Digital Commons Network^™

The Specter Of Jury Nullification, Anna Offit

Faculty Publications

Attention to the trial of Luigi Mangione has renewed debate about nullification—the jury’s inviolate power to acquit a defendant contrary to the evidence presented. Jury nullification proponents hold that it is a mechanism of last resort for refusing to apply laws that conflict with the public conscience. Opponents, by contrast, argue that nullification undermines the law by diminishing its legitimacy. To prosecutors and defense attorneys, however, these arguments are immaterial: Jury nullification is part of the institutional landscape of the contemporary jury trial and thus must be treated as a potentiality—a feature of the agnostic, strategic, and ethical terrain of …

Plant Practices And Community At The Heart Of Hopewell: Paleoethnobotany At The Overly Site And Beyond, Abigail Deewaard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Paleoethnobotanical analyses of Ohio Hopewell habitation sites in past decades have shed light on the subsistence practices, settlement patterns, and environmental management of Indigenous peoples engaged in what archaeologists describe as the Hopewell phenomenon. However, comparatively less attention has been paid to the social dimensions of plant use, particularly at habitation sites in the Scioto Hopewell region. Hopewell is an archaeological term that refers to the Middle Woodland (ca. 100 BCE–400 CE) network of interregional relationships across eastern North America characterized by long-distance exchange, monumental earthwork construction, and ceremonial practices including the honoring of ancestors. This thesis applies a social …

Nutritional Niche Separation Amongst Sympatric Threatened Lemurs: The Role Of Micronutrients In Food Selection And Implications For Physiological Health, Maire K. O'Malley

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Madagascar’s biodiversity is heavily affected by anthropogenic change and consequently, conservation management plans need to reflect current research to protect biodiversity. Primate nutritional ecology offers valuable insights into ecology, evolution, health, habitat requirements, social behavior, and conservation management strategies. Macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and protein) provide consumers with energy whereas micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are essential to metabolic processes but are frequently overlooked. This study provides a novel examination of dietary niche separation by comparing mineral consumption between three sympatric species differing in feeding strategies: 1) Grey Bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus), a bamboo specialist, 2) Diadema sifaka (Propithecus diadema), a folivore, …

Shadow Of The Rising Sun: How Japanese Culture Was Transferred To The United States Via Foreign Policy, Alex Pearson

Masters Theses

Post-World War II U.S. economic foreign policy towards Japan aimed to revitalize the war-torn country’s economy and spread democracy to the East. The economic foreign policy enacted by the United States to revitalize the Japanese economy resulted in an increase and “normalization” of Japanese culture in America. This thesis explores the connection of post-war American foreign policy to the increase of American exposure to Japanese culture that sparked normalization. By focusing on the efforts of U.S. policymakers and the positive media coverage of Japanese culture in the United States, a clear correlation between economic foreign policy and the normalization of …

Assessing Global Citizenship Pathways In A Communication, Advocacy, And Global Citizenship Classroom In The Midwest, Satveer Kaur-Gill

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

To assess instruction in an undergraduate communication course titled Communication, Advocacy, and Global Citizenship, this qualitative inquiry examined how undergraduate students at a Midwest university engaged with global citizenship as a communicative process by conducting a content analysis of student assignments, guided by three key research questions formulated from four course objectives. The assessment found that place-based learning on global issues enhanced students' understanding of the meaning of global citizenship in a globalized world. Based on a qualitative evaluation of their key assignments, students successfully articulated threads and connections between local community concerns and issues as globally situated communicative phenomena. …

Neutralization Mechanisms In Protest-Related Vandalism: Implications For Psycholinguistic Crisis Communication, M. Agung Lyndardi

Jurnal Kriminologi Indonesia

Protest-related vandalism has become a recurring phenomenon in Indonesia’s democratic landscape, particularly during large-scale demonstrations involving students, labor groups, and civil society coalitions. Conventional legal approaches that define vandalism as a public-order violation are insufficient to explain why such actions persist, why they concentrate on symbolic state targets, and why participants frequently deny moral wrongdoing. This article analyzes protest-related vandalism in Indonesia through the framework of neutralization theory (Sykes & Matza, 1957), integrating perspectives from criminology, moral disengagement theory, collective action, political legitimacy, and public psycholinguistics. Using a structured literature review of international and Indonesian scholarship published between 1957 and …

Surgical Interventions For Treating Vesicovaginal Fistula In Women, Yoshiyuki Okada, Tomomi Matsushita, Takeshi Hasegawa, Hisashi Noma, Erika Ota, Bob Achila, Yasukuni Yoshimura

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objectives This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:

To assess the benefits and harms of surgical interventions for treating vesicovaginal fistula in women.

The Backside Of The Pond, Wendy Murphy

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The Backside of the Pond is a collection of personal essays that braid lived experiences with academic inquiry, exploring a variety of themes and the transformative power of reflective writing. Anchored in the geography of Occom Pond, on the northside of the Dartmouth College campus, the collection uses this familiar landscape as both refuge and metaphor.

The thesis also examines the ethics and craft of writing creative nonfiction, considering the tensions between emotional truth and the fallibility of memory. The essays trace moments of clarity, frustration, humor, grief, and renewal. Together, they offer an inquiry into how humans create meaning: …

An Ethnographic Study Of First-Generation Alumni At Dartmouth College: Perspectives From Alumni, Faculty, Staff, And Administrators, Brittney A. Roden

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

First- generation college students (FGCS) often face challenges adapting to the academic and social environments of elite institutions like Dartmouth College. Lacking familial experience in higher education, they must decode unspoken institutional norms, contributing to stress, social isolation, and barriers to accessing institutional support. This study examines how FGCS experience academic pressure, social belonging, and engagement with campus systems, and how these shape their personal and professional trajectories. Drawing on participant-generated audio diary journals with alumni, qualitative interviews with faculty and staff, and a review of existing literature, this research highlights the interplay of academic stress, coping strategies, cultural capital, …

Photogrammetry: Accuracy And Precision Analysis Of Color And Rim Diameter Utilizing Various Cameras, Christina Threlkeld

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The goal of this paper is to test whether photogrammetry is a viable/affordable way to generate 3-D data sets suitable for research applications. Utilizing a sample of 10 ceramic rim sherds randomly selected out of 40 viable rim samples from the Rio Verde assemblage, I will generate 3-D models for 3 different technologies. From there I will test measurements by calculating rim diameters and consistency of color through Munsell readings The data collected will help determine what type of data can be extracted from 3-D renderings. In order to ensure accuracy, rim sherd diameter and Munsell data will be directly …

Constrained Freedom: Economic Strain, Time Control, And Perceived Autonomy In Life, Lorena E. Black

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Autonomy is often framed as an individual capacity rooted in personal choice, discipline, and self-determination, with dominant cultural narratives positioning freedom as something earned through effort and responsibility. This study challenges that assumption by examining autonomy as a socially structured and unequally distributed condition shaped by material and temporal constraints. Drawing on classical and contemporary sociological frameworks—including Marx’s analysis of labor and material dependence, Weber’s account of disciplined rationality, and Antonio Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony—this research positions perceived autonomy as an outcome produced through economic and institutional arrangements rather than solely through individual will. While existing literature has extensively …

Tracing Evolution Through Teeth: Dental Morphology Of The Lagoa Santa Fossil Population, Kelsey Aaron

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This study examines dental morphological variation among early South American populations, focusing on individuals from the Lagoa Santa region and coastal shellmound (sambaqui) populations in Brazil. Dental nonmetric traits were recorded using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS), a standardized method for assessing crown and root morphology across populations (Qaqa et al., 2026). These traits are highly heritable and largely unaffected by environmental pressures, making them valuable for reconstructing population history, gene flow, and ancestry (Tinoco et al., 2016). Comparative analysis incorporates global dental variation and reference patterns associated with archaic hominins, including Neanderthals. Traits such as increased …

Winning Entry For 2026, Kiera Tallas

Library Research Prize

No abstract provided.

Open Wide: Examining Dental Narratives In The Age Of Tiktok, Steve Jacob

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

Over the past few years, TikTok has emerged as a major conduit for health-related information through its wide array of short, emotionally charged videos that shape public perceptions. Within that broader category, this thesis evaluated dental-related content. Studies have investigated educational dental-related content on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook; however, no literature has explored how TikTok’s unique, narrative-driven content characterizes dentistry. For this study, primary research was conducted via content analysis of recently uploaded dental-related TikTok videos across 10 popular oral health-based hashtags. Results underline the dominance of patient voices, the use of personal experience as a messaging format, …

Aadej Comm 12 1 2026

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official publication of the American Association of Dental Editors & Journalists (AADEJ), promoting awareness of the association’s activities and offering valuable insights for dental editors and journalists to enhance their publications. It is published quarterly, distributed digitally via email to members, and posted on the Association’s website at aadej.org, with archives on ADA Commons. Regular contributions from the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Director, President, and Associate Editor cover various topics.

This issue provides practical strategies for journal growth, such as building sustainable author pipelines and using digital analytics to increase content reach. Features include articles addressing ethical, …

Spirits Of Seva As A Dental Editor And A Journalist: My New Year Reflections, Cathy Hung Dds

AADEJ - The Communicator

This editorial examines the Hindu concept of Seva, or selfless service, through the author's visit to the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple. The author compares the 12,000 volunteers who built the remarkable structure to the teamwork involved in dental journalism. Just as the temple's detailed carvings required dedication, dental editing requires careful attention to punctuation, formatting, and content. The work of editors is portrayed as a collaborative effort that extends beyond monetary reward, ultimately producing a "masterpiece" that benefits the broader dental community.

A Neurophenomenological Perspective On The Self And Spirituality: The Role Of The Affective Core Self, Michael J. Winkleman, Andrew B. Newberg

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

The self is central to spirituality because the self is necessary for consciousness, and spiritual relations are fundamentally about the self. Diverse research illustrates the role of the downregulation of the right parietal lobe (rPL) in the spontaneous manifestation of spiritual experiences and during meditative practices. The functions of the rPL are central to the self, especially the embodied self. Disturbances of the rPL and embodied self-functions are associated with spiritual experience, exemplified in their association with “selflessness.” Many forms of self appear incompatible with spiritual and mystical experiences. An exception is the affective core self, the most ancient form …

Seeking Sofrito: Food Loss And Reconnection In The Puerto Rican Diaspora, Lisa Montalvo

IdeaFest 2026

This is an autoethnography about the impact of diaspora on cultural identity using foodways as a method of determination. I used embodied cooking, informal interviews and digital ethnography to survey the availability of puerto rican food sources in Northern California and explored methods of reconnecting to my Puerto Rican community and identity in the absence of those resources.

The Politicization Of Performance: How Rome Turned Ancient Greek Ritualistic Entertainment Into Political Propaganda, Ava Henderson

IdeaFest 2026

In this poster the topic of how Ancient Greek ritualistic theater was changed to fit the bloody and politically inclined ideals of Ancient Rome was discussed. It explores different theoretical frameworks such as the Ritual Theory, the Spectacle and Power Theory, and the Performance Theory. It also uses many different methodologies including comparative archaeological analysis, textual analysis, and socio-political contextualization. Using these different methods the poster is able to explore how Rome used both their spectacles and their architecture to promote their idealization of war while Greece used their performances and architecture to honor their Gods, specifically Dionysus who was …

Pestilent Air, Contagious Evil: Infectious Disease In Early Modern Poland, Danielle Marie Airola

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The individuals buried in the cemetery of Czysty Square and the population of the vanished village of Gać lived and died during the early modern period in what is now modern-day Poland. Epidemics broke out repeatedly during this time, and the skeletal remains of several individuals buried in Czysty Square’s cemetery display pathological changes suggestive of infectious disease. These non-specific morphological changes created a need for DNA testing to search for pathogens associated with these lesions. In contrast, Gać’s population declined over time until the village’s abandonment. This has led to a hypothesis of an epidemic having contributed to the …

Characterizing Regional Human Necromicrobiome Communities In A Semi-Arid Desert To Inform Postmortem Interval (Pmi) Estimation, Georgia Rane Swelstad

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Accurate estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) remains challenging in forensic anthropology, particularly in arid and high-elevation environments where decomposition processes and insect activity are highly variable. Postmortem microbial succession has emerged as a promising alternative framework for PMI estimation. However, the effects of climate and elevation on microbial decomposition dynamics remain insufficiently characterized.

This study examines skin-associated microbial succession in human remains decomposing at the Forensic Investigation Research Station (FIRS) in western Colorado, a semi-arid, high-elevation environment. Microbial samples collected from five anatomical sites during the early postmortem interval are analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, and …

Illusions Of Fairness And Sacrifice, Brady Schwertfeger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The American West is a shifting landscape. An incongruous expanse of isolation and urbanity, wilderness and extraction, wealth and welfare, clear water and fire. Fifteen years ago, I moved to my mother’s ancestral homeland of Montana, and have been here ever since. Before that, I was born and raised in Texas, both the West and the South (and often something else entirely), depending on who you ask. My experiences in this region have shaped me indelibly, and have inspired this collection of essays built around culture, politics, and justice in the West. “Pinedale, Wyoming” considers the musician as itinerant wanderer …

Racism And Health In America: How Segregationist Policies Guided Tuberculosis Treatment In Virginia, Regina E. Mcrae

UROP Posters

Racial inequality has shaped many aspects of American life, with health care among the most devastatingly affected. Structural racism has long driven disparities in housing, education, employment, the justice system, and, most critically, health care. Environmental racism, food deserts, inadequate medical access, and racial stressors have contributed to worse health outcomes, as seen during COVID-19. Chronic conditions like hypertension, asthma, and heart disease disproportionately affect Black communities, increasing morbidity and mortality.

In the early 20th century, these inequities were even starker as tuberculosis ravaged the Black population. While public health measures were implemented, it took decades before sanatoriums were built …

East To West: Cultural Attitudes And The Perceptions Of Death, Hannah F. Ahmed

UROP Posters

Death is a universal human experience, but cultures teach people to interpret it in different ways. These interpretations influence how individuals understand dying, how they cope with loss, what support looks like, and what meaning death makes in their lives. Eastern, spiritual, and religious traditions emphasize death as a natural transition or return to divinity rather than an endpoint, and as something one must prepare for. In these contexts, people often grow up hearing stories, prayers, and teachings that situate death within a broader journey. Because of this, death becomes something familiar and speakable rather than distant or frightening (Naderi-Afif …

Taking Stock Of Comparative Law Teaching In U.S. Legal Education, Francesca Bignami, Irene Calboli

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

For over 25 years, U.S. law schools have sought to globalize their curricula, reflecting the increasing interconnectedness and international scope of legal practice. Although there have been efforts to take stock of the impact of globalization on law schools, the vast majority have focused on international law, not comparative law. This U.S. National Report, written for the International Academy of Comparative Law’s 2026 Congress, fills the knowledge gap. In summer and fall 2024, we conducted a survey that examined course offerings, requirements, and opportunities for JD students. The survey was supplemented by interviews and a literature review of law schools …

Taking Legal Pluralism Seriously: Federalism, Diversity Jurisdiction, And The Erie Doctrine, Paul S. Berman, Emma Bjeldanes

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The U.S. Supreme Court’s watershed decision in Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins is sometimes read to require federal judges hearing claims based on federal diversity jurisdiction to apply state law, essentially as if the case were being decided in a state court. The doctrine therefore appears to create a categorical rule disempowering federal courts from ever departing from state law, despite the Constitution’s grant of federal jurisdiction. However, as the Court’s 2026 Erie case, Berk v. Choy, makes clear, sometimes the Erie analysis is used to empower federal courts to override clear state policy choices embodied in state law simply …

Childlessness And Health In Middle Age And Older Adulthood: Evidence From Singapore, Christine Ho, Dahye Kim, Rohan Ray, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan

Research Collection School Of Economics

Health and well-being in mature adulthood are important concerns given the prevalence of individuals aging without children. We exploit two new instruments for childlessness— infertility and the number of childless siblings—and condition our analyses on a rich set of covariates including childhood health and financial status, to investigate the causal relationship between childlessness and health in middle age and older adulthood. Using a nationwide dataset of 1,500 Singaporeans aged 50 and above, we show that OLS underestimates the negativeeffects of childlessness on health. We find that childlessness leads to higher likelihood of poorer self-reported health and mental distress. The results …

Trauma, Memory, And Familial Dynamics In Octavia Butler’S Kindred, Itzel Campos

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The Art Of The Steal: Remedying The Looting Of Cultural Property Under International Law, Madeleine L. Sharp

Minnesota Journal of International Law, Vols. 28:2 onward (2019-present)

The practice of looting has existed almost as long as art itself. Although international law has bolstered its protections for art and cultural property in the context of armed conflict, significant enforcement issues remain.

The current framework for prosecuting the crime of looting does not adequately deter the practice, especially in instances that are unrelated to periods of armed conflict. Although pillage is treated as a war crime, all cases of looting—not just those that occur during war— should be viewed as a serious crime that threatens all nations. This Article proposes that universal jurisdiction be extended to the act …

Reproducing Audiovisual And Representational Dissonance: Translating Foreign Telenovela Into Twinovela, Nancy A. Frimpong

Iowa Journal of Communication

This article examines the production processes and cultural implications of adapting foreign telenovelas into "Twinovela"— serialized foreign dramas dubbed into Akan—on Ghanaian television. Focusing on Adom TV and United Television (UTV), the study explores how dubbing practices challenge traditional notions of indigenous media by merging global and local cultural narratives. Using ethnographic research methods, including interviews, participant observation, and institutional discourses, the analysis delves into recruitment strategies, translational practices, and the creative process of dubbing. The study highlights the sociocultural dynamics of Akan language use, the role of linguistic norms, and the integration of Ghanaian cultural motifs to ensure audience …