:1 smart device initiatives in K-8 classrooms across the United States has coincided with growing national concern over declining student literacy, reading comprehension, and long-term retention. This capstone research paper examines the effects of smart device integration on K-8 student learning and retention through two complementary methods: a review of peer-reviewed academic literature and a series of interviews conducted with five educators working across a range of grade levels and school contexts. The literature review identifies a tension between the documented benefits of smart device use. Also a series of educator interviews, conducted with teachers spanning …

Mobility, Access, & Aging: A Community Needs Assessment Of Transportation Disparities Among Older Adults, Kailey M. Manning Shannon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Too few seniors in Monterey County have means of transportation that are reliable and accessible especially in rural areas where transportation disparities are greater. Transportation is the number one need for seniors in our area. Independent Transportation Network Monterey County implemented a community needs assessment to determine transportation barriers and needs of rural South Monterey County. 20% of the population of Monterey County are seniors. The purpose of this project is to determine the prevalence of the lack of transportation in rural Monterey County and how Independent Transportation Network Monterey County can work towards addressing and overall reduction of the …

Streamlining Client Information For Post-Conviction Relief In Monterey County, Selena Lopez Arizmendi

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project addresses barriers to record clearing services that impact recidivism and reentry outcomes in California. Individuals with criminal records often face challenges in securing employment, housing, and stability, increasing the likelihood of continued justice system involvement. The Clean Slate Program at the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office provides post-conviction relief services to help reduce these barriers. Although Proposition 47 funding ended in February 2026, program services have continued. This project identified a need for a standardized, client-friendly informational resource, as key information has historically been communicated verbally, limiting understanding and retention. To address this gap, a concise Clean …

Building The Bridge: A Trauma Informed Supportive Presentation For Parents & Caregivers Of Adolescent Children Who’Ve Experienced Trauma, Cynthia Rodriguez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Children exposed to trauma often face significant adverse effects on their development and well-being when parents/caregivers lack emotional support to their children. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and implement a psychoeducational presentation designed to teach parents the basics of trauma-informed care principles and practical strategies to help support their children who have experienced trauma. A virtual live presentation approach, including educational evidence-based, trauma-informed curriculum to a set of participants who identify themselves as caregivers or parents. The presentation was evaluated by personal interviews to determine if the participant was satisfied  and would benefit from the presentation. …

Lecture Recital: Josepha Auernhammer, Bonnie Littlejohn

Honors Theses

This lecture recital highlights the work of the classical Viennese composer and contemporary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Josepha Auernhammer (1758-1820). After an introduction to Auernhammer’s life and a brief overview of her compositional output, her Six Variations on “Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja” [I am the birdcatcher] and Harpsichord Sonata in A Major are discussed, diving into the work’s cultural context and intriguing compositional elements. A performance of the compositions concludes the lecture recital.

Detection Of Changes In Short Narratives, Presley Priddy

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Narrativity and object association have been extensively researched in the past to determine how changes in a text impact reader interpretation. In this research, we attempted to establish a relationship between the relation of an object to a character situated in a particular narrative context and the detection of inconsistencies presented in the given story. Participants read texts that either associated or dissociated an object with a character, within a high or low-narrative context. Reading times were measured on critical sentences that were inconsistent with the placement of previously dissociated objects. When presented with object inconsistencies in highly narrative stories, …

Navigating New Environments: Acculturative Stress And Substance Use Among International Vs Domestic Students From Latino/A Backgrounds, Madelyn R. Null

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

College students can experience a range of cultural and social pressures that could relate to their alcohol and cannabis use. Latino/a international students may face unique challenges as they adjust to campus environments in the United States (U.S.), yet little research has compared their substance use patterns to those of Latino/a domestic students. Therefore, the present study aims to examine whether: (a) Latino/a international and domestic students differ in their alcohol use, (b)they differ in their cannabis use, and (c) acculturative stress moderates the relationship between international student status and these substance use behaviors. Latino/a undergraduates (n=440; Mage=20.55; female=71%; international=21%) …

Depression Symptoms Are Associated With Less Positively Biased Self-Ratings Of Attentional Control, Anna E. Morgan

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Deficits in the ability to flexibly direct, sustain, and shift attention, known as attentional control, have been linked to anxiety and depression. Attentional control supports engaging with goal-relevant stimuli while effectively disengaging from irrelevant or emotionally distracting stimuli. Thus, it is crucial in cognitive processes and emotional responses. Common measures of attentional control include behavioral tasks and self-report measures. However, behavioral and self-report measures are weakly correlated, suggesting that individuals generally are not good at perceiving their attentional control abilities. This mismatch between measures could be related to anxiety and depression symptoms. The goal of my project was to examine …

From Innovation To Interaction: Processes Shaping Animal Assisted Therapy Implementation In Outpatient Settings In The United States, Rachel Rachlinski

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is an emerging mental health specialty marked by rapid growth, inconsistent training pathways, and the absence of regulatory oversight. Although professional organizations have published competencies and guidelines, no regulatory body ensures that educational programs or licensed practitioners adhere to these standards, leading to wide variability in practice and potential risks to clients and animals. This constructivist grounded theory study examined the processes shaping how licensed mental health providers understand and implement AAT in outpatient settings across the United States, with attention to the influence of training, supervision, and prior clinical experience.

Guided by the Consolidated Framework …

Insimul: A Hybrid Ai System For Social Immersion, Daniel Dekerlegand

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Creating believable, socially intelligent virtual characters that are culturally and historically grounded requires more than any single artificial intelligence paradigm can provide. Symbolic social physics systems such as Ensemble offer interpretable, human-authored representations of social norms and relationships but produce linguistically stilted interaction. Statistical approaches---particularly large language models---generate fluent dialogue but lack behavioral coherence and cultural grounding. Virtual reality provides embodied presence that transforms abstract social computation into experiential engagement but contributes no social intelligence of its own. This dissertation argues that the integration of all three technologies---symbolic AI, statistical AI, and virtual reality---is necessary for producing socially coherent, linguistically …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Title Ix Coordinators At Higher Education Institutions In Louisiana, Amanda Robbins

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Higher education professionals employed as Title IX Coordinators in Louisiana are tasked with managing their university’s response to sexual misconduct occurring within their campus community. The role’s responsibilities have increased with guidance from every presidential administration since 2014 and often include case management, training of investigators, hearing board members, and mandated reporters as well as completing reports, community education and more (U.S. Department of Education, 2020; Exec. Order No 14021). Scholarly research over the past two decades has informed a body of literature about the experiences of survivors (Baker et al, 2016; Bolger, 2016), the experiences of the accused (Cruz, …

An Alternative To Armageddon: O.P. Weyland And The Development Of Tactical Air Power, Paul Wells

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Theorists and advocates of air power argued that aircraft, not ground forces, would become the dominant platform for victory in war. They promoted the concept of strategic bombing, using aircraft to bypass ground forces and directly attack a nation's industrial capacity to wage war, hoping to ensure quick victory and avoid a repeat of the prolonged slaughter in the trenches of WWI. In 1947, led by advocates of strategic bombing, the United States Air Force (USAF) became an independent and equal branch of the U.S. military. The USAF developed the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to meet the requirements of the …

Power System Small-Signal Stability Migration And Metric Trends In A Test System With Increasing Ibr Penetration, Brandon Marshall

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing demand of cleaner energy, inverter-based resources (IBRs) provide a greener alternative to traditional generation methods. IBRs fundamentally work different from traditional generators, though, and power system stability will change as IBRs are integrated into the system. The limitations of IBRs include providing less reactive power support to the system and lacking a spinning rotor for inertia to dampen disturbances. This study examines how small-signal stability is impacted when increasing IBR penetration on a test system. Stability impacts are realized by the migration of eigenvalues and relationships between power system metrics and small-signal stability metrics.

What We Want The Decision Makers To Know About First-Generation College Student Success: Insights From Students’ Perspectives, Monique N. Legendre

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

One-third of all undergraduates in the U.S. are first-generation college students (FGCS) (Center for First-Generation Student Success, 2020). Due to barriers such as inequitable access to rigorous college preparatory programs and coursework, limited resources and access to college and career counseling, financial constraints, and a lack of college knowledge such as the expectations, norms, and language of higher education, FGCS often arrive less prepared for college than continuing-generation students, impacting first-generation student success and persistence in post-secondary education (Broadhurst et al., 2023; Campoverdi, 2023; Cataldi et al., 2018; Hamilton et al., 2016; Katrevich & Aruguete, 2017; Osborne, 2023; Pratt et …

Adaptability From Tv & Film Into Theatre | The Subversion Inspiration In Celia’S Identity Versatility Throughout William Shakespeare’S As You Like It, Emani White

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the inspiration of adaptability skills, pivoting from television and film into theatre, and the potential of unconventional pathways as a catalyst for reconciling anti-traditionalism within the mediums. It offers insight into the obstacles, segues, and adversities faced during the journey of a former athlete turned television and film actor, and into a theatre actor. It illuminates agency as a subversive identity (the disguise), the sacrifice of status, and the need for an emotional anchor of resilience—acknowledging the systemic transitional barriers in performance, career, and education. The paper also discusses the understandings gained from my journey as an …

Autonomous Deficiency Detection And Vision-Language Summarization For Underground Infrastructure On Embedded Edge Systems, Johny Lopez

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Aging underground infrastructure poses significant risks to public health and environmental safety, yet structural condition assessment remains bottlenecked by labor-intensive manual CCTV inspections. This thesis proposes a comprehensive algorithmic framework enabling fully autonomous, real-time deficiency detection, geometric assessment, and natural language reporting on resource- constrained edge computing platforms. Three core components address this challenge. First, RAPID-SCAN, a novel semantic segmentation architecture utilizing a Dynamic Feature Pyramid Network and Channel-Spatial Attention, achieves real-time, pixel-precise defect localization with dramatically reduced parameters. Second, an Edge-Optimized Vision-Language Model pipeline employing LoRA and 4-bit QLoRA quantization compresses Phi-3.5 for local deployment, en- abling autonomous technical …

The Role Of Floodplain Connectivity In Shaping The Abundance, Size-Class Distribution, And Schooling Behavior Of The Associated Fish Assemblage, Adam H. Quade

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The life histories of many Louisiana fishes are closely tied to the timing, magnitude, and duration of the Mississippi River flood pulse, which regulates the ecological connectivity and productivity of adjacent floodplain habitats. Anthropogenic modifications such as levee construction and water-control structures have disrupted these natural hydrologic linkages, altering habitat quality and community structure across the Lower Mississippi River Basin. This dissertation used high-resolution imaging sonar to investigate how fish assemblages, species, and collectives respond to changes in floodplain connectivity within the Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area prior to hydrologic restoration. In the first chapter, I applied imaging sonar …

Database State Reconstruction And Audit Log Reconciliation For Data Systems Security, Mahfuzul I. Nissan

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Modern organizations rely on diverse database management systems to store critical data across heterogeneous storage architectures. These platforms complicate forensic investigations because database engines vary profoundly in their layouts, encodings, and update policies. Malicious insiders can exploit this architectural opacity to alter data and disable audit logging undetected, leaving investigators with an untrusted view of database activity. Furthermore, building custom forensic solutions for every database version is fundamentally unscalable.

This dissertation advances data-system security through a tamper-aware, cross-layer framework that reconstructs database states and detects unauthorized operations even when audit logs are manipulated. By unifying the analysis of physical storage …

Disrupting The Norm: Exploring A New Grading Policy Through The Lens Of Institutional Theory In Higher Education, Kara Bisceglie

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Each year, colleges across the United States admit new students, initiating them into their academic journeys. Yet, according to recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse, fewer than 70% of these students are retained by the institution that admitted them (National Student Clearinghouse, Persistence & Retention, 2023). In response to this phenomenon, institutions of higher education have instituted various intervention efforts in the hopes of mitigating student attrition. Many of these initiatives are based on an extensive body of literature exploring the most effective ways to impact student retention. One disparity in this scholarly collection is the examination of …

Unveiling Embodied White Supremacy: Therapists’ Experiences And Its Imprint On Therapeutic Relationships In Dance/Movement Therapy, Melody E. Gamba

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative, arts-informed research study explored how White-identifying dance/movement therapists experience and articulate their awareness of embodied White supremacy within therapeutic relationships. Grounded in critical race theory, relational-cultural theory, and embodied critical transformation theory, the study addressed a gap in dance/movement therapy literature concerning how White supremacy is not only cognitively understood, but also somatically felt, relationally enacted, and professionally navigated. The purpose of the study was to understand how White-identifying dance/movement therapists perceive, kinesthetically experience, and make meaning of embodied White supremacy in therapeutic practice, and to explore how these embodied experiences influence therapeutic presence, attunement, and the potential …

Modeling Bicycle Ridership In Northwest Arkansas, Nelofar Qulizada

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a global comparison, the U.S. ranks second lowest in bicycle use for urban trips, surpassed only by Brazil. This underutilization signals missed opportunities to improve public health, environmental sustainability, and community connections. In Northwest Arkansas (NWA), a region actively investing in active transportation infrastructure, efforts were underway to reverse this trend. However, a key question remained: Were these investments effectively boosting bicycle ridership? To address this question, communities required reliable methods to measure cycling activity. Traditionally, this involved stationary counters placed at strategic locations to monitor ridership patterns. While accurate, these counters had limited spatial coverage. In contrast, emerging …

Perceptions Of Academic And College Preparation Skills Gained Through Concurrent College Credit Courses: A Case Study Of Students From Rural, High-Poverty Communities, Jessica Erin Culver

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Concurrent college credit courses are growing at a rapid pace nationwide, with large numbers of high school students now earning college credit before the end of their twelfth-grade year. In Arkansas, this trend of increased concurrent college course enrollment is evident, with over 23,000 students enrolled in concurrent courses during the 2024 school year (Arkansas Division of Higher Education, 2024). Arkansas continued to emphasize the need for concurrent courses with the 2025 ACCESS Act, encouraging students to take concurrent courses as a path to future college and career success (Arkansas Division of Higher Education, 2025a). As concurrent courses continue …

The Impact Of Change In The Legal Definition Of Confidentiality On The Redaction Behavior Of U.S. Firms, Alexey Alferov

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

U.S. public companies may redact information from material contracts in SEC filings as long as such information is not considered to be material by the SEC and when it is the type of information that the registrant treats as private and confidential. In 2021, the SEC revised redaction regulations in response to the expansion of the legal definition of ‘confidential’ by the Supreme Court of the United States. In this paper I examine whether these changes, referred to as FMI Amendments, impact companies’ decision to redact information from their material contracts filed with the SEC. In addition, I extend Thompson …

Structural Evidence For Innervation Of A Single Epitheliomuscular Cell By Multiple Sensory Neurons In The Sea Anemone Nematostella Vectensis, Aparajita Das

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Here, I report new ultrastructural evidence for multineuronal innervation (many-one) of a single epithelia-muscular cell in sea-anemone cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM) and ImageJ, I found that EMCs are located at the base of ectoderm, with an elongated cell body that includes basal processes, a bilobed nucleus, and myofibrils aligned parallel to the basal surface along with their structural quantification. Notably, I found multiple mechanosensory neurons form synapses with a single EMC. These findings enhance our understanding of cnidarian neuromuscular organization and reveal that coordination between sensory and contractile systems in N. vectensis is …

Gun Violence Prevention In The Christian Church: A Deductive Content Analysis Of Faith-Based Firearm Education Resources, Sarah Winn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzed whether Christian faith-based curricula and toolkits regarding firearm safety and violence prevention align with established best practices in public health, social work, and education research. Previous research has explored the prevalence and impact of gun violence, best practices regarding gun violence and safety interventions, the effectiveness of churches as public health initiative partners, and the relationship between Christianity and views on firearms. In this study, qualitative deductive content analysis indicated that faith-based gun violence prevention toolkits are strongly oriented toward advocacy, community mobilization, and public health framing. At the same time, gaps remain in their integration of …

Will The Demons Follow (And Other Stories), Eberechi Onyekachi Mcbride

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Will The Demons Follow (and Other Stories) is a collection of interconnected short stories that examines memory, trauma, migration, and womanhood across Nigerian and diasporic spaces. Set in both Nigeria and the United States, the stories move between villages, cities, and immigrant communities, presenting characters whose lives are shaped by cultural expectations, spiritual beliefs, family authority, and personal longing. Through multiple narrative voices, the collection considers how the past continues to shape the present. Characters struggle with family conflict, religious pressure, sexual violence, and the psychological burdens carried across borders. In the title story, “Will The Demons Follow?”, the narrator …