Digital Commons Network^™

Systems Engineering In Zips Aero Design, Benjamin Kemal Sabic, Mathieu Kumiega

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project has the goal of implementing systems engineering in the Zips Aero Design team at the University of Akron at a general member level. The use of systems engineering techniques will be employed to keep every member on track throughout the competition season. The deliverables of this project are the PDR, CDR, AIAA DBF Proposal, AIAA Technical Design Report, the Prototype Aircraft, and the Competition Aircraft.

Causational Analysis And Rectification Of Issues Concerning Scale Formation On Hot-Rolled Straight Bar Product And Its Effects On Ultrasonic Testing, Riley Mattix

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

At Charter Steel's NDT Processing Plant located in Cleveland, Ohio, a concern has arisen regarding the recently implemented bar straightening and UT (Ultrasonic Testing) equipment. A substantial amount of mill scale, which is typically removed during the straightening process, is persisting on the bar’s surface throughout most of the NDT procedure. This lingering scale has been observed to flake off once inside the UT equipment, introducing unwanted noise and phantom peaks into the UT readings. Additionally, thick mill scale has been identified as a source of background interference in the received data. In contrast, bars that have been subjected to …

Nfpa Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, Rachel Wasik, Kimberly Griggy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of this project is to design a system which prioritizes safety and efficiency that uses human power converted to hydraulic power to drive a bicycle. This project is being done to compete with other university teams in making the best vehicle that runs on fluid power. It will help the members of the team to gain design and testing experience, learn about fluid power systems, and gain experience with working as a team and sharing/distributing responsibilities.

Mobile Robot Adhesion Methodology And Development Of An Automatous Robot Module, Lauren Baird, Zachariah Stone, Madison Lemons, Jonathon Moody

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Due to the increasing availability of space travel as not only a scientific exploration but a commercial exploration, there is a need for an onsite repair station that can be deployed in the event of aircraft maintenance, damage, or failure. We have been tasked with researching and creating a prototype of an automatous robot that can be attached to a spacecraft body, move along the surface while avoiding obstacles, scan for damage, 3D print a repair piece, and then make the repair, all without the need of direct human input. Our team, as will be discussed throughout, was tasked with …

Sources And Termination Patterns Of Cholinergic Input To The Ventral Nucleus Of The Lateral Lemniscus, Emily Echols

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Neurons transmit signals through an electrochemical reaction: synapses on dendrites and the cell body receive neurotransmitters, and their effect on the cell determines the signal the cell will transmit. From dendrites to axon and then to another cell at a synaptic cleft, signals can propagate, enhance each other, or inhibit other transmissions until the message is received by the target area. Understanding the science behind neural signaling and structural function begins at the level of the synapse. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) plays a substantial role in modulating neural activity in the auditory system, but for many brainstem nuclei the source …

The Effects Of Social Support On Recovery Outcomes Of Hip Fracture Patients, Preshecca Ragavan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This literature review, completed under the guidance of Ms. Anuja Sarode-Paciorek from Summa Health - Akron, will investigate the effects of social support on the recovery outcomes of hip fracture patients. As part of this literature review, I will collect and analyze several scientific journal articles previously published on this topic to gain an overview of what prior knowledge clinical researchers have already gathered about this topic. As part of the analyses, each article will be thoroughly read and briefly summarized. Then, these summaries will be used to compile a list of a few strengths and a list of a …

The Relationship Between Music Educators And Stress, Sarah Plain

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project is to gather information from currently practicing music educators in a range of specialties about the relationship between their working lives and personal lives. Does their working life affect them at a level where they cannot decompress? Do they have a healthy relationship with their career and manage their workload well? Information will be gathered about the conditions surrounding educators to gather context for why they have the work-life balance they have described. After measuring and reporting how music educators are balancing their careers against their personal lives, potential solutions will be described to help …

The Role Of Bicultural Identity Integration In The Relationship Between Discrimination And Well-Being, Jasmine Chananna

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research indicates that experiencing discrimination from dominant group members and having a less integrated bicultural identity are associated with negative psychological outcomes for bicultural individuals. Further, bicultural identity integration (BII) has also been found to mediate the relationship between discrimination from dominant group members and well-being. However, there is insufficient research exploring the impact of discrimination from one’s heritage group members. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of in-group discrimination on psychological adjustment and self-concept clarity. This study also aimed to explore BII as a mediator between in-group or out-group discrimination and psychological outcomes. Correlational analyses supported …

In It And Of It: A Black Principal’S Self-Examination Of Anti-Blackness And Critical Leadership Praxis, Donya Odom

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Narrative inquiry is my research method, and my goal is to validate the use of narratives, including my reflective memos, journal reflections, and interpretations of various artifacts that share my students' experiences. As a Black woman and an educator, I emphasize the importance of culturally responsive school leadership for K-12 principals, which includes fostering connections with and amplifying the voices of marginalized Black students to improve their academic engagement. My study also highlights my experiences' critical role in building positive relationships with the school community, particularly in enhancing Black students' climate and cultural experiences. With this study, I shed light …

“We Gon’ Be Alright”: How Resiliency & Africultural Coping Behaviors Factor Into African American College Students’ Intentions To Seek Mental Health Services, Taylor Garland

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: African Americans, apprehension toward utilizing mental health services (MHS) has a long history in the United States. The low rates of utilizing MHS can result in detrimental health consequences, both mental and physical, despite there being a developing literature base on how evidence-based treatments are effective in therapy with African Americans.

Objective: There is expansive literature on several factors (e.g., stigma, cultural mistrust) that contribute to African Americans’ hesitancy concerning seeking MHS. The current study aimed to add to this literature base. Specifically, this study sought to acknowledge both African American college students’ choices to use alternative coping strategies …

Automatic Modeling Of Cyber Intrusions Using The Diamond Model Utilizing Security Logs And Events, Mahmoud Al-Maani

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Current intrusion analysis models suffer from unreliability and inaccuracy due to their reliance on outdated and inadequate data sources. Numerous models focus on a particular type of data, leading to potential modeling faults in intrusion analysis models' recommendations. The objective of this thesis is to build a modernized model by integrating the diamond model with security information and event management systems. This thesis presents a detailed cyber intrusion analysis model; in which Elasticsearch is being used to collect and analyze logs about cyber attacks and extract major indicators of compromise then finally map them to the diamond model. The results …

Getting /Srs About Tone Tags, Sierra Morrissey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In digital modes of communication, speakers may struggle to convey their tone and emotions to their readers and interlocutors. This complication leads to questions surrounding the state of the conventions for conveying tone in digital utterances (e.g., tweets). This thesis explores one such way that speakers overcome this struggle, tone tags. Tone tags are linguistic items consisting of a forward slash and an alphabetic character or characters that serve to represent some word or phrase, generally used to indicate the intended spirit of the utterance. This thesis serves as an analysis of these items, including necessary context, an explanation of …

Supervising With Intercultural Competence: A Phenomenological Study Of Mid-Level Higher Education And Student Affairs Professionals, Alexander T. Boesch

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Many mid-level higher education and student affairs professionals are responsible for the supervision of entry-level professionals. As the population of entry-level professionals continues to diversify, it is necessary for mid-level student affairs supervisors to engage effectively across differences of culture and identity in their supervisory relationships. This qualitative study explored the phenomenon of supervising with intercultural competence. Mid-level student affairs supervisors who had intercultural mindsets and supervised across salient identity or cultural differences were interviewed in a semi-structured format, and the data was analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis method. The findings introduce a model for supervising with intercultural competence. …

Family Context And Executive Functioning In Preschool-Age Children, Kristin Aho

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Executive functioning is predictive of school readiness, successful life endeavors, and other positive outcomes. The literature frequently explores how child executive functions are associated with characteristics of mother-child interactions as well as adverse environmental conditions such as poverty and chronic stress. Fewer studies, however, have taken a more nuanced approach to understanding how features of the immediate environment, such as family context, help or hinder the development of executive functions in young children. To address this gap, the current study explored how aspects of family context are associated with executive performance in a sample of preschool-age children. Specifically, the study …

Lateralization Of Motor Behavior As A Measure Of Cognitive Functioning And Resting-State Electrocortical Activity, Alina Dillahunt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background. Research has shown that the laterality between hands in self-report and motor measures maps onto hemispheric lateralization and this has important implications for psychopathology (e.g., depression) and cognition. The present study evaluates the relationship between performance on finger-tapping tasks (FTT), alpha power during resting-state electroencephalography (EEG), handedness, and relevant psychological outcomes. Methods. A sample of 48 individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 completed online assessments including a modified FTT paradigm, the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, and a common depression measure. A subset of 20 participants completed assessments of motor and executive functioning including a self-report executive functioning measure, …