Digital Commons Network^™

Gesture And Trace, Luisa M. Heindl

Masters Theses

I approach type as both gesture and trace: something made and something read, impulse and afterimage, formed through action, reception, and reuse.

My work focuses on the smallest components of written narratives: the shapes that form and encase letters, and the typography that enhances the emotional and cultural resonance of text. I explore how type and language encode meaning through various lenses, whether through the ideological ‘freight’ of reviving or using historical styles, the emotional charge of certain forms, the possibilities of variable font technology, or the curated (and sometimes instrumentalized) narratives embedded in nostalgic-feeling visual trends.

Typographic expression embodies …

I Don't Want To Talk About It, Margaryta Winkler

Masters Theses

This thesis is a contradiction. It is an attempt to verbalize what words can’t capture. It asks what is lost, what is gained and what can only be said when nothing is said at all. It is a love letter to wordless visual narratives. Drawing on the work of animators and illustrators like Gints Zilbalodis, Don Herzfeldt, Shaun Tan and Sophie Burrows, as well as the author’s own explorations, it looks at the risks and rewards of wordless storytelling. It is about silence, but not absence. It is about images that refuse to be reduced to captions and stories that …

No One Thing, Kate Brown

Masters Theses

Graphic design has mobility. It is oriented toward action, travel, and distribution.

My projects put me in touch with people and ideas, language, and visual form. They’re broad, conversational, and curatorial in spirit. They allow me to cut a path through the discipline of graphic design, and to branch opportunistically out to others, when I can—to art, architecture, fashion, writing. I expand my field of operations. Make it as big as you are. Make it 1:1. Take the part and run with it. Fold it up, send it away.

The Fandomization Of Citizenship: A Multimodal Analysis Of Vico Sotto On Tiktok, Karen Lee V. Panela

Social Transformations Journal of the Global South

This article examines how political engagement in the Philippines is increasingly articulated through affective, participatory, and fan-like practices by analyzing supporter-generated TikTok videos of Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto. Situating the case within conditions of hybrid politics, where reformist governance intersects with platform-mediated visibility and celebrity aesthetics, the study advances the concept of “fandomization of citizenship” to describe how civic orientation is performed through admiration, narrativity, and affective alignment with political leadership. Using multimodal critical discourse analysis, the article shows how supporters foreground ordinariness, accessibility, and relational intimacy through visual, textual, and sonic cues, often backgrounding policy achievements in favor …

Emotional Intelligence In Higher Education: The Importance Of Recruiting Emotionally Intelligent Leaders, Baker H. Alfarajat

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This study investigates the presence and importance of emotional intelligence (EI) competencies in higher education leadership by analyzing executive job descriptions in higher education institutions. Using qualitative discourse analysis guided by Goleman et al.'s Emotional Intelligence model, the research investigates whether and how EI is framed as a leadership requirement. The researcher analyzed 20 job descriptions for executive higher education leaders that were selected from The Chronicle of Higher Education’s online job website. The analysis focused on identifying both explicit and implicit language related to EI competencies. Findings reveal that EI competencies primarily appeared as embedded elements within broader leadership …

Attitude About Campus Diversity In A Post Anti-Affirmative Action Era, Robert Shawn Chester

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Robert Shawn Chester ATTITUDES ABOUT CAMPUS DIVERSITY IN A POST ANTI-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ERA 2024-2025 Stephanie Lezotte, Ph.D. Master of Arts in Higher Education This thesis examines the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling that deemed race-based Affirmative Action policies unconstitutional, focusing on its impact on diversity in higher education. Since the 1960s, Affirmative Action has been a pivotal tool in promoting racial equity and diversity in American colleges and universities, yet legal challenges have led to its dismantling in several states and now nationwide. This research explores Rowan University staff perspectives on the challenges and strategies for maintaining …

Route 404, Sarina C. Hamilton

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

Through graphic design and printmaking, I create work that unifies and connects people through shared experiences. I have developed a fascination with the universal experience of death and how it connects us all. While each of us experiences it differently, we all share in it-eventually, we all die. This realization has inspired me to express this commonality in my work.

I wanted to challenge myself to create something more than just a brand or product; I aimed to convey a complex and layered idea-something greater than myself. I often reflect on the trivial aspects of my daily life, which leads …

More Than 9 Lives: Improving Shelter Cat Intake And Adoption Rates, Arthur S. Loomis

Masters Theses

Municipal animal shelters across the United States struggle to properly care for the cats housed in their facilities due to overpopulation. The sheer volume of cats entering shelters greatly outpaces the rate in which they are adopted out, resulting in an immense resource strain that too often results in the euthanasia of millions of shelter cats across the country each year. The enormous influx of cats is largely due to abandonment or considerable populations of feral, stray, or community cats living on the streets. In addition, shelter cat adoptions occur at a much slower pace, with many cats spending months, …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Art: The Intersection Of Ai-Generated Images And Ethical Concerns, Tetiana Fedotova

Electronic Dissertations and Theses, 2010-current

Artificial intelligence (AI) has gotten significant attention and debates, especially within the creative community, regarding AI-generated visual content. AI-generated images relate to the most popular concerns among artists and designers. This new approach of using AI leads to redefining the culture of creativity that shaped values and principles, which was built by a traditional perspective. However, the ongoing development of open-AI-powered generative tools is challenging society’s adoption of AI in creative realms. This paper explores and analyzes expert opinions and the public perspective of AI-generated algorithms, shedding light on fears and excitement surrounding their influences. Subsequently, ethical concerns, which are …

It Is Not Clear How Well Physical Activity Promotion Materials Are Understood: Findings From A Rapid Literature Review, Jafra D. Thomas, Jasmine C. Wong, Regina F. Hockert, Yi Sheng Wu, Winston Kennedy

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 6: Issue 1, Article 6, 2025. Efforts to promote physical activity and other health-related behaviors are more effective when resource materials are understood by a wide and diverse audience. Before our lab’s previous investigations (Thomas et al., 2024), only one study seemed to use the cloze procedure to directly test the comprehension (i.e., readability) of physical activity promotion material (Cardinal & Seidler, 1995). Thus, this rapid literature review sought to (a) determine the extent the cloze procedure has been used to study physical activity promotion material comprehension in lay adults and (b) collate …

Unconsciousness Is Erasure: A Case Study Of Dominant Frameworks And Their Effect On The Representation Of Alaska Native Women Artists In The University Of Alaska Museum Of The North Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery, Megan Koch

Communication

This case study examines dominant frameworks and their effect on the representation of Alaska Native women artists within the University of Alaska Museum of the North's (UAMN) Rose Berry Alaska Art (RBAA) Gallery. Focusing on the power dynamics inherent in museum exhibitions, this research investigates how dominant practices may silence marginalized voices by utilizing dominant group theory (DGT) and co-cultural theory (CCT). Through qualitative thematic analysis of the RBAA Gallery's descriptive statement and content analysis of 163 artwork records for pieces on exhibit from the Arctos database, this study addresses three research questions: RQ1: What communication approaches and interactional outcomes …

Optimizing Accessibility Training By Prioritizing Cognitive Needs Of Students With Disabilities, Lio Jones, Kari Goin, Megan Mcfarland

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Despite the significant enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education, research and practice rarely center the voices and leadership of these students, particularly in accessibility training efforts. This paper addresses this gap by presenting an autoethnographic study of a digital accessibility training initiative co-led by a student with multiple disabilities. Using a process that combines participatory research and first-person narrative, this study outlines the development and implementation of faculty training on accessibility that centers the experiences of a student with cognitive disabilities. We propose a new framework for understanding "dynamic disability," a concept that recognizes the complex and evolving …

Notetaking Reimagined: The Impact Of Combining Text And Visuals For Effective Learning, Sarah J. Mussetter

Art 895 Research Papers

This Mixed-Methods Narrative Case Study examines previous research on the effects of visual/ illustrative notes and their effect on knowledge coding, retention, and retrieval processes. It adds to current research in the form of a case study of a high school advanced photography course in Livingston, MT and the effect that adding visuals to notetaking practices affects student performance and memory throughout the semester. This study also proposes a method of introduction to visual notetaking that can be implemented in classrooms regardless of subject matter.

The Missing Link: Connecting Hearing Parents Of Deaf Children To Resources That Re-Center Language Access Decisions Around Their Deaf Child, Ella Stromberg

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Countless DHH children around the world experience language deprivation (National Association of the Deaf, n.d.). The deprivation of language severely impacts on a child’s comprehension and communication, limiting essential information for growth; in contrast, a hearing child would have advantageous access. Language deprivation occurs when parents cannot access or are unaware about resources to make educated decisions that center around their child (National Association of the Deaf, n.d.). This three-section project examines the experience of a Deaf individual born into a hearing family with no structural language access until his teenage years, highlighting the long-term impact of limited language exposure …

Effect Of Using Machine Learning To Improve Active Suspension Control For Vehicle Stability, David A. Butz

Masters Theses

This study demonstrates that it is possible to use road surface classification as a means of informing active suspension systems in order to limit their activity. An approach was taken to improve the response of an active suspension control system by classifying road surfaces in near real time. A control system model was developed to represent a full-body vehicle, and an AI was used to analyze road vibration noise. The model was adapted to allow the AI to select from multiple control signals based on the AI’s analysis of road vibration noise. The objective of the study was to demonstrate …

Enhancing Diabetes Management With Visual Tools: A Multimodal Approach For High-Risk Urban Populations, Mikyla R. Futz, Jesse Edwards, Md, Fhm

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Background & Objective

Patients from historically marginalized communities face disproportionate barriers to diabetes mellitus (DM) management due to limited health literacy, language discordance, and a lack of culturally responsive educational resources. These structural challenges contribute to poorer glycemic control, higher complication rates, and reduced adherence to recommended care. While visual communication tools have demonstrated efficacy in improving comprehension, self-efficacy, and disease outcomes in chronic illness, their integration into diabetes care remains limited and inconsistently implemented.

Visual interventions may be particularly impactful in populations with low health literacy or limited digital access, yet few have been embedded into routine outpatient workflows. …

From Silence To Clarity: Enhancing Surgical Icu Communication Through Personalized Whiteboards, Braeden R. Woods

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are at heightened risk of dehumanization due to sedation, mechanical ventilation, and prolonged hospitalization. This quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed to enhance patient-centered communication in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at a Northern California academic quaternary care hospital through the implementation of personalized communication whiteboards. Aim: To develop a personalized communication board that, once implemented, would achieve at least 75% utilization in patient rooms by May 2025. Methods: Guided by a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework, surveys were conducted with SICU patients, families, and staff to gather stakeholder input and inform …

Community Health Workers’ Lived Experience Of Using Videoconferencing With Community Members, Valdora Lejune Avery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community health workers in the United States faced significant challenges in conducting in-person community practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, which adversely affected their communication, training, and service delivery outcomes. Videoconferencing enabled workers to connect with underserved populations for individual and community crisis response. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of community health workers in the Rural Community Health Worker Network (RCHWN) regarding the use of videoconferencing among community members in practice and how members in RCHWN perceive the availability of videoconferencing devices to communicate in the community. Transcendental phenomenology provided the conceptual framework and research …

Trends, Challenges And Developments In Jewish Latin American Film, Mirna Vohnsen

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This article surveys the specialized field of Jewish Latin American film, detailing its foundational years, current challenges and potential future developments. Begin-ning with the field’s origins and early pioneering work, it tracks how scholars have addressed Jewish representation in Latin American cinema, underscoring milestones such as the emergence of interdisciplinary approaches and comparative studies. The article presents the challenges and opportunities that the field faces, including dif-ficulties in accessing films, the impact of global streaming platforms on academic research and assessment of the role of women in film. By highlighting future research directions, the discussion offers insight into how Jewish …

Developing A Dashboard To Facilitate Exploration Of Maude Studies, Eric Yang, Yuheng Shi, Yang Gong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The MAUDE database is increasingly used for research. However, the MAUDE publications are scattered in literature databases with fragmented topics, hindering researchers' exploration and identification. To address this issue and enhance the visibility of MAUDE topics in literature, we followed the Gestalt data visualization principles, utilizing the PubMed API and Google Looker Studio to extract, organize, and visualize literature pertinent to MAUDE. The 5-section dashboard exhibits publication trends, cross-filtered publications and authors, geographical distribution of authors and publishers, article scorecards, and donut graphs representing percentages concerning affiliations, journals, publication types, and MeSH terms. This effort created an intuitive, user-friendly dashboard …

The Shop Window As A Communication Platform: From Product Showcase To Experiential Narratives, Vittorio Linfante

Designing Retail and Services Futures SIG

Fashion has always been closely linked to communication, evolving from aesthetic styles to a language expressing social identities and values. This process has been amplified by digital tools, creating dynamic communicative networks across media. Contemporary fashion communication encompasses all stages of production and meaning-making, blending tangible and intangible elements. Shop windows, traditionally just product displays, have taken on a new role as spaces for experimentation that bridge the physical and digital. This article examines how shop windows have evolved from simple boundaries between store interiors and real life to active spaces for engaging the public, transforming them from passive observers …

Teachers’ Beliefs About Asl And Its Impact In The Classroom, Cecilia Echevarria

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explores American Sign Language (ASL) teachers’ beliefs and experiences, and how they influence their instructional approaches and goals for their students. Despite ASL’s growing presence in education as a world language, minimal research has examined ASL teachers’ perspectives and how they shape classroom practices. Through semi-structured interviews, six ASL teachers – three Deaf and three hearing – this research identified four major themes: challenges teachers face in the classroom, cultural takeaways, best teaching practices, and persistent systemic issues affecting ASL’s status in education. Findings suggest that regardless of hearing status, teachers prioritize cultural awareness and respectful engagement with …

Critical Editing Studies: A Textual-Intertextual Approach To Editing, Rhetoric, And Cultures Of Sensitivity, Amanda Keren-Happuch Yaa Emefa Anka

Masters Theses

This study explores how editing influences public discourse and perception by analyzing two major editing controversies, one involving the written word and the other, image. The method of analysis I employ is close textual-intertextual analysis in which I rely on the original source, that is, the written word and image in question, and supplement the analysis with secondary sources, such as media articles, scholarly works, and public reactions. The first case study focuses on the issue of bowdlerization as regards Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and the second artifact focuses on digital editing as it relates to …

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 …

Situated Truths: Models Of Interpretation In Designing With Data, Kevin Lahoda

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

Design work today is often found situated in multifaceted, interdisciplinary projects that attempt to address real world issues. Designers are useful in this pursuit as they act as agents who seek ways to use data to connect, synthesize, visualize, and interpret such issues in ways that are not as bound to disciplinary structures. As a counterpoint to the solution-centric, rationalist approach to design where the responsibility of the designer lies primarily in service to the development of well-rehearsed forms that manifest an implied underlying truth to data as given, this paper takes the position of recentering the experience and situatedness …

Exploring The Impact Of Big Data And Thick Data On Collaboration Between Design And Business Professionals : A New Approach To Data-Informed Design, Minhwa Lee, Younjoon Lee

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

This study investigated how data utilization impacts collaboration between design and business professionals, and whether it ultimately leads to positive outcomes. To achieve this, we defined ‘Data-informed Design’ as a concept for data-integrated collaboration and tested it through a workshop-based empirical study. Eight teams participated, each consisting of four members: two designers and two business professionals with comparable experience and data literacy. In total, there were 32 participants: 16 designers and 16 business professionals. Four teams participated in a Data-Informed Design Workshop, utilizing both Big Data and Thick Data, while the remaining four teams took part in a Non-Data Design …

Tangible Patterns In Material-Based Data Visualizations For The Quantified-Self, Yvette Shen, Deborah Scott

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

This paper explores the intersection of materiality and data visualization, focusing on how tangible representations balance data precision with emotional engagement. Using a Research through Design (RtD) methodology, the study examines self-tracked data through the Delicious Data experiment, where unconventional materials were used to create tactile, multisensory visualizations. By analyzing iterative experimentation, reflective journaling, and participatory gallery interactions, five critical attributes of material-driven data patterns emerge: multisensory engagement, spatial and temporal dimensions, symbolic and metaphorical qualities, constructive interactivity, and interpretative flexibility. These findings highlight how material properties influence data interpretation, evoke emotional connections, and foster personal reflection. Reframing patterns as …

Migration Narratives As Generative Data Visualization: Iranian Migration Stories, Mahshad Faridfar

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

The Iranian migration context, rich with cultural and socio-political layers, presents a compelling case for generative design, where algorithmic processes and sensory elements create immersive representations. This paper explores the generative design process in visual storytelling, focusing on Iranian migration narratives as a case study. Through projects such as Synesthesia, Typographic Narratives, and CommUnity, this research translates complex qualitative data into interactive, visual experiences. This approach highlights data’s role as experiential knowledge, fostering a deeper public understanding of the emotional and temporal aspects of migration. By embedding culturally specific themes into generative design, this work presents data as a medium …

Decoding Symbolic Influence On Youtube Engagement, Emotion Resonance And Trust In Information Campaigns, Diwash Poudel

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how symbolic images in YouTube videos influences viewers’ emotions, trust, and engagement with political content online. Approximately 2,000 videos were collected and analyzed, with a focus on both thumbnails and standout frames. The findings revealed that cultural symbols were particularly effective at capturing attention and evoking strong emotional reactions—especially anger and disgust. Notably, these same symbols also enhanced viewer trust, making audiences less susceptible to misinformation. Statistical tests confirmed that these effects were consistent and significant. To ensure the validity of these results, additional analyses were conducted to assess potential biases in YouTube’s recommendation algorithm, as well …

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 …