Digital Commons Network^™

Amplifying Voices In The Midst Of A Substance Use Crisis: Storyvisual Approach, John E. Stewart, Victoria Wagner-Greene

The RAISE Center Journal

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented substance use crisis. Strategies are needed to engage, inform and empower young adults and others affected either directly or indirectly by substance use. Based on visual information processing and storytelling theories, the StoryVisual approach is a visual communication method that combines powerful web-sourced graphics with minimal text to relate valuable information, experiences, perspectives, and opportunities in story form. To date, more than 240 students in substance use education classes at a public university in Texas have created and shared StoryVisual products, addressing such drug-related topics as vaping, fentanyl, heroin, LSD, marijuana, and substance …

College Students’ Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Risks And Benefits In Pakistan, Rauf Arif, Muhammad Ittefaq, Lamia Zia

Human-Machine Communication

With the rapid advancements in technology over the past 2 decades, it has become crucial to understand people’s attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and its associated risks. Given the increasing access to the AI technologies, it is imperative to examine how young people in non-Western societies like Pakistan perceive AI risks and benefits. We conducted an online survey of college students who had used AI technology in the past 6 months. The results of our study indicate that the majority of college students view AI technology positively and perceive it as an opportunity to enhance workplace productivity. In addition, …

Redesigning Responsibility: Closing The Knowledge Gap In Sustainable Design, Kaitlyn Faith Funk

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the gap between awareness and application of sustainable practices in the graphic design industry. While sustainability has become a widely discussed topic, designers often lack accessible, practical tools to integrate it into their work. Through a combination of research, case studies, and design thinking methodologies, this project develops a comprehensive educational toolkit and accompanying campaign, ReDesigning Responsibility, that equips designers, educators, and students to make informed, environmentally responsible choices in both print and digital media. The deliverables include a printed reference guide, an interactive microsite, and a branded campaign, all aimed at fostering sustainability as a core …

College Students' Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Risks And Benefits In Pakistan, Rauf Arif, Muhammad Ittefaq, Lamia Zia

Faculty Scholarship

With the rapid advancements in technology over the past 2 decades, it has become crucial to understand people’s attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and its associated risks. Given the increasing access to the AI technologies, it is imperative to examine how young people in non-Western societies like Pakistan perceive AI risks and benefits. We conducted an online survey of college students who had used AI technology in the past 6 months. The results of our study indicate that the majority of college students view AI technology positively and perceive it as an opportunity to enhance workplace productivity. In addition, …

The Shorthorn: April 18, 1979

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 28, 1978

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

Newhouse Impact Magazine 2025, Newhouse School

Newhouse Impact Magazine

Showcasing the research and creative work of faculty, staff and students at the Newhouse School

The Shorthorn: October 5, 1976

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 9, 1976

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: November 19, 1975

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: February 6, 1974

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

Developing A Program Theory To Guide Program Evaluation, Amanda D. Ali

Journal of Extension

A program theory specifies how a program is intended to work. It is different from a logic model and bears importance in program evaluation by considering a program’s processes. This article shares an application for developing a program theory, a worksheet that assists with this process, and a graphical illustration that visually communicates program flow.

Emojis As Text Technology: Between Visual Paradigm And Cultural Revolution, Hanan Hafiz

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Emojis, as a broader communication phenomenon, have gained widespread usage, significant adaptation, and considerable academic attention due to their role in providing semiotic cues and online gestures within computer-mediated communication. This study aims to trace their development and evolution using the text technologies framework. This approach examines the systematic use of emojis, with particular emphasis on their extensive evolution by historically contextualizing their usage, trends, and cultural interactions. Anchored in this conceptual approach, the study draws on the taxonomy of text technology developed by Treharne and Willan, analyzing the evolution of emojis through four key dimensions: intentionality, materiality, functionality, and …

Health Tourism Facility Use Of Digital Marketing And Ai, David Vequist Iv

Visions in Leisure and Business

The proliferation of social media platforms has fundamentally reshaped patient acquisition strategies in health and wellness tourism, creating unprecedented opportunities for providers to engage with international patients across diverse digital channels. From boutique clinics in Mexico offering specialized dental, cosmetic, and bariatric procedures, to destination medspas providing aesthetic treatments, and even comprehensive global hospitals like the Mayo Clinic, healthcare providers are leveraging multi-platform social media strategies to attract and inform potential medical travelers. Research indicates that these digital marketing approaches now encompass a sophisticated array of content formats, including short-form video on TikTok, professional imagery on Instagram, long-form educational content …

Project Esperanza: A Pilot Study On Isolation, Belonging, And Hope For First-Generation Latinx College Students, Marangelie Velez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study is a two-part manuscript dissertation that explores and assesses culturally grounded strategies to best support first-generation Latinx college students (FGLCS), who often face unique academic and psychosocial challenges. The first manuscript is a conceptual exploration of the intersecting constructs of social isolation, belonging, and hope, and their impact on the well-being and academic success of FGLCS. Thematic analysis revealed the importance of mentorship, culturally relevant content, and opportunities for reflection and community-building. These findings informed the development of a psychoeducational intervention, Project Esperanza. The second manuscript introduces the pilot study designed to reduce social isolation and enhance belonging …

Transparent Display Design For Vending Machines, Quincey Williams

Theses

This thesis explores the innovative application of transparent display technology in vending machines, addressing the limitations of traditional vending interfaces in consumer engagement. By integrating comic book and manga-inspired aesthetics with cyberpunk visual effects, the project transforms vending machines into dynamic, interactive canvases. These designs incorporate transparent overlays, comic panel UI layouts, and glitch-inspired animations to enhance user interaction and visibility of products. This thesis critically evaluates the design process, methodologies, and outcomes while highlighting research findings that inform the integration of emerging display technologies with bold visual storytelling. The final solution presents a seamless fusion of futuristic visual elements …

Explorerit: An Interactive Timeline Of The History Of Rit, Melson Miranda

Theses

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has a rich architectural and cultural history spanning over 57 years and the Henrietta Campus has more than 75 buildings, yet there is no central, engaging platform for exploring this heritage. This thesis, exploreRIT, addresses that gap by designing an interactive timeline that showcases the evolution of the campus through detailed building stories, architectural milestones, and contextual events. Using a Microsoft Surface Studio as a kiosk and a custom interface, the project integrates micro-interactions inspired by Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, visual storytelling, and clear information architecture to create a tactile, accessible experience. Through iterative prototyping, …

Nestview-Transforming House Hunting With Ar, Chia-An Lee

Theses

NestView is an augmented reality (AR) based smart glasses system which aims to facilitate the process of finding rental homes for people. Conventional rental websites bombard users with two-dimensional data and have no sense of place, which is why they're both time-consuming and mentally taxing. NestView gives the user real-time mobile listings displayed in AR right in their physical space, providing an immersive, contextually aware rental experience. Informed by a user-centered design methodology, this study examines what frustrations the renters experience, and in what ways AR applications can meet those frustrations. The system comes with proximity-driven filtering, voice interactions, an …

Citational Justice In Design Education: Teaching/Learning Relationality, Lisa Baumgarten

Nordes Conference Series

This paper explores how Citational Justice can transform design education, challenging the dominant narrative of the isolated creative genius in favour of design as inherently relational and collaborative. Through a case study of a design theory seminar with 16 bachelor students, the paper demonstrates how Citational Justice reshapes teaching practices by revealing networks of influence and knowledge in design work. Drawing on relationality and care perspectives from Escobar and Puig de la Bellacasa, the research implements power-critical pedagogies such as “brave spaces”, and collaborative feedback. Results show three key transformations in students’ understanding: a new attitude toward inspiration and influence, …

Lost In Generation: Illustrating Stable Diffusion Ai’S Colonial Bias In Representing South African Communication Design, Kyle Rath, Fatima Cassim, Adrie Haese

Nordes Conference Series

Generative AI (gAI) image models are increasingly being used as tools for conceptualisation and visualisation in design. These models are, however, not neutral owing to training datasets that prioritise Western aesthetics. Consequently, an emergent challenge is that AI-generated images tend to disregard nuanced representations. Li et al. (2024) echo this critique, acknowledging AI’s inability to comprehend cultural complexity, a critical issue in South Africa’s given its colonial and apartheid past. Accordingly, we use a relational design lens to critically examine how Stable Diffusion fails to engage with South Africa’s diverse cultural makeup; we present a qualitative content analysis of AI-generated …

Aestheticising Material Imperfections: Diverse Waste, Nikoline Sander, Linda Nhu Laursen

Nordes Conference Series

Using discarded materials from manufacturing is a design strategy to support a sustainable future by using already circulating resources. This study introduces the visions of pluralism to the design activity of designing an aesthetic unity with materials previously rejected for their imperfections. Drawing on the psychophysical, organisational, and meaningful properties, the research examines a best-case study involving the design of an indoor door made from wasted pinewood. Emphasising the design of joints and transitions internally in the door, the designers achieve aesthetic unity through the deliberate composition of pinewood pieces, characterised by soft, rounded transitions between them. Designing meetings between …

Design Facilitation Skills: Discrepancies Between Research Focus And Industry Needs In Us Job Postings, Wenqi Zheng, Mauricio Mejia, Catalina Cortes

Nordes Conference Series

In design, designers often act as facilitators, helping cross-functional teams capture, evaluate, and integrate diverse ideas to create improved products. While the broader application of facilitation has been extensively explored, the specific demand for design facilitation in the industry remains understudied. This study bridges the gap by exploring the call for design facilitation in the U.S. job market. Through a content analysis of job postings and a novel approach for tracking skill trends over time, we identify key design facilitation-related skill employers seek, uncovering four patterns. We also discuss implications for design education, proposing curriculum changes to better prepare students …

Deliberate Lives: A Reassessment Of Post-Wwii American Women’S Agency, Caroline Elizabeth Stewart

Masters Theses

World War II had an important impact on American women’s social and economic roles, helping them gain opportunities and skills which impacted them long after the war. While scholars have debated the exact extent and longevity of the changes, an examination of these women’s lives and the many roles they filled shows their quiet agency in making these post-war decisions. Social pressures and expectations certainly impacted their experiences, but examining their lives shows that many women also showed agency in multiple ways. More recent post-war narratives have acknowledged agency in more rebellious women but have increasingly focused on social expectations …

Red Room Redesign: Improving Operating Room Workflow For Urgent And Emergency Procedures, Hipolito Jamilan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Limited operating room (OR) availability is a significant challenge in many healthcare facilities. Overbooked or understaffed ORs can lead to delays in surgical procedures, which are particularly detrimental in urgent and emergency situations (Cholewa et al., 2024). The OR is among the costliest areas in a hospital; it is essential to improve efficiency in surgical throughput to deliver timely care for urgent and emergent cases, enhance patient outcomes, and manage healthcare costs effectively.

Context: The microsystem for this project is a Northern California OR that handles a high volume of surgical procedures. There is a dedicated red room for …

Dyadic And Multiparty Turn-Taking In Two Deaf Preschool Classrooms, Savannah Tellander

Theses

Conversational turn-taking skills are needed to succeed in most conversational interactions. Timing of turn-taking is crucial for young deaf signers, who need early, accessible, and consistent input in a signed and/or spoken language. For deaf children who acquire a language in either modality, they must acquire appropriate turn-taking skills. Without these abilities, children may miss critical language input, and in a cascading effect–they may miss opportunities both for input (and thus new knowledge) and expressive language. In addition to documenting deaf children’s turn-taking skills across development, it is important to also document timing data for further understanding of cognitive language …

“Her Hair Was Held A Marvel Unmatched”: The Significance Of Long, Blonde Hair In Tolkien’S Imagination, Sara Brown

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.

Film Review: Motherhood And Mathematics: Hegemonic Femininity And Deviance In Shakuntala Devi (2020), Bharat Dhiman

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Digital Biophilia In Web Interface Design For Accessibility And User Well-Being, Bryana Michelle Peifer

Theses

This interdisciplinary study explores the intersection between horticultural therapy and web design, focusing on the impact of biophilic design principles in shaping contemporary practices within digital interface design. This exploration addresses the multifaceted relationship between humanity and the natural world, particularly how this connection serves as a source for the emergence of nature-inspired elements in digital expressions and their subsequent integration into modern web design for accessibility and well-being. As digital environments increasingly dominate daily experiences, the need for digital wellness through nature integration has become critical, especially for individuals who have physical disabilities, limited mobility, or limited access to …

Are We Safe Yet? Experimental Analysis Of Emergency Post-Alert Messages, Hugh D. Walpole, Jeannette Sutton, Michele K. Olson

Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity Faculty Scholarship

Wireless Emergency Alerts can offer timely warnings and crucial guidance for people at risk from natural and technological hazards. However, at the time an alert is issued, it is rarely clear how long hazardous conditions will persist and when affected people can return to normal activities. This highlights the potential benefits of issuing post-alert messages to indicate that the hazard has passed; yet in practice, these post-alert messages are rarely used. When they are used, they frequently use operational language focused on the status of the associated alert (i.e. “the alert has expired” or has been “canceled”) rather than information …

Deaf Faculty Members’ Experiences In Higher Education Institutions, Stephanie Proctor Horvath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deaf faculty members bring diverse perspectives to higher education, yet their experiences remain underexplored in academic research. The critical first year of teaching can shape their career experiences, revealing both opportunities for growth and systemic barriers. The purpose of this study was to understand deaf faculty members’ experiences, focusing on their transition into academic roles, the accommodations provided in their workplaces, and the challenges they faced. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 15 Deaf faculty members, whose teaching experience ranges from 1 to 30 years. In the reflexive thematic analysis and AI-coding of this data, …