Digital Commons Network^™

Elements Of A Talent Information System For The Shenandoah Valley Partnership, Jake Thompson

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This study examines the development of a comprehensive talent information system for the Shenandoah Valley Partnership (SVP), addressing the region’s prioritized need for talent attraction and retention. Through a mixed-methods approach combining literature review, demographic analysis, and qualitative interviews with comparable regional economic development organizations, the research identifies effective strategies for collecting, managing, and analyzing workforce data. The Shenandoah Valley region, comprising twelve localities in Virginia, faces challenges in educational attainment and healthcare provision despite possessing significant natural and cultural assets. Findings reveal three key components for effective talent information systems: (1) ambassador programs that provide qualitative insights on regional …

Who Grows There? Rethinking Forest Types Beyond Biomass And Composition In Coastal Ecuador, Evelyn Kent

Geography Honors Projects

Tropical Dry Forests (TDFs) are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Many are biodiversity hotspots, and most are fragmented and vulnerable to deforestation, wildfires and climate change. TDFs also receive less conservation attention compared to other tropical forest types. To provide critical baseline information for their conservation, this research defines and quantifies the extent of different forest types and their respective aboveground biomass (AGB) in a fragmented TDF landscape in Manabí, Ecuador. Focusing on two forest reserves and their adjacent areas, we used tree plot inventories (N=16) and community composition analyses to define forest types based on tree community composition. …

Master Of Social Work: Portfolio, Beth Alma Krueger

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The MSW portfolio comprises a comprehensive professional portfolio developed during the pursuit of a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. The content reflects academic and field experiences structured around core social work competencies established by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). These competencies include ethical and professional behavior, engagement with diversity and difference, advancement of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice, practice-informed research, and policy practice.

The document includes personal reflections, case narratives, and analyses demonstrating the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical skills in a variety of settings, including internships and community-based programs. Specific attention is …

Exploring The Stem Career Identity Development Of Black Women Across Their Lifespan, Veronica Hurd

Theses and Dissertations

Although STEM is the fastest-growing career sector, Black women are grossly underrepresented as they account for 2.5% of the workforce. Research highlights that this underrepresentation is due to racialized structures in K-12, postsecondary, and career settings that restrict Black girls’ and women’s STEM opportunities. While macrosystems such as hegemonic ideologies, attitudes, and social conditions shape Black girls’ and women’s opportunities in STEM, they continue to persist and achieve their career goals. To explore these barriers and Black women’s persistence in this industry, this study draws from the autobiographical memories of 10 Black women in the field or formerly in the …

Multitask Learning For Named Entity Recognition And Relationship Extraction, Adrienne D. Hembrick

Theses and Dissertations

Information Extraction (IE) is a fundamental task in Natural Language Processing (NLP), involving the identification of structured information from unstructured text. Two core components of IE—Named Entity Recognition (NER) and Relation Extraction (RE)—are widely used to extract key concepts and the relationships between them across various domains. However, the sequential dependency of RE on the output of NER makes it vulnerable to error propagation: inaccuracies in entity recognition can negatively affect downstream relation extraction.

To mitigate this issue, Multitask Learning (MTL) has been proposed as an approach that jointly models NER and RE, aiming to improve overall performance and reduce …

Inclusive Approaches To Teaching African American History Rooted In Decolonial Pedagogy And Praxis, Anya Tassy

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis critically examines the exclusion of LGBTQ+ and disabled voices in African American history curricula at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in Ohio, advocating for a decolonial pedagogical approach that centers intersectional narratives. By analyzing course descriptions, syllabi, and faculty communications from PWIs such as Wright State University, it reveals a pervasive omission of queer and disabled Black experiences, reinforcing a narrow historical lens. The study proposes a 15-week, praxis-based syllabus that integrates critical pedagogy, intersectionality, queer and disability theory, and service learning to foster inclusive historical engagement. Using primary and secondary sources, multimedia, and community partnerships, the curriculum emphasizes …

Towards A Comprehensive Model Of Compassion Fatigue In The Animal Welfare Community, Elizabeth Ellis

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the stress endured by those in caring professions and emphasized the impact that compassion fatigue and burnout have on helping professionals’ well-being and retention (J. Huang et al., 2024; Volk et al., 2022). However, researchers often have failed to adequately distinguish between compassion fatigue and burnout (e.g. Boyle, 2011). Additionally, researchers have overlooked the animal welfare community (e.g., Figley & Roop, 2006) in favor of focusing on human healthcare workers. Thus, the purposes of my study were to 1) examine whether emotional exhaustion and compassion fatigue were related but distinct phenomena and 2) propose and examine …

Weaponizing Sexual Violence: Variations Between Conflict Related Sexual Violence And Genocidal Rape, Paige Liptak

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the differences between conflict related sexual violence and genocidal rape to advocate for future separate analysis of the two distinctly different forms of sexual violence. By examining 15 genocides from the end of WWII to the end of 2023 this study draws upon prior research from genocide studies, ethnic studies, political science, and feminist scholarship to observe trends that are present in the two forms of sexual violence. The findings indicate that there are distinctly different socio-economic and military conditions that are associated with the two types of sexual violence and therefore genocidal rape should considered separate …

Fútbol Profesional, Derecho De La Competencia Y 'Fair Play', Stephen Ross

Faculty Scholarship

El presente ensayo examina la relación entre el derecho de la competencia y la noción de «Fair Play» en el ámbito del fútbol profesional. El autor comienza analizando el significado lingüístico y filosófico del término «Fair Play» y valorando cómo las diferentes interpretaciones de esta noción pueden influir en la percepción de lo que se entiende por justicia en el deporte. A continuación, compara la aplicación del derecho de la competencia en EE.UU. y Europa, destacando que, aunque hay diferencias, no existe un verdadero conflicto entre la noción de «Fair Play» y la normativa en materia de competencia. Finalmente, defiende …

Taking From The Most Vulnerable: Legal Implications Of Seizing Federal Benefits From Foster Kids, Lucy Johnston-Walsh

Faculty Scholarship

Foster youth in some states are paying the cost of their own room and board when state and local government agencies seize a child's federal social security benefits to cover the costs of care. Other states, however, have passed laws forbidding such a practice, allowing youth to save these funds for their own financial needs. Federal social security benefits are an individual's own property and should not be taken without adequate notice, nor without an opportunity to challenge the taking. Tet too many youth who are involved in the foster care system are unaware they are even receiving benefits and …

Voicing The Violence: Carmen Maria Machado's Contribution To A Queer Archive, Audrey C. Bryant

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This project analyzes In the Dream House (2019) alongside “The Husband Stitch” and “Eight Bites” from the collection Her Body and Other Parties (2017) by Carmen Maria Machado. The first, a memoir, details Machado’s personal experience with domestic abuse between partners who share a female gender identity; the latter is a collection of short stories outlining everyday violations made against women. Scholars have discussed these works with specifications including female domestic horror, Machado’s use of retellings, and domestic violence and abuse. This project fills a gap in the discourse by intersecting and connecting queer theory with archival studies to support …

The Carceral State(S), Esther K. Hong

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

The carceral state is everywhere. Legal and social science scholars are increasingly using the carceral state concept to criticize various aspects, or even the entirety, of the United States. But despite how popular and common this term has become in writings about mass incarceration, criminal processes and punishments, and other forms of social control, the definition, conceptualization, and theorization of the carceral state are far from settled. This Article analyzes and contributes to this discussion by highlighting the diversity and fluidity of ideas surrounding the carceral state.

Although the term often appears without an express definition, the limited ones that …

Front Matter, University Of Michigan Law School

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

Front Matter for Volume 30, Issue 1 of Michigan Journal of Race & Law

A Homespun Quality: South Dakota's Code Of Law At The 100th Legislative Session, Justin Goetz

South Dakota Law Review

The South Dakota Codified Laws contain the South Dakota Legislature’s “statutes of a general and permanent nature.” This code is accordingly the Legislature’s greatest product, its legacy, and the ultimate work-for-hire for the people of South Dakota—all while being an exercise of the most fundamental, organic power wielded by state government. As the Legislature attains its One Hundredth Session, any celebration of the Legislature’s history necessarily requires treatment of its greatest product. This article will showcase the prairie populism on which the state and its laws were rooted, and how the first codes and their subsequent iterations all maintained the …

Professors And Company Law: Implications For Academic Freedom, Salar Ghahramani J.D.

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

This Article examines the intersection of company law and academic freedom, specifically exploring how nonprofit universities might invoke corporate and agency law principles to assert breach of fiduciary duty claims when a university could view a professor’s handling of controversial topics or facilitation of provocative class discussions as detrimental to its financial interests or public reputation. Such allegations might arise when universities perceive that these discussions alienate donors, provoke public backlash, or otherwise harm the institution’s standing, thereby framing the professor’s academic choices as potentially disloyal or harmful to the university. While public university professors might argue that the First …

From Conscientious French Canadian To Enterprising American: Making Memory & Measuring Social Mobility Of French Canadians 1880-1940, Brooke S. Schwaderer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis studies the social mobility of French-Canadian immigrants to the Keweenaw Peninsula 1880-1940 and memory among their descendants to explain how French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw faded over time. Oral histories were conducted to gain an understanding of the current French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw, understand how the current generation perceives changes in culture over time, and provide possible explanations for why French-Canadians thrived in the Keweenaw. Tax records from the Michigan Technological University Archives and social mobility scores, mother tongue, and homeownership information from the United States census was analyzed to measure language loss, and the social mobility …

Effects Of Invigorating And Relaxing Music On Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, And Heart Rate Variability, Matthew Joshua Faur

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Heart-rate variability (HRV) has been documented to correlate with several health measures, including autonomic nervous system longevity and athletic performance (Zulfiqar, 2010). While increasing age does not affect heart rate, there is a steady decline in HRV, which is a biological marker of aging and the decline of autonomic nervous system function. Furthermore, men who exercise regularly tend to have increased HRV, suggesting a mitigation of the typical age-dependent loss of HRV (Kristal-Boneh et al., 1995). Previous studies have suggested that music may have a physiological effect (e.g., fluctuating vitals, emotional changes) on cardiovascular parameters. However, little is known about …

Does Money Matter? An Analysis Between Per-Student Funding And Its Link To Student Achievement In Florida, Chloe Zwetschkenbaum

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined the relationship between per-student funding and student achievement within four counties in the state of Florida (Clay County, Duval County, Flagler County, and St. Johns County) and whether higher per-student funding resulted in higher student achievement. Florida recently changed from the usage of the Common Core Standards to the Florida Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) and from the Florida State Assessment (FSA) to the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (F.A.S.T.) test in 2022 (Sabina, Hartikka, and Viola, 2023). This research focused funding on the results of the F.A.S.T. test and the per-student funding of each district …

A Review Of The Utilization Of Comics In Research And The Potential For Graphic Medicine Integration In Health Science Communication, Nagatarang Nimmathota

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Communication is a vital part of research, both during its conduction and the dissemination of its findings. This can be difficult to achieve due to factors like knowledge disparity, technical jargon, and differing backgrounds. This narrative literature review draws from databases like PubMed, ScienceDirect, and others to examine the current utilization of graphic medicine in research and its effects on health research communication. This review found that the integration of graphic medicine can help alleviate those issues by simplifying complex topics into engaging visual narratives or comics for consumption by research participants and the public. Additionally, the use of graphic …

A Survival Horror Video Game's Impact On Visual Attention, Alicia D. Sprague

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The current study’s main research question was whether playing a survival horror video game increases the visual selective attention of a player. This project examined how visual attention and anxiety levels differ after playing a survival horror video game and whether an individual’s gaming preferences affect these concepts. The research consisted of the preliminary evaluation of participants’ visual attention abilities and anxiety levels through psychological tasks. Participants then played Resident Evil 4: Chainsaw Demo, the selected survival horror video game for this study. After playing the demo, participants repeated the previous psychological tasks, and their results were assessed. Results …

Respiratory Cycle Influence On Lumbosacral Muscle Function: A Tensiomyographic Analysis, Anthony Trombetta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction:

Tensiomyography (TMG) has significant potential in examining muscle functionality while evading the limitations found in other methods muscle analysis. Specifically, the erector spinae and other lumbosacral muscles can be analyzed with little challenge. Such analyses include data on muscle displacement (Dm), delay time (Td), contraction time (Tc), half-relaxation time (Tr), and sustain time (Ts). Of these parameters, the most evaluated and with the highest level of reliability are Dm, Td, and Tc. However, stiffness of the lumbar spine and lumbosacral muscles fluctuates throughout the respiratory cycle. These fluctuations may pose an issue when examining the functionality of muscles. This …

Parisians' Perceptions Of The 2024 Olympics: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Local Attitudes Towards Housing Epidemics Using Social Exchange Theory, Place Attachment, And Media Framing Theory, Tyler Borges

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Paris 2024 Olympics introduced significant socio-economic transformations to the city, particularly in the areas of housing policy, urban development, and community displacement. This study examines Paris residents' perceptions of these changes using a mixed-methods approach that integrates sentiment analysis and media framing analysis. The research is guided by Social Exchange Theory (SET), Place Attachment Theory, and Media Framing Theory to understand the relationship between public sentiment, urban transformation, and media narratives. Findings indicate that the perceived effects of the Paris 2024 Olympics on its host city were overwhelmingly negative, with consistent concerns centered on housing insecurity, displacement, and a …

The Association Between Parental Bipolar Symptoms And Offspring Identity Formation: The Role Of Parental Attachment And Emotion Regulation, Alexa D. Loonam

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Identity development involves integrating various aspects of oneself into a unified self-concept; however, maladaptive identity formation can lead to negative mental health outcomes (Berman & Weems, 2016). Growing up with a caregiver exhibiting unpredictable behaviors may hinder this process, leaving children vulnerable during this critical stage (Schwartz & Petrova, 2018). The current study evaluated how bipolar symptoms among parents may impact one’s identity. College students (N = 399) completed an anonymous online survey battery for course credit. Results revealed that parental bipolar symptoms were positively correlated with ruminative identity exploration, identity distress, disturbed (unstable) identity, and lack of identity, …

Impact Of Tgf-Β And Twist1 On Motility And Proliferation In Estradiol-Treated Mcf-7 Tamr Cells In-Vitro, Thomas L. Scott Iii

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Breast cancer is a highly malignant cancer and is known to be grouped into three main types: adenocarcinoma, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma. Breast cancer commonly arises as adenocarcinoma, located in the milk ducts, and becomes IDC when it spreads into the surrounding tissue from the influence of cytokines and hormones. This study outlines the rate of proliferation and motility of a type of adenocarcinoma, MCF-7-TamR, to become invasive ductal carcinoma when Twist1 is downregulated and exposed to TGF- and estradiol (E2) in-vitro. We hypothesize that the downregulation of Twist1 will reduce cell adhesion and cytoskeleton proteins …

The Aerodynamics Of Bird Perching: Understanding Wing And Body Interactions In Pigeon Flight, Anirudh Sriram

Honors Undergraduate Theses

During landing, birds often execute a perching maneuver. The perching maneuver refers to the complex series of actions that birds, and pigeons in particular, will perform when landing. They will typically decelerate by pitching their body to a high angle of attack and spreading their wings. It is believed to help achieve better control and reach optimal lift and drag coefficients. This study seeks to better understand the vortex interactions between the main and tail wings during this maneuver. However, it is still an unexplored phenomenon. Thus, two bird models were conceived to analyze it, one with and one without …

Tools And Trends: An Analysis Of Maya Dental Modification, Channing M. Cook

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The ancient Maya practiced dental modification, intentionally filing, incising, and inlaying stones into the front teeth, potentially to display identity and status. The literature surrounding Maya dental modification tends to overlook mechanical aspects of the process, and many studies approach dental modification through limiting or destructive means. Optical microscopy presents an adaptable, cost-effective option for closer inquiry. Preliminary research suggests the process of dental modification leaves distinct patterns of tool use, depending on style, that can be identified through optical microscopy. The sample selected includes 25 incisors and canines from 14 Classic period Maya individuals from Altun Ha, representing 12 …

The Inverse Scattering Transform For The Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation, Ivan Casas-Rocha

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) Equation, iψ_t + 1/2 ψ_xx ± |ψ|²ψ = 0, is a nonlinear partial differential equation which is used to model several physical phenomena including nonlinear effects inside optical fibers and the formation of rogue waves in shallow water. It is particu- larly difficult to study solutions to this equation due to the nonlinearity, and the nonlinearity leads to incredibly interesting solutions not found in linear PDEs such as solitons. In this thesis, we highlight two methods of obtaining solutions to the (NLS) equation: the Inverse Scattering Transform and the Dressing Method. Furthermore, …

Digital Recess, Screen Time Split: The Impact Of Online Schooling On Recreational Screen Time And Their Dual Impact On Anxiety, Meagan Allender

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the influence of online schooling, anxiety, and recreational screen time in college aged students. Previous studies have shown a positive correlation between screen usage and anxiety scores, assessing either online school or total screen time on anxiety. However, no study had looked at the correlation between online schooling and recreational screen time, nor had any study assessed both their effects on anxiety at the same time. Using a sample of 71 participants, a bivariate regression was conducted to evaluate the correlation of each type of screen time with one another, then another regression was run to assess …

Lost Innocence, Mateo Valdivieso

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Human trafficking is defined as involving “force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security). It disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, particularly children within the U.S. welfare system. This research aims to analyze the characteristics of this system that produce vulnerabilities in welfare children that heighten their risk of being trafficked. The study focuses on socio-economic, psychological, and environmental vulnerabilities, examining how these factors, combined with increased internet accessibility, exacerbate the risks of trafficking. Using a qualitative approach, the research uses secondary data from peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports, and reputable …

Heritage And Archaeological Knowledge Dissemination Strategies: A Kurd Qaburstan Case Study, Myli R. Sangria

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis addresses the long-standing absence of community archaeology initiatives in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq by designing and implementing a pilot public archaeology program at the site of Kurd Qaburstan, a large Middle Bronze Age city (ca. 1800 BCE) located on the Erbil Plain. In summer 2024, the author implemented a community archaeology activity designed as a first step toward sustained engagement with the village that partially overlaps the site. The program—a hands-on lesson in archaeological stratigraphy for K–5 students, followed by a guided site visit—was intentionally simple, affordable, and easy to carry out alongside ongoing fieldwork. The activity …