Digital Commons Network^™

Hybridity In Amazigh Language, Culture, And Literature, Jas Editorial Staff

Journal of Amazigh Studies

N/A

The Physiognomy Of Masks: Exploring Their Role As Data Carriers In Narrative Creation, Sanya Jain, Prasad Bokil

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

This study explores the potential of masks as structured datasets that encode physiognomic, emotional, and archetypal information, influencing narrative construction and audience perception. Using a qualitative research approach, the study investigates how mask design elements—shape, gaze, and expression—impact cognitive and emotional responses in storytelling. A sequential panel of images featuring masked characters were used as stimuli, engaging participants with diverse design expertise in a narrative exercise. The selection of three masks with similar styles and one distinctly different mask (blue in colour) was intentional to examine how visual deviations influence narrative perception. This setup allowed the study to explore whether …

Collaborative Theorizing With Energy Data, Ayşe Özge Ağça, Jacob Buur

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

This study explores the intersection of theory, participatory design, experimental research-through-design, and data physicalization to uncover the relationships between young people, their daily objects, and energy data. We introduce ‘Theory Instruments’ to teenagers, graduate students, and young professionals to encourage them to think about their own energy use along with anthropological, physiological, and visual perception theories and phenomenological concepts. These instruments heighten awareness of otherwise invisible energy consumption practices through visual and tangible data representations. Through projects addressing electricity, water usage, and recycling, participants co-created knowledge by developing actionable insights into their habits. We propose the concept of ‘Collaborative Theorizing’ …

Materializing More-Than-Human Data Through Mapping Wools, Seçil Uğur Yavuz, Merve Bektaş, Camilo Ayala Garcia

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

This paper explores how data, through design, can take the form of new materialities, by mapping wool and revealing its close relationship with humans, sheep, and the more-than-human world. Globalization is putting local wool realities, along with their broader ecological systems, increasingly at risk. Focusing on local wool, which is connected to the animals and their ecosystem, we explore how invisible data can be uncovered and reinterpreted to foster a deeper understanding of the entanglements of highly vital material and highlight opportunities for alternative narratives. Using participatory methods and design probes as primary methodologies, the research examines how these approaches …

Materializing Data: A Macramé-Inspired Framework For Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Creative Participatory Research, Emma Shercliff, Asha Ward, Berit Bliesemann De Guevara, Fiona Hackney, Chinelo L. Njaka, Eliana Sánchez-Aldana, Angelika Strohmayer, Amy Twigger Holroyd, Claire Wellesley-Smith

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

This paper presents the development of a macramé-inspired framework for evaluating the effectiveness of creative participatory research (CPR), addressing gaps in conventional framework models that overlook the complex, multidimensional and experiential nature of these research approaches. The framework was designed to visualize and materialize the evolving nature of CPR, where participant engagement, contextual factors, and the sometimes organic and unpredictable creative activities shape both the research process and its outcomes. To achieve this, we worked with a group of experienced researchers with expertise in participatory textile-making methods in a series of three online workshops. Through these sessions, the research team …

Designing More-Than-Data Walks: A Situated Approach To Understanding Place In A Data-Driven Society, Louise Mullagh

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

In our increasingly data-driven world, reliance on quantitative data to understand place risks overlooking the unique, nuanced dynamics that contribute to a holistic understanding. This research introduces More-than-Data (MtD), a concept that emphasizes the integration of data, information, knowledge, wisdom and lived experience to cultivate situated, engaging and balanced understandings of place. This research explores walking as a research method to embed MtD into practice. Walking, as a situated and deliberate practice, facilitates contemplation, observation, and direct interaction with the environment. Drawing on five MtD walks conducted in various locations, this research demonstrates the potential of walking as a practice …

Beyond The Paper Trail: Challenging Traditional Outputs In Design Research, Spyros Bofylatos

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

We live in a world bloated with data yet starved for wisdom (Kapuʻuwailani Lindsey 2012). As sustainability challenges grow increasingly complex, the limitations of traditional, data-centric research approaches become apparent. This paper argues that the transition towards sustainability necessitates not just technological innovations, but a fundamental ontological shift in how we structure knowledge claims. Modernist systems of values in research, characterised by control, reductionism, and quantification, often marginalised tacit knowledge, indigenous ways of knowing, and intuition. Specifically, this paper advocates for the adoption of Research through Design (RtD) as a methodological paradigm that bridges the gap between quantifiable data and …

Experiencing Uncertainty: The Introduction Of Liminality And Latency In Speculative Mapping Of Lake Karla, Ioanna Sotiriou

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

GeoAI technologies have expanded the analytic power of cartography by processing vast geospatial datasetsto detect patterns, generate multiscale maps, and unify siloed information. Despite their innovation, suchsystems often reinforce static spatial conventions, treating maps as neutral outputs and uncertainty, whetherwithin datasets or landscapes, as an issue to be resolved. This paper calls for a critical reorientation ofGeoAI’s epistemological foundation, proposing that uncertainty be understood not as a limitation but as thefoundation for grounding new protocols of spatial representation. Building on the two key concepts of latencyand liminality, we develop a framework for understanding uncertainty as both an epistemic gap and …

Towards Distributed Creativity: Understanding Generative Ai In The Context Of Design Philosophy And The Material Turn, Ákos Schneider, Dávid Csűrös

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

This study examines the transformative role of generative AI (GenAI) in design through the lens of the material turn, which foregrounds materiality’s agency in shaping human practices. In this context, GenAI is not a mere tool but an active participant in co-creation, challenging subject-object distinctions in design philosophy. Drawing on ontological design, postphenomenology, cognitive science, and material engagement theory, we reinterpret creativity as an emergent phenomenon within sociomaterial networks. Our framework reveals design as a relational process, where creativity unfolds through adaptive interactions, shifting the designer’s role from control to orchestration. We conclude by highlighting the subject- and object-decentered interpretation …

Employee Salary Report [University Of Missouri - St. Louis] 2025, University Of Missouri-St. Louis

UMSL Salary Report

No abstract provided.

Innoxtract Vs Prepfiler Bta: Extracting Dna From Burned Skeletal Remains, Kaitlin Brown

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the different levels of DNA extraction in thermally altered samples by comparing the InnoXtract and PrepFiler BTA extraction kits. PrepFiler BTA is a DNA extraction kit designed to use for bone samples which uses silica coated magnetic beads to extract DNA from powdered bone. InnoXtract is a specialized kit for bone samples which uses the same silica coated magnetic bead method for DNA extraction. Burned skeletal remains pose a challenge since high temperature exposure denatures the DNA and degrades DNA that can be extracted. For this experiment, porcine femurs were used as …

Jim Crow Medicine: Race In Jama, 1883-1982, Han Koehle

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Using a historical approach I examined race discourse within the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) between 1883 and 1982 to better understand how race concepts connect to the production of medical knowledge and ignorance; how they influenced the production of legal and medical policy; how they related to the production and maintenance of health injustice; and how oppressions and injustices are interrelated. I found a clear differentiation between Jim Crow era and post-Jim Crow race discourse. Jim Crow era race discourse was characterized by a nested, bio-nationalist construct of race, an explicit commitment to White supremacy, a sense …

Institutions, Indigenous Peoples, And The Structure Of Power In Columbia River Basin Salmon Governance, Christopher Michael Page

Dissertations and Theses

As broad patterns of behavior influenced by norms and rules, institutions structure many aspects of modern society through coordination and the distribution of power. Due to the importance of common-pool natural resources to many aspects of society, they usually involve competition and lie at the intersection of multiple institutions. This combination of institutions, power disparities, and a competitive interest is what scholars have referred to as a "field." Fields can be complex, and the coordination among interests is generally done through a form of governance involving a wide array of laws, regulations, and actors. When at least one of these …

Express Yourself! Biculturalism, Ethnic Identity & Expression Through Instagram, Zanira Ghulamhussain

Theses - ALL

This qualitative study examines the relationship between biculturalism, ethnic identity, and Instagram use among second-generation Pakistani-Americans. To answer the research questions for this cross-sectional study, the method of virtual, semi structured in-depth interviews was utilized to collect data. Through interviews with second-generation Pakistani-Americans, the researcher explored how Instagram use intersects with ethnic identity and bicultural experiences. Interview data was collected, transcribed, analyzed, and categorized into various themes. Results suggest that Instagram plays a significant role in shaping and expressing ethnic identity, providing a platform for connection, cultural exchange, and personal exploration. This study contributes to understanding the role of social …

Encrypted Eroticism: Encoding And Decoding Strategies Against Censorship In Chinese Slash Fandom, Xiyin Li

Theses - ALL

This study examines how Chinese slash fans circumvent censorship through coding and decoding strategies (Hall, 1980). Based on online ethnography and participant observation of a 20-year slash fandom of a popular online novel, DMBJ, I find that fans employ linguistic wordplay across morphological, phonetic, and semantic dimensions with their linguistic literacy in Chinese. Fans actively extract scenes or descriptions from the original novel that align with erotic contexts and collage them into new slash fiction. This form of creation is not entirely original but involves poaching and recombining canonical texts to assign new sexual meanings. At the same time, fans …

Annihilation, Reconstruction And Harmony In Carnal Desire, Yukang Tao

Theses - ALL

This thesis investigates the aesthetic, ethical, and philosophical implications of meat consumption and bodily commodification of humans and animals within capitalist hierarchies through the lens of digital art, performance and sculpture. Focusing on the intersection of humanity, animality, and technological embodiment, the project interrogates how contemporary systems of power aestheticize violence and disguise exploitation under the guise of ethical consumption. Inspired by critical theories, particularly of Amber Husain, Jacques Derrida, George Bataille, and Donna Haraway, the thesis examines the ambivalent tensions between seduction and slaughter, subjectivity and domination, and how these dynamics are embedded in both animal and human exploitation. …

From Grief To Reconstruction: From Traditional Community To Modern Community, Zhen Wang

Theses - ALL

Death is an inevitable reality of life, and grief, as an emotional response to death, is a universal and complex psychological experience. This study explores the role of the community in coping with death and grief. It analyzes how traditional culture and modern digital technology help individuals achieve emotional repair and social reconstruction through different forms of support. By combining psychological and sociological theories, including Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's “Five Stages of Grief” and Arnold Van Genep's “Ritual Transition theory,” the emotional transformation mechanism in the grieving process has been revealed. This thesis deeply analyzes two traditional rituals, the Zhongyuan festival in …

Hooves, Paws, And Patriarchy: Reimagining A Multispecies Society In Late Chosŏn Korea, Jenny Paszik

Theses - ALL

In late Chosŏn Korea, domesticated animals were more than passive fixtures of human society and culture, but rather active participants in the negotiation of social power dynamics. This paper proposes a species-inclusive reading of Chosŏn society, focusing on the eighteenth century, to expand our understanding from a patriarchal system to a kyriarchal framework. This thesis examines how horses, dogs, and sacrificial animals were enmeshed in intersecting hierarchies of gender and social class in urban and peripheral spaces. I argue that while interactions and conceptions of animals were shaped by the prevailing Confucian worldview, these relationships also worked reciprocally to reinforce, …

Reckoning With An Icon: Exploring The Activism Of Mĩcere Githae Mũgo, Erica Charles Kiduko

Theses - ALL

This thesis examines the activism of Mĩcere Gīthae Mũgo, a distinguished Kenyan literary scholar, playwright, and feminist, whose works remain a vital part of twentieth and twenty-first century liberational struggles across Africa and the diaspora. Through a critical analysis of her literary projects, academic work, and political engagements, this study explores how Mũgo’s intellectual interventions challenged colonial, postcolonial, and patriarchal structures. It draws on feminist, Pan-Africanist, and decolonial theoretical frameworks, to situate career struggles for intellectual freedom, gender justice, and cultural reclamation. The thesis investigates foundational elements of Mugo activism, employing a multi-method qualitative approach: that includes textual analysis, oral …

In Remembrance Of Culture And Heritage: An Examination Of Taino And West African Cultures As It Pertains To Puerto Rico, Marguerita Malina Cruz-Urbanc

Theses - ALL

The Caribbean is made up of many different cultures and peoples, and Puerto Rico is specifically influenced by history, culture, and legacy from the Taínos, West Africans, and Spanish. Throughout history, Spanish heritage was more highly valued, while the Taíno and African heritage, integral to the culture of Puerto Rico, were undervalued. The focus of this research is an examination of the cultural landscape of Puerto Rico and its origins, extending back to the indigenous Taínos who first lived on the island, to the enslaved West Africans who were forcibly brought across the Atlantic Ocean to replace the dwindling Taíno …

Black Filmmaking As Archival Practice, Caroline Charles

Dissertations - ALL

Black Filmmaking as Archival Practice argues that cinema has offered Black cultural workers a generative space to creatively challenge the constraints of traditional archival repositories. I claim that Black filmmakers participate in a tradition of Black archival practice; they intervene in dominant collections and utilize their materials to create filmic counter-histories that negotiate the archive’s limits and attend to Black humanity, life, and memory. I engage with a diverse constellation of late twentieth and early-twenty-first century films that consider archives of Black social movement, abject images, enslavement and portraiture, Black queer and trans existence, and Black family photography. Through historical …

Consider The Culture: The Role Of Local Engagement In Global Conservation, Nicole Bailey

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper discusses global conservation efforts, making a case for community-led conservation on the bases of efficacy and long-term sustainability. As environmental conservation grows ever-important, it’s imperative that the people local to these efforts are holistically integrated into the conservation work and considered as the stakeholders they are. Local human interests are a key condition to assess when aiming for lasting, practical conservation. This paper opens with a look at the reforestation of Gunung Palung National Park as a case study of successful community-led conservation. Chapter 1 outlines the harm of environmental degradation and habitat loss through quantitative data. Here, …

What Modren Dental Dna Sequencing And Tooth Analysis Combined With Historical Context Can Tell Us About The Human Experience, Brynn Butko

D.U.Quark

Dental DNA extraction and visual analysis of teeth are subjects that aid many different research fields. Odontal analysis, specifically combined with forensic science and anthropology, allows for age and sex estimations, the identification of remains, and an in-depth historical account of human history. Because tooth analysis is utilized in various fields, a lack of uniform protocol for handling, analyzing, and extracting teeth persists. This review will explore the methods of dental analysis, the individual dental characteristics that identify age and sex in remains, and a depiction of the past through tooth evaluation. Creating a standardized protocol for the process of …

Reproductive Justice In Motion: Community Doula Work In Central New York, Mariel Rivera-Piluso

Dissertations - ALL

My research is focuses on the role of Black Community-Based Doulas (CBDs) and CBDs of color and the ways in which their work shifted reproductive and maternal health experiences for Black birthing people and birthing people of color in Central New York. Through ethnographic research, I concentrated on two CBD organizations in Syracuse, NY, Village Birth International (VBI) and Doula 4 a Queen (D4Q). Methodologically, I implement participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and digital ethnography to foster consideration and support the continuing efforts of community-based solutions to maternal and reproductive inequities communities of color face in the United States. I focus …

The Politics Of Artisanal And Small-Scale Gold Mining (Asgm) In Tanzania In The 21st Century., Eliud Atugonza Kabamanya

Theses - ALL

This study investigates the politics of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in 21st-century Tanzania, focusing on the organization of miners towards access to key resources, namely land, capital, markets, geological information, technology, and examining environmental degradation, health, and safety concerns affecting miners and surrounding communities. Grounded in historical and dialectical materialism, the research traces ASGM’s evolution from the pre-colonial period through colonial exclusions, post-independence reforms, and neoliberal restructuring. The study employs qualitative methods, including interviews, field observations, and document analysis, conducted over two months across key mining sites in Tanzania. Findings reveal that ASGM is shaped by systemic exclusion, …

University Of Mississippi 172nd Commencement, Class Of 2025, University Of Mississippi, Glenn F. Boyce, Noel E. Wilkin, A. J. Brown

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

The Tests Of Time: An Examination Of Contemporary Indigenous Artwork On Display In Southern Museums, Gwendolyn R. Pfrenger

Honors Theses

This paper examines current practices in three Southern museums of varying sizes and missions as they relate to the curation and display of Indigenous art. Specifically, the paper aims to investigate the place of contemporary Native art in art and anthropology museums: How does display vary across the two disciplines? What is its role, now that cultural institutions are becoming more progressive and making a stronger push toward representing artists from minority groups? This is a fairly new area of study, especially for art history, so much of what is discussed here is drawn from art historians, anthropologists, and museum …

Enhancing Nurse Confidence In Labor Pain Management And Respectful Maternity Care Through Implementation Of The Coping With Labor Algorithm, Diane Johnson, Amy Murlowski

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Objective: The objective of this project was to implement the Coping with Labor Algorithm in the labor and delivery setting and study its impact on nurse self-efficacy and on birthing persons’ experiences.

Design: A quasi-experimental pre- and post-design was used for this project.

Setting: The project was conducted in a maternity unit with six labor beds located in the Midwest.

Methods: This project was conducted over twelve weeks. Twenty-five registered nurses were provided in-person education, access to educational materials, and training on how to use the Coping with Labor Algorithm. A pre-test was administered before the unit implementation of the …

Interactions Between The Deaf Community And Healthcare, Sarah E. Mcfadden

Honors Theses

Background.

This study investigates the issues regarding interactions between the Deaf community and healthcare, focusing on communication barriers, negative experiences, and inaccessibility to health information. Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines requiring healthcare offices to provide interpreters, many health care professionals (HCPs) do not comply for various reasons. The alternatives to an interpreter create gaps in conditions, treatment plans, or post-appointment care.

Methods.

This study involved a review of existing literature and interviews with Deaf individuals and HCPs, including a physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, and registered nurse. The interviewed HCPs work in various settings.

Results. …

Cardiovascular Disparities In Mississippi: A Sociological Study Of Heart Health Literacy Among University Students, Laney Etheridge

Honors Theses

Mississippi ranks among the worst states in the United States for cardiovascular health, with high rates of heart disease, obesity, and hypertension. This thesis examines how race and gender influence heart health literacy and behavioral practices among University of Mississippi students. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines quantitative survey data from a stratified random sample of 1,000 students with qualitative interviews from a public health professional specializing in cardiovascular health and a student heavily involved with on-campus heart health programs. The findings suggest that disparities in heart health literacy both align and differ with broader social stratification patterns observed …