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Conservation Wins And Woes: A Meta-Synthesis Of Ecotourism Impacts On Primates And Local Communities, Madison Lanie Mckinniss May 2026

Conservation Wins And Woes: A Meta-Synthesis Of Ecotourism Impacts On Primates And Local Communities, Madison Lanie Mckinniss

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biodiversity assessments identify 612 extant species of primate, but ~50% of these species are at risk of extinction. Threats include agricultural and industrial production, urban development, and poaching. As concerns have grown regarding impacts on the environment, researchers have proposed ecotourism as a tool for conserving ecosystems while improving human welfare. Although conservation initiatives are pursued at these ecotourist sites, the presence of humans can cause additional influences on non-human primates (NHP). Primatologists have posed questions regarding implications of ecotourism on NHP, but research remains scarce. This study will investigate the practices executed at ecotourist sites where endemic NHPs reside. …

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Silent Sky: Exploring The Universe Of Theatre Through A Directorial Lens, Sarah Behrend-Wilcox May 2026

Silent Sky: Exploring The Universe Of Theatre Through A Directorial Lens, Sarah Behrend-Wilcox

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents the directorial process of a production of Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky, produced by the University of Arkansas Department of Theatre. This document follows the director’s journey from initial script analysis through closing night, with an emphasis on the successes and challenges found in mounting this fully realized, artistically unified production. The central argument of this thesis is that through careful documentation of a single production, it is possible to identify both successful strategies and areas for growth in the collaborative process. This thesis is organized in four chapters: The Big Bang, The Matter, The Dark Matter, and …

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The Creative Pedagogy In Afterschool Programs: Linking Theory And Practice In Education, Tyaveon Levit May 2026

The Creative Pedagogy In Afterschool Programs: Linking Theory And Practice In Education, Tyaveon Levit

Theses & ETDs

This senior project represents a combination of bibliographic research and professional work experience completed through a paid internship in an after-school youth program. The project, titled The Personality Path: Faces, Feelings & Forms, explores how engaged pedagogy, student-centered learning, and creative expression can be used to foster identity development, emotional awareness, and community among elementary-aged students. The bibliographic research that informs this project draws on key educational theorists such as bell hooks and David Bohm, emphasizing the importance of dialogue, connection, and mutual learning within the classroom. A central lesson from this research is that education should move beyond traditional, …

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Orbital Rendezvous In Schwarzschild Spacetime, Joaquin Malarria May 2026

Orbital Rendezvous In Schwarzschild Spacetime, Joaquin Malarria

Theses & ETDs

This thesis develops a relativistic generalization of the classical Hohmann transfer between circular orbits in a central gravitational field. The problem is formulated in Schwarzschild spacetime, where spacecraft trajectories are modeled as timelike geodesics and orbital transfers as sequences of impulsive velocity changes. Using conserved quantities derived from Killing vectors, the equations of motion are reduced to an effective radial problem, allowing the construction of bound transfer orbits connecting two circular orbits. A parametric representation of the radial motion is used to evaluate the azimuthal advance and time of flight along the transfer trajectory, with numerical methods used where closed-form …

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Accessing The Quality And Accessibility Of Healthcare In Volusia County Florida, Angel Methax May 2026

Accessing The Quality And Accessibility Of Healthcare In Volusia County Florida, Angel Methax

Theses & ETDs

Though policies and markets are ever changing in healthcare around the world, the health sector in each country seems to face the same challenges when it comes to accessibility and equality for healthcare. This paper investigates availability, quality and health literacy as challenges to healthcare access in Volusia County as an equitable resource. Through online research preliminary work and creation of a study design for the future to create an understanding of the healthcare work in Volusia County. A deeper understanding of the accessibility and quality of healthcare in Volusia County will allow providers to create a more tailored plan …

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Bumblebee Fields In A Schwarzschild Background, Demetre Seturidze May 2026

Bumblebee Fields In A Schwarzschild Background, Demetre Seturidze

Theses & ETDs

In this thesis, we investigate the behavior of a Lorentz-violating vector field near an uncharged static black hole. We analyze the equilibrium configuration of the field and its linear perturbations. We show that the equilibrium solution and spherically symmetric perturbations are governed by a quadratic function whose properties determine their qualitative behavior. By imposing realness and convergence, we derive bounds on the allowed parameters and identify a critical case in which the monopole perturbations grow large. We further derive asymptotic expressions for multipole perturbations near the event horizon and spatial infinity

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Workplace And Well-Being Of First Responders: Analyzing Trauma Types And Coping Mechanisms, Sara Shakura May 2026

Workplace And Well-Being Of First Responders: Analyzing Trauma Types And Coping Mechanisms, Sara Shakura

Theses & ETDs

The current research focuses on the workplace and well-being of first responders and the types of trauma they may experience, including vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, acute stress disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Specifically, this study examines how exposure to trauma impacts individuals working in forensic and first responder-related fields and explores the coping mechanisms and organizational supports they utilize to manage these experiences. It also examines the coping mechanisms they utilize, both individually (e.g., problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, peer support) and within their organizations (e.g., debriefing, mental health services, job design). Using a qualitative approach, data was collected through …

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Is Trash Collection A Wicked Problem?, Lucy Duke May 2026

Is Trash Collection A Wicked Problem?, Lucy Duke

Theses & ETDs

This study examines whether the limited waste management policy change in Manatee County in October 2025 reflects an open systems or closed systems approach to policymaking, and what this case reveals about the characteristics of Wicked Problems at the local government level. The service of waste management provides a fruitful site for analysis due to its visibility, impact, operational complexity, and involvement of multiple actors and stakeholders; including county officials, contracted providers, and county constituents. This specific policy change, which was the reduction of trash collection from twice a week to once a week as well as the addition of …

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Unromanticizing Careers: Redesigning Students’ Beliefs About Success, Camila Bolsoni May 2026

Unromanticizing Careers: Redesigning Students’ Beliefs About Success, Camila Bolsoni

Theses & ETDs

Contemporary higher education culture transmits a set of deeply internalized beliefs about career success that shape students' decisions, constrain their identities, and fuel anxiety, burnout, and rigidity, often without their awareness. This qualitative study examines how undergraduate students at a small public liberal arts college experience and narrate these beliefs through the lens of the Career Illusions Framework (CIF), a seven-dimension conceptual model, built from the ground up for this study, comprising the Straight Path, Identity Lock-In, Status Script, Hustle Loop, Dream Job Illusion, Risk Ceiling, and Quitting Stigma. Using Braun and Clarke's (2006) reflexive thematic analysis alongside systematic spreadsheet-based …

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The Economic Viability Of The Sports Academy Industry, Dylan Bowen May 2026

The Economic Viability Of The Sports Academy Industry, Dylan Bowen

Theses & ETDs

This paper examines the economic viability of the sports academy industry, focusing on its rapid growth and underlying market dynamics. The analysis begins by outlining the rise of sports academies from niche training facilities to fully integrated institutions that combine academics, elite athletic development, and commercial operations. It highlights how the increase in competition in youth sports has created a demand for elite training facilities and pathways to collegiate and professional athletics. Sports academies are able to meet this demand providing exclusive training programs along with strong academic programs that will prepare them for the next step. The paper then …

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Religion And Education: Religious Tendencies In Education From The English Calvinists To Modern Day American Institutions, Camryn Deem May 2026

Religion And Education: Religious Tendencies In Education From The English Calvinists To Modern Day American Institutions, Camryn Deem

Theses & ETDs

This thesis considers the connection between religion and education from sixteenth century England to modern day America. There is an inevitable relation between the two that expands from original religious backgrounds to modern day personal bias. This paper considers the issue historically and comparatively in light of early American foundations and modern varying perspectives. Early groups such as the Puritans and Separatists brought their religious views with them to America and its institutions, including education. Over time the religious foundations shifted in many ways, based on changes in population composition and advancements. This was also aided by many court cases …

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The Florida Highwaymen: Race And Entrepreneurial Art In Jim Crow Florida, Brecken Fair May 2026

The Florida Highwaymen: Race And Entrepreneurial Art In Jim Crow Florida, Brecken Fair

Theses & ETDs

This paper introduces the Florida Highwaymen, a collective of African American landscape painters who emerged in mid-twentieth century Florida. Previously, the Florida Highwaymen have been viewed primarily as commercial artists producing decorative art for profit. By examining their artistic techniques, cultural context, and the socio-economic challenges they faced, this paper argues that the Highwaymen’s work represents a form of entrepreneurship and artistic innovation. Their paintings not only document the unique landscapes of Florida but their achievements reflect issues of mobility, entrepreneurship, and resilience within the African American community during the Jim Crow Era Florida. This paper also recognizes the talent …

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A Structure–Conduct–Performance Analysis Of Nike: Market Power, Consumer Behavior, And Strategy In The Global Sportswear Industry, Leticia Guimaraes May 2026

A Structure–Conduct–Performance Analysis Of Nike: Market Power, Consumer Behavior, And Strategy In The Global Sportswear Industry, Leticia Guimaraes

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

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Socrates’ Anabasis: ‘Breaking In From Above’ Italian Neorealism And The Socratic Myth, Joshua Janniere May 2026

Socrates’ Anabasis: ‘Breaking In From Above’ Italian Neorealism And The Socratic Myth, Joshua Janniere

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

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Safer Software, Safer People; Contributing To A Rust Tor Implementation (Arti), Sam Kellam May 2026

Safer Software, Safer People; Contributing To A Rust Tor Implementation (Arti), Sam Kellam

Theses & ETDs

This thesis presents my experience contributing to the Arti (A Rust Tor Implementation) open-source project. It describes The Onion Router (Tor), a volunteer-run network that provides anonymity to all kinds of people, and the Rust programming language, a language that brings significant safety improvements over languages like C, which the original implementation of Tor is written in. It describes my experience breaking into the project, starting with the Google Summer of Code program, and my contributions to the project over the course of several months.

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The Evaluation Of Immune Dysregulation Detection In Individuals With Psychiatric Conditions, Alyssa Kiel May 2026

The Evaluation Of Immune Dysregulation Detection In Individuals With Psychiatric Conditions, Alyssa Kiel

Theses & ETDs

32 studies were evaluated in determining detection of immune dysregulation, derived from monocyte, T-cell, B-cell, and protein panels, and identifying trends in disorder-specific biomarker data for different psychiatric conditions including, ASD, schizophrenia, MDD, bipolar disorder, GAD, OCD, ADHD, and C-PTSD. The studies selected reporting significant immune abnormalities from biomarker data, with observed findings of immune dysregulation in psychiatric populations frequently coincided with the prevalence of comorbid physical issues, such as metabolic imbalances, cardiovascular conditions, and gastrointestinal issues. These observations highlight the intersection of altered biomarker variation and comorbid disease outcomes present in individuals (including their sex) with psychiatric conditions compared …

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Speciespy: Species Identification Mobile App, Ivy Bowers May 2026

Speciespy: Species Identification Mobile App, Ivy Bowers

Theses & ETDs

With the surge in popularity of handheld devices over the last few decades, technology-driven citizen science projects have become more accessible than ever before. This application has been created on the basis of supporting biodiversity monitoring through citizen science in Sarasota, FL. The development of the mobile app— Speciespy— utilized React Native [13], Expo [14], and Firebase [15] as a Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS), enabling users to identify organisms, share geotagged observations, and interact with the local community by liking and commenting on others’ posts. Automatic species identifications are made with a dual-API pipeline leveraging Pl@ntNet (pronounced “Plant Net”) [10] and Animal …

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It Lurks Within: An Rpg Exploring Uncanny Familiarity & Facing The Truths We Hide Within Ourselves, Lance Galleher May 2026

It Lurks Within: An Rpg Exploring Uncanny Familiarity & Facing The Truths We Hide Within Ourselves, Lance Galleher

Theses & ETDs

In this thesis, I will discuss the creation of a 2D psychological horror role-playing game demo made using the Godot engine. I draw inspiration from games such as Slay the Princess, Look Outside, and DREDGE. I also take influence from artists such as Zdzisław Beksiński and H. R. Giger, as well as literary works including House of Leaves and A Short Stay in Hell. I also use the concept of uncanny familiarity in my artwork and storytelling to explore themes of existentialism and identity, especially in the context of grappling with one's perceived place in our world. Through this, the …

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Diagnosed By Assumptions: A Critical Analysis Of Bias Against Black People In Clinical Assessment And Treatment, Natalia Knox May 2026

Diagnosed By Assumptions: A Critical Analysis Of Bias Against Black People In Clinical Assessment And Treatment, Natalia Knox

Theses & ETDs

Racial bias and discrimination established the healthcare system. Although the system exists to help all who are sick, there are many instances in which people are treated unfairly. The consequences of bias in healthcare are not merely theoretical—they are measurable, persistent, and, in many cases, life-threatening. This study investigates perceptions of fairness, experiences during treatment, and attitudes toward racial bias in healthcare among adults in the United States. 250 participants were recruited through the online research platform Prolific who completed an anonymous Qualtrics survey addressing these biases. Chi-square tests of independence were conducted to examine associations between demographic variables and …

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The Impact Of Sports Betting On Major League Baseball, Matthew Macgregor May 2026

The Impact Of Sports Betting On Major League Baseball, Matthew Macgregor

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

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Strength And Conditioning As A Physiological Strategy For Injury Prevention In Competitive Sports, Gabriel Mocco May 2026

Strength And Conditioning As A Physiological Strategy For Injury Prevention In Competitive Sports, Gabriel Mocco

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the relationship between strength and conditioning and injury risk in competitive sport, with a focus on collegiate soccer. The motivation for this study grew from four years of personal experience as a student-athlete, during which multiple injuries and a growing engagement with structured strength training led to a deeper understanding of how physical preparation influences the body's ability to handle the demands of competitive sport. The Literature Review covers nine key areas, including neuromuscular and biomechanical factors, strength training and injury prevention, training load management, previous injury as a risk factor, specificity of training, energy availability and …

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Manufacturing Global Citizens: An Analysis Of Unesco’S Social Emotional Learning Network Topology, Gabriel Ruiz May 2026

Manufacturing Global Citizens: An Analysis Of Unesco’S Social Emotional Learning Network Topology, Gabriel Ruiz

Theses & ETDs

This thesis project aims to determine whether or not UNESCO’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) network, structured in terms of its global and regional topology, is positioned to facilitate the diffusion of SEL frameworks and practices. In recent history, a new, competing paradigm of global citizenship, facilitated through UNESCO’s SEL frameworks, has made waves within the international society. UNESCO’s goal is to transform the ontologies of billions of people through education, by utilizing its extensive, global networks. As a result, UNESCO’s global, regional and national partnerships and networks provide the structure, and a varied enough approach to impacting educational policy and …

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Kazakhstan And The Middle Corridor Initiative: Assessing The Influence Of China And Türkiye, Delaney Staples May 2026

Kazakhstan And The Middle Corridor Initiative: Assessing The Influence Of China And Türkiye, Delaney Staples

Theses & ETDs

China seeks to change the world by becoming the new global hegemon in the face of waning U.S and Western dominance. The PRC’s primary function to achieve this is its Belt and Road Initiative that commenced in 2013. This global infrastructure project seeks to spread China’s economic model while increasing Chinese bilateral agreements with other developing countries. Turkiye and Kazakhstan as discussed in this thesis are two key components of this initiative, specifically crossing the routes of the Middle Corridor (MCI) that passes from China, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and into Turkiye to reach European markets. These land routes call back …

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More Than The Game: How Digital Storytelling Constructs Community And Identity In College Athletics, Katrina Wolfe May 2026

More Than The Game: How Digital Storytelling Constructs Community And Identity In College Athletics, Katrina Wolfe

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the role of digital storytelling in shaping athlete identity, institutional branding, and social interaction within college athletics. Through the analysis of social media content, personal experience as both a student-athlete and athletic media intern, and research on digital culture and sports media, this study explores how athletic programs construct public identity through online platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and live-streaming media. Drawing from theories of identity performance, visibility, and networked communication, the thesis argues that digital storytelling functions not only as a promotional tool but also as a cultural practice that influences belonging, representation, and team dynamics. …

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Warning Signs In Disguise: Narcissism, Communication, Attachment, And Relationship Quality, Andrea Beyra Estrada May 2026

Warning Signs In Disguise: Narcissism, Communication, Attachment, And Relationship Quality, Andrea Beyra Estrada

Theses & ETDs

This study examined how narcissistic admiration and rivalry are associated with relationship satisfaction and attachment, and whether these relationships are reflected in communication patterns and maladaptive behaviors. Participants (N = 143) completed measures of narcissism, communication styles, relationship satisfaction, attachment, and conflict behaviors. Results showed that narcissism was not directly associated with relationship satisfaction. However, narcissistic rivalry was significantly related to maladaptive communication patterns and a range of harmful behaviors, including verbal aggression, physical conflict, and coercive behaviors. In turn, these maladaptive communication patterns and behaviors were strongly associated with lower relationship satisfaction and greater attachment insecurity. Regression analyses further …

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Beyond Skrmetti: A Constitutional Case For Gender-Affirming Care, Mateo-Luis A. Planas, Evan Gerstmann May 2026

Beyond Skrmetti: A Constitutional Case For Gender-Affirming Care, Mateo-Luis A. Planas, Evan Gerstmann

Honors Thesis

In 2025, roughly 2.1 million adults in America identify as transgender, making up around 1% of the country’s total population. Despite this, the transgender identity has become a focus of political debates and made its way onto the U.S. Supreme Court’s docket in U.S. v. Skrmetti. The issue is not whether transgender people exist, but rather, how they ought to exist legally: if and when one can access medical care to pursue a gender transition. While many American doctors agree that these treatments are life-saving, since 2021, a slew of legislation has limited access for adults 18-21 (AMA, 2021). This …

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Music & Emotion: Matching Neurobiological Proxies To Affect Components Induced By Music Modality, William Lopez May 2026

Music & Emotion: Matching Neurobiological Proxies To Affect Components Induced By Music Modality, William Lopez

Theses & ETDs

The United States struggles with high rates of mental health conditions and their misdiagnosis. Both major diagnostic manuals used in mental health rely solely on behavioral and self-reported measures for their diagnostic criteria. Differential diagnosis could be supported by implementing non-invasive neurophysiological and neuroendocrinological measures. Regarding the treatment aspect of healthcare, music therapists can be equipped with additional tools by understanding how individual manipulations of musical components directly influence emotion. Many music studies examine the general effects of music or conduct correlation analyses of songs that share musical components, rather than employing a controlled paradigm in which near-identical pieces are …

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The Positive Effects Of Social Media On Self Body Image, Sierra Moore May 2026

The Positive Effects Of Social Media On Self Body Image, Sierra Moore

Theses & ETDs

This thesis explores the relationship between social media and self body image, with a focus on how social media can influence body image in positive ways rather than only harmful ones. Much of the existing research focuses on the negative side of social media, including comparison, unrealistic beauty standards, and lower self-esteem. While those effects are real, this thesis argues that social media is not entirely negative or positive. Instead, its impact depends on how people use it, what content they engage with, and how critically they understand what they see. This project combines a review of research, original survey …

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Red 40 Riot: An Interdisciplinary Perspective On The Fight For Food Additive Regulation, Margaret Q. Gray May 2026

Red 40 Riot: An Interdisciplinary Perspective On The Fight For Food Additive Regulation, Margaret Q. Gray

Honors Theses

This paper explores the chemical, business, and governmental influences that impact the perception and future of Red 40. This inquiry was inspired by the increasing trends towards health-conscious consumer preferences and the 2025 Red 3 ban. This thesis examines foundational research, modern sources, and public-facing articles to create a comprehensive understanding of both sides of the argument in support of and against regulation. The paper concludes that a three-pronged approach would be ideal to target each key perspective included: chemistry, business, government. The approaches include confirming chemical research method validity, encouraging governmental regulation, and corporate accountability and enforcement. The paper …

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Flipping The Format: A Comparative Analysis Of Pedagogy’S Performance On Comprehension In Introductory Financial Accounting Education, Allison Drozd May 2026

Flipping The Format: A Comparative Analysis Of Pedagogy’S Performance On Comprehension In Introductory Financial Accounting Education, Allison Drozd

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Education is an ever-evolving field, and accounting education is no different. Introductory financial accounting is a required business course at universities that is characterized by high failure rates (Kealey et al., 2005). Evidence suggests that active learning and constructivist approaches improve comprehension of introductory financial accounting concepts as measured by exam performance. All methods studied produced statistically significant positive results on comprehension learning outcomes. Many professors' experiences support the studies' sentiment that active learning is important for teaching course concepts. The evidence reviewed in this thesis supports positive learning outcomes for comprehension of accounting concepts through active learning and constructivist …

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