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Uuvs Using Sound Detection, Daniel Ginsburg, Ethan Carpio, Preston Jacob, Casey Cooper

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

The contents of this report contain the details of the 2025-2026 school year regarding team 14’s capstone project about building an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) using sound detection. At the beginning of this project it was decided that the project goals would be updated. In previous years the students had to use sound to follow a path and drop a payload along that path in the pool. Now this has been changed so that the team now knows the path and drop location beforehand. This removes the need for sonar and sound detection. This makes the project easier and more …

Investigating Machine Learning As An Anomaly Detection Tool In College Basketball, Eli G. Whitaker

Honors College Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are more commonly becoming tools that organizations use to prevent, detect, and deter fraud. Like other organizations, the amount of fraud that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) faces is growing at an alarming rate. The primary issue involves athletes that undermine the integrity of their sport by purposefully playing below their true potential as participants in broader betting-related schemes. This thesis focused on Division 1 Men’s Basketball evaluates the viability of using supervised ML to detect anomalies in team performance over games in recent seasons. Anomalies, like red flags in the context …

Domain Wall Gravitational Waves: Constraints Within Extensions Of The Standard Model, Sophia W. Jensen

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This work considers an extra-dimensional framework to explain the gravitational wave background (GWB), massive neutrinos, and baryon asymmetry. Through studying all three, restrictions on certain parameters arise and provide bounds on both theories. It is proposed that the GWB is caused by cosmic domain walls, sheet-like topological defects that were theoretically created in the early universe shortly after the Big Bang. A relationship be- tween the energy density of domain walls and the vacuum expectation value of the broken symmetry was defined. Constraints on the parameters, including the already observed fre- quencies of gravitational waves and the current energy content …

Intermediate-Scale Outflow Dynamics Of Eta Carinae, Edmund J. Garcia, Matthew C. Fleenor

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

η Carinae (η Car) is a binary system, with the larger star being an extremely massive, luminous blue variable (LBV) beyond the Eddington Limit. Surrounding the η Car system, numerous multi-wavelength imaging campaigns reveal axisymmetric structures with the expanding bipolar Homunculus Nebula (¡1 pc). In combination with the episodic eruptive history of the η Car system, our initial intermediate-scale imaging revealed further axisym- metric structures (1-5 pc). To gain a more expansive view of how the small scale structure connects to panoramic imaging of the η Car region, we constructed a deep, optical, narrowband mosaic of 189 images utilizing the …

Ticking Toward Security: Practical Source Authentication For The Precision Time Protocol, Alexander Gebhard

Dissertations (1934 -)

The convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) in Industry 4.0 environments has greatly expanded the attack surface of critical infrastructure systems. Legacy industrial protocols originally intended for use only in isolated networks are now exposed across interconnected systems. This interconnectivity enables adversaries to target power grids, manufacturing plants, and other critical systems with increasing sophistication. Although vendors have retroactively introduced security extensions to industrial protocols such as EtherNet/IP and OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), the adequacy and practical feasibility of these security measures remain understudied. This dissertation advances the security of industrial protocols through three main contributions. …

Neurological Phenotypes Of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Carleigh M. Wood

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This research investigated Drosophila melanogaster’s ability to serve as a model organism for the neurological phenotypes of Myotonic Dystrophy Type I (DM1). DM1 is caused by a CTG repeat expansion in the DMPK gene. DM1 leads to symptoms of muscle weakness and wasting, as well as decreased cerebral volume. This study aimed to determine whether DM1-affected Drosophila exhibit neurological changes, as has been observed in humans. Healthy control (CUG20) and DM1-affected Drosophila (CUG250) were generated using classical genetics. Both groups were aged three weeks prior to dissection and imaged through fluorescent microscopy. It was predicted that Drosophila melanogaster affected by …

Regional And Temporal Variation In The Function Of The Castles Of The Norman Conquest, Leah A. Perdue

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, a castle-building project of unprecedented scale transformed the landscape of England. This paper investigates how these structures supported the establishment of Norman rule over England, and how their role changed over time. Through examining case studies, the paper concludes that in the early years following the Conquest castles were primarily used in military operations, but in the following decades became essential administrative sites and seats of local government, as well as symbols of Norman power. The paper also concludes that castles on the border with Wales have a more complicated history, fluctuating in function …

Methionine Restriction Enhances Platinum-Based Chemotherapy-Induced Immunogenic Cell Death In Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Mallory Thompson, Laura Sipe Ph.D.

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

When cancer cells are treated with chemotherapy, they can release Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) as they die that can alert and engage the immune system, a process known as an immunogenic cell death (ICD). The dying cancer cell can release certain molecules, including ATP or calreticulin, that immune cells first recognize as abnormal before initiating an anti-tumor response. However, not all chemotherapies cause the release of these beneficial signals as they kill the cell. This study aims to determine whether a specific deprivation technique, called methionine restriction, enhances the ICD process and DAMP expression when used in conjunction with chemotherapy …

Electrochemical Reduction Of Carbon Dioxide Using A Tethered Catalyst System Prepared Through Click Chemistry, Iaroslavna Kovalenko

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

One way to electrochemically reduce CO₂ is to use modified electrode surfaces with bound transition-metal electrocatalysts. Optimal conditions for modifying copper surfaces with (2-azidoethyl) phosphonic acid in acetone have been identified for forming a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) via the tethering by aggregation and growth (T-BAG) method. The subsequently formed phosphonate film on the copper surfaces protects the modified electrodes from oxidation or side reactions on the copper. A copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction between the terminal azide group on the phosphonate and a synthesized terpyridine ligand with the necessary terminal alkyne substituent has been successfully carried out on …

"Chinese" And Chinoiserie: Exoticization And Orientalism In The West During The 19th And 20th Century And Its Effects On Museum Practices, Janine Salapantan

Honors Capstones

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the west experienced a keen interest in the lives of the east. In an era of mystery, the people of the west relied on furniture, textiles, and objects to fill in the gaps of their fantasy of the mystical east and its people. This led to the boom of East Asian export and attempts of replication through Chinoiserie, the west’s interpretation of East Asian aesthetics. Chinoiserie and exportquickly filled the homes of affluent families in the west, such as the Ellwood family in Dekalb. This study aims to investigate the origins of various East …

Comparing Two Frameworks For Categorizing Attitudes Towards Climate Change, Lilliana Campbell

Honors Capstones

This study compares the Six Americas framework (Maibach et al., 2011) and a Climate Change Denial framework categorizing individuals as deniers or non-deniers (Valentiner et al., in preparation). It was hypothesized that the Six Americas dismissive category would substantially overlap with the denier classification.

Participants (N = 334) were students in Introduction to Psychology courses at Northern Illinois University in Spring semester 2026. Participants completed the Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY) and the Climate Change Acceptance and Denial scales.

Only modest correspondence between the SASSY segments and the climate change denial framework. Although the relationship between these classification systems …

Project Management Practices In Manufacturing: An Analytical Case Study, Margaret Randle, Robert Reynolds

Honors Capstones

Global industries are undergoing significant transitions in organizational models, technological innovation, and non-economic indicators of product quality, including sustainability and operational efficiency. The current workforce needs to not only develop competency of these technical skills, but also an adaptive, system-oriented approach to problem-solving as well. This case study, which highlights a manufacturing company’s project of increasing production efficiency, presents concepts learned through the textbook Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage by Jeffrey K. Pinto. The study thoroughly breaks down the full project lifecycle and the integration of systems of people, data, and initiatives in a framework that can be used to …

Treaty Database Project, Elisabeth Smith

Honors Capstones

International environmental governance is shaped by a complex network of treaties addressing issues such as water, agriculture, air and atmosphere, energy, wild species and ecosystems, mineral resources, and waste and hazardous substances, among many others.. However, information about these agreements is often fragmented across multiple sources, making it difficult for researchers, policymakers, and the public to understand how different treaties relate to one another. This project develops a structured database of environmental treaties that captures key attributes such as thematic focus, geographic scope, participating countries, and implementation mechanisms.

Building on this database, the project also provides an intuitive front-end interface …

Impact Of Provider Confidence And Psychiatric Referrals Through Education And Implementation Of The Gad-7 Anxiety Screening Tool In An Outpatient Family Clinic, Maceline E. Check

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Gaps in provider and nurse confidence in identifying and managing anxiety disorders in outpatient family clinic settings contribute to underdiagnosis, delayed intervention, and reduced psychiatric referrals. This quality improvement project evaluated the impact of provider education and implementation of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) screening tool on provider and nurse confidence and appropriate psychiatric referral rates, with the goal of improving clinical decision-making and standardizing anxiety screening practices. The project was guided by Lewin’s Change Theory and the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice. Using a quasi-experimental pre- and post-intervention design, providers and nurses in an outpatient family clinic received structured, …

Ar Bubble Car: A Cross-Vehicle Visual Social System For Autonomous Mobility, Bingchang Zhang

Theses

AR Bubble Car argues that in L4/L5 autonomous mobility, or high to fully automated driving, the car should be understood not only as a transportation device but also as a visible social interface in public space. As driving becomes less central, the role of the vehicle shifts from control and movement alone toward passenger experience, expression, and communication. In response, AR Bubble Car proposes a transparent visual bubble around compatible vehicles, allowing passengers to share lightweight content through window-based AR. Rather than treating the car as a private entertainment container, the system explores how vehicles might become moving social nodes …

When The Apple Falls Far From The Tree: The Effect Of Parental Education Level And Socioeconomic Status Mindset On Academic Achievement, Adrienne Chinski, Alexis Jankowski, David Valentiner

Honors Capstones

Mindsets are the implicit perspectives that individuals have about their qualities. A growth mindset is the belief that one’s qualities can be improved through hard work. Growth mindsets about socioeconomic status (SES) have been associated with higher academic achievement for high school students. The present study is an extension of previous research examining socioeconomic status mindset impacts on school engagement. This study also investigates how parental education level impacts grades and credit hours earned in the context of SES Mindset.

This study used a diverse sample of 272 undergraduate students enrolled in the Introduction to Psychology course at NIU. Measures …

Contests Of Masculinity: The Model Program, Notre Dame, And Collegiate Football, 1945-1972, Brian Michael Burns

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation examines how collegiate football functioned as a contested site for defining masculinity and institutional identity in the United States between 1945 and 1972. Focusing on the leadership and interactions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Football Foundation (NFF), and the University of Notre Dame, the project argues that these institutions promoted competing models of masculinity that reflected broader tensions between moral authority, institutional control, athletic success, and social change in postwar America. This dissertation argues that postwar collegiate football did not express a single dominant masculine ideal but instead became a site of ongoing institutional …

Using The Flexon Approach To Rnai To Identify Essential Genes That Affect Gonadal Development In C. Elegans, Joyce S. Lefevers

Undergraduate Theses

To elucidate the molecular role of essential genes in the gonadal development of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) it is necessary to utilize specialized molecular techniques such that the phenotypic effects of gene knockdown can be studied while the viability of the organism is preserved. Shaffer and Greenwald (2022) developed the floxed exon (flexon), a tool that improves upon previous approaches to spatiotemporal control of gene expression. The flexon subunit is made up of an artificial exon with a stop cassette flanked by artificial introns which, when inserted into a gene of interest, prevents the expression of that gene. …

Your Money, Your Message, Ella Rosebrook

Honors Projects

The Your Money, Your Message pamphlet offers a basic overview of personal finance and personal branding to act as a guide for young adults looking to further their knowledge in these areas. It gives beginner-level guidance in budgeting, tracking spending and saving habits, filing taxes with a CPA, a brief description of common payroll taxes, and personal branding. It is important for individuals entering the workforce to be knowledgeable in these areas no matter what their major is, as these skills will bring about a positive impact for anyone. Developing healthy personal finance habits and a strong personal brand is …

Trust In Government: How Sex, Race, And Ideology Shape Confidence In State And National Officials, Holden A. Mattison

Honors Theses

This research examines how sex, race, and political ideology shape individual trust in state and national government officials, with a particular focus on Mississippi as a case study. Drawing on data from the Mississippi Poll (2010-2014) and the 2024 American National Election Study (ANES), the research analyzes both bivariate and multivariate relationships to assess how demographic and ideological factors influence political trust across institutional levels. The findings reveal that race and ideology are significant predictors of trust at the state level, while sex has little effect. Whites and conservatives are generally more likely to express trust in state officials, whereas …

The Integration Of Mental Health Services Within The Black Church: A Literature Review Of Systematic Inequalities, Stigma, And Culturally Responsive Approaches, Grace N. Wingate

Honors College Theses

Black American Christians in predominantly Black churches often face limited access to adequate mental health resources due to historical mistrust, systemic inequalities, and cultural stigma. These barriers are rooted in longstanding distrust of psychological services, the underrepresentation of Black mental health care professionals, and the high cost and inaccessibility of care. Additionally, stigma within Black Christian communities may discourage individuals from seeking help from mental health professionals, particularly when such care is perceived as conflicting with religious beliefs. Despite these challenges, Black churches remain central and trusted institutions within their communities, positioning them as crucial sites for mental health support. …

Covid Minds: A Thematic Review Of The Pandemic On Neural Mechanisms And Political Polarization, Madison Jeffries

Honors Projects

This paper analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced political polarization in the United States by examining the interactions between social system disruption, psychological stress, and underlying neurological behaviors. While previous research has extensively discussed pandemic's influence on public health and societal breakdowns, studies fail to examine how these disruptions shaped political divisions. This study synthesizes interdisciplinary literature on pandemic-induced stressors and analyzes factors, including institutional mistrust and social isolation, and how these experiences shape political behavior and perspectives. Applying research from psychology and neuroscience, the paper argues that prolonged exposure to pandemic-related stressors changed neurological and behavioral patterns in response …

Cultivating The Dream In African American Men Through Black Excellence And Success, Sylvia Lawan Branch

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Achieving Black Excellence has been a goal for African American men for several decades; yet this movement has been hindered by social, emotional, and discriminatory life experiences from early childhood through adulthood. Black Excellence has been a phrase used in recent years to highlight achievements for African American men in wealth, mental health, well-being, fatherhood, and academic achievement. The main objective of this dissertation was to define and examine dimensions of Black Excellence among African American men, including elements that contributed to personal fulfillment and broader social impact. To determine recommendations to achieve Black Excellence (Scott, 2017), 10 semistructured interviews …

Quality Improvement Project: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Chlorhexidine Gluconate Bathing Education On Staff Perceived Knowledge, Kaonta Spencer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

A community hospital set strategic goals to achieve Vizient top-decile performance and drive continuous improvement by reducing surgical site infection (SSI) rates. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to support this goal by implementing an evidence-based educational intervention to improve nurses' perceived knowledge and self-reported ability with the chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing protocol for hysterectomy patients. Guided by Lewin's Change Theory, the Iowa Model Revised, and the Iowa Implementation Framework, the educational intervention applied a structured approach to address behavioral and organizational barriers contributing to protocol noncompliance. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pre- and post-intervention design was used to evaluate …

Quality Improvement Project: Improving Interdisciplinary Care In Nursing Education Through Simulation, Anna Williams

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential in preparing nursing students for effective teamwork and communication in clinical practice and is supported by the literature as improving these outcomes. However, limited faculty training in interprofessional simulation design contributes to reduced IPE opportunities within nursing curricula. A needs assessment at the project site identified a lack of structured, hands-on training for simulation faculty, resulting in decreased faculty confidence and limited implementation of IPE simulations. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate whether a structured training intervention improved simulation faculty self-efficacy in developing and implementing IPE simulations. Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory guided …

Implementation Of A Nurse-Led Discharge Protocol To Impact Nurse Confidence And Optimize Transitional Care Management, Jessi-Ann Elrod

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Heart failure (HF) remains a leading cause of hospitalization and readmission, with the transition from hospital to home representing a vulnerable period for patients. Variability in discharge education and follow-up scheduling contributes to poor self-management and adverse outcomes. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated whether implementing a standardized nurse-led HF discharge protocol impacted nurses' confidence and the rate of 7–14-day transitional care management (TCM) follow-up appointments. Guided by Meleis’ Transitions Theory and Lewin’s Change Theory, a one–group pretest–posttest QI design was implemented on a cardiac step-down unit. Twelve discharge nurses participated. The intervention included a structured education session and the …

Quality Improvement Project Reducing Attrition Rates In Nursing Students: Evaluating The Enhanced Student Success Program, Jason Grigg

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The high attrition rate in the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN) program created an opportunity to develop the enhanced Student Success Program (eSSP). This is a faculty-based quality improvement project designed to increase support for students at risk of withdrawal from the AASN program. The aim of eSSP is to reduce attrition rates, however, this project evaluated only short-term changes in faculty confidence. Using Lewin's Change Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior as a guide, this QI implemented a one-group pre-post experimental design to determine whether a short eSSP training program, combined with a 5-week implementation period, …

Quality Improvement Project : Educating Critical Care Nurses On Braden Scale And Sskin Care Bundle To Impact Pressure Injuries, Andrea Garrett

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) increase patients' risk of infection, prolonged hospitalization, death, and healthcare costs. The Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ) has shown that implementing a standardized skin assessment process and a care bundle helps prevent skin injuries. A critical care unit (CCU) at an acute care 339-bed hospital in Southaven, MS, has seen an increase in HAPIs. This quality improvement project aimed to educate CCU nurses about the Braden Scale and the SSKIN care bundle to impact pressure injuries in the CCU within 8 weeks. Education on the Braden Scale and the Skin, Sensory, Keep Moving, Incontinence, …

Quality Improvement Project: Gpt Prompts As Tools For Cultural Competence In Undergraduate Nursing Education, Elizabeth K. Hobbs

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

In rural nursing programs, student exposure to diverse cultures is limited, which can hinder development of cultural competence. Artificial intelligence (AI) simulation is an evidence-based strategy to improve cultural competence and clinical decision-making, a practice gap exists due to lack of structured, accessible tools. This quality improvement project evaluated whether Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT)–based structured prompts would increase culturally inclusive simulation activities and improve faculty perceptions of usefulness and ease of use at a rural community college. The guiding PICOT asked: Among nursing faculty, how does the use of GPT-based structured prompts, compared to an unstructured approach, impact perceived usefulness, …

Quality Improvement Project: Faculty Development For Understanding And Utilization Of Exam Data, Deanne Hutchens

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This quality improvement project focused on inconsistent use and understanding of exam data among Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) faculty, which can influence teaching decisions and student success. Many nursing faculty enter education with strong clinical backgrounds but limited experience working with exam statistics such as item difficulty, discrimination values, and Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) reliability. Without a consistent approach, exam results may not be fully used to guide remediation or adjust instruction. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project examined whether a structured faculty development session could improve faculty confidence and ability to interpret and apply exam data. A pre- …