Digital Commons Network^™

Staging Technological Change: Media Ecology, Cultural Memory, And Fantasy Theme Analysis In The Tesla Cybertruck Unveiling, John Rodgers

Communication Theses

This thesis examines contemporary product launches as communicative events, arguing that they help shape how technological change is publicly interpreted and remembered. Drawing on media ecology and cultural memory, and using Fantasy Theme Analysis as the primary method, the study analyzes Tesla’s 2019 Cybertruck unveiling as a case of symbolic meaning-making at the moment of introduction and in its immediate circulation. The analysis identifies four dominant fantasy themes that organize the launch’s symbolic world and cohere into a rhetorical vision presenting Tesla as a disruptive actor introducing a resilient technology for an already arriving future. It then traces how that …

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Jr Duke, David T. Richardson

Tenor of Our Times

Faculty Spotlight

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Tenor of Our Times

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Beyond The Sidelines: A Qualitative Analysis Proposal Of How Female Athletes Reclaim Narratives Via Digital Ownership, Kaitlyn Kirschner

Posters - 2026

The Gatekeeping Model: Traditional sports media operates through a centralized gatekeeping system, in which editorial filtering determines the information disseminated to the public (Wilderness Agency, 2021). Narrative Control: Such centralization strongly shapes the portrayal of athletes’ identities and restricts the visibility of individuals outside mainstream sports. The 90/10 Coverage Gap: Despite the expansion of professional leagues, women’s sports continue to receive less than 10% of total media coverage (I Play Like a Girl, 2024). Standardized Reporting: Established broadcasting practices and commercial priorities have historically resulted in standardized reporting that favors male-dominated sports (Doyle et al., 2021). Systemic Inequity: These frameworks …

Under The Cover Of Blackness: The Racialized Dimensions Of Netflix’S Personalized Cover Art, Daphne Gershon

Communication Studies Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the mechanisms that shape how race is represented in online TV interfaces by analyzing Netflix’s personalized cover art, an essential digital paratext designed to attract viewers through individualized images. Netflix has previously been accused of using its personalized cover art or thumbnails in racially biased ways, displaying either Black or white characters based on the presumed race of users. To further existing research on this digital feature, this article focuses not just on whether Black characters are represented, but also on how they are represented. Through an exploratory pilot study that involves the creation of different algorithmic …

Bridging Cultures: Developing A Culturally Responsive Educational Website For Pediatric Service Providers, Aimun Aziz, Wendy Tremaine

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The increasing cultural diversity of the pediatric population in the United States highlights the need for culturally responsive, family-centered care. However, many providers report limited training and practical resources to support the integration of cultural humility into clinical practice. This capstone project aimed to develop and evaluate an evidence-based educational website to support pediatric service providers in delivering culturally responsive care.

A program development framework was used, incorporating family needs assessments, pre- and post-intervention surveys of pediatric therapy staff, and thematic analysis of key factors related to communication, trust, and provider preparedness. Community field visits with diverse populations informed the …

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Community College Presidential Job Announcements And The American Association Of Community Colleges Competencies For Community College Leaders, Leslie M. Boon

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Women are overrepresented as students and employees of community college, yet they are underrepresented in presidential leadership roles. Prior research has examined the career trajectories and experiences of women aspiring to community college presidencies; however, less research has examined how discourse shapes expectations of leadership. Because community colleges have been described as gendered, the language used to describe leadership competencies may reinforce gendered assumptions about effective leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine the discourse of community college presidential job announcements and the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Competencies for Community College Leaders (4th edition) to examine …

Cultural Memory And Colonial Legacies: The Pandemic Era In France, Kathryn (Kate) R. Cross

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In the twenty-first century, how are former colonial powers addressing colonial legacies? Amidst the massive social movements of the pandemic years and greater representations of a new generation of politicians in major elections, the global zeitgeist was increasingly characterized by representation of disenfranchised and previously silenced memories and narratives. These shifts, especially in France, are a sharp contrast to the unofficial historic policy of amnesia maintained regarding traumatic legacies and build on movements that began at the turn of the century. The environment has facilitated an increased ability for cultural products to create, shape, and sustain cultural memories of colonial …

Getting Across That Stage: Identifying And Addressing Barriers To Degree Completion For Undergraduates At A Selective Four-Year Institution, Karen G. Afre

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Selective institutions, like Dartmouth College, offer students extensive academic opportunities and institutional support. Despite large endowments and strong alumni networks that provide holistic support for students, selective institutions still experience student drop-out and extended time-to-degree. For Dartmouth undergraduate students who matriculated in Fall 2018, the six‑year graduation rate was 96%, while only 75% graduated within four years. This gap indicates that 25% of students took longer than four years to complete their degrees and 4% had not graduated within six years. 

This thesis examines barriers to college completion at selective institutions to inform retention efforts and institutional initiatives. I use …

Destruction, Possession, And Power: The Treaty Of Hartford As A Prototype For United States Indian Policy, Madyson Anne Buchalski

Theses and Dissertations

Amidst a growing interest in the field of Native American legal history, this article aims to bridge a gap in the scholarship between the colonial period and the United States’ nineteenth- and twentieth-century federal Indian Policy. By examining the terms presented in the lesser-known Treaty of Hartford, signed in 1638 following the Pequot War, it is demonstrated that many foundational legal precedents which reappeared in later centuries emerged much earlier than typically assumed. By highlighting this overlooked agreement and comparing it against later proceedings, this article takes a fresh approach to Native American legal history by drawing a throughline from …

“Why, Marcus, So She Is”: An Examination Of The Father/Daughter Relationship In Shakespeare’S ‘Titus Andronicus’, Anna Elizabeth Cunningham

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is concerned with the father/daughter relationship between Titus and Lavinia in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. Scholarship on this relationship is sparse, and chapter two discusses the context that it is typically understood within, namely the father/daughter chastity pattern—in which fathers jealously protect their acquiescent daughters’ chastity from violation, ending in the daughter’s death. It is asserted that Titus and Lavinia fall outside of this pattern. Chapter three examines Titus and Lavinia’s relationship before her assault, asserting that Titus assumes the role of Roman first and father second, which guides his treatment of all his children. Lavinia is connected to …

El Mal, Miedo, Y Caos Urbano: El Neogótico Latinoamericano En El Siglo Xxi Como Estrategia Para Analizar La Violencia Transpolítica En La Narrativa De Mario Mendoza, Andrés Felipe Arroyave

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how the core concern of Mario Mendoza’s work is the notion of evil and how the Latin American neogothic genre provides an apt framework for its exploration. His narrative exposes the eruption of evil, fear, and psychological terror in urban life, portraying a chaotic and desolate Bogotá. Mendoza’s novels conceive evil as an internal human condition that emerges in the minds of both protagonists and secondary characters, becoming a mirror of the city’s social reality. The study analyzes Satanás (2002), Diario del fin del mundo (2018), and Akelarre (2019) to show how these works articulate emotions such …

Eyes Wide Shut: Sex Trafficking In The Black Community, Stephany Powell

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Mitochondria Dynamics In Microglia During Health, Inflammation, And Aging, Alicia Nicole Pietramale

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Microglia continually surveil the brain, allowing for rapid detection of tissue damage or infection. Microglial metabolism is linked to tissue homeostasis, yet how mitochondria are subcellularly partitioned in microglia and dynamically reorganize during surveillance, injury responses, and phagocytic engulfment in the intact brain has remained unclear. In this dissertation, I combine intravital imaging, ultrastructural analyses, and metabolic and cytoskeletal markers to investigate how mitochondrial organization relates to microglial function across health, inflammation, and aging.

I first show that microglial processes diverge in their mitochondrial content, with some containing multiple mitochondria while others are completely void. This heterogeneous partitioning is conserved …

Leadership Challenges In Achieving Healthcare Interoperability: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Patient Experiences, Hoshiar J. Sher

Education Doctoral

Healthcare interoperability remains constrained not only by technical barriers but also by leadership, governance, and administrative fragmentation. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine how leadership-related barriers to interoperability were reflected in patients’ and caregivers’ experiences with administrative clarity, system integration complexity, trust in leadership, satisfaction, and switching behavior. Guided by transformational leadership theory, data were collected through an online survey of 435 U.S. adults who managed healthcare administrative tasks for themselves or family members. Descriptive, subgroup, and multivariable analyses were conducted to address five research questions. Respondents reported moderate coverage clarity and billing ease, elevated billing …

What It Means To Be Latino: Exploring Identity Among U.S.-Born Gen Z Youth, Santiago Reyes, Alessandra Noli Peschiera, Melany Sarcevic, Tatiana Garcia, Leen Tlanepantla

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This study explores how U.S.-born Hispanics and Latinos define their identity within a rapidly growing and increasingly diverse demographic group. As the Hispanic population expands, traditional labels such as Hispanic and Latino often fall short of capturing the community’s cultural, linguistic, and generational complexity. With most growth now coming from U.S.-born generations, identity is shaped by a blend of American influences and heritage traditions, making it more fluid and context-dependent. Guided by Social Identity Theory and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this research uses focus groups with Gen Z participants to examine how they describe themselves, what characteristics they associate with being …

American Studies Apr 2025 Self-Study Report & Documents, Unm Academic Program Review

UNM Academic Program Review

American Studies APR self-study report, review team report, response report, and initial action plan for AY2025, fulfilling requirements of the Higher Learning Commission.

Cas Honor Symposium Program, Spring 2026, College Of Arts & Sciences Honors Program

College of Arts & Sciences Honors in the Major Symposium

No abstract provided.

Reshaping Church Culture To Reflect The Imago Dei: A Genesis-Rooted Case Study Of Female Identity And Leadership In The Pacific Northwest, Cassandra Wilson

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Many Evangelical churches in the Pacific Northwest minister within a cultural environment marked by high individualism, religious disaffiliation, and contested narratives of gender and identity. This project explores how one Free Methodist congregation, Sage Hills Church in Wenatchee, Washington, has sought to embody a Genesis-anchored theological anthropology of imago Dei and ezer kenegdo in its leadership culture and congregational life. Using a qualitative case study design, the research examines how a single congregation navigates the tension between conservative church habits that restrict women’s roles and secular narratives that dissolve stable categories of gender. The study draws on an anonymous online …

Beyond The Nude: Reimagining Feminist Agency In The Art Of Suzanne Valadon, Sofia Harris

Theses

This thesis examines the work of Suzanne Valadon (1865–1938) through a feminist art historical lens, challenging long-standing interpretations of her female nudes as inherently resistant to the conventions of Western art. Structured as a three-part lecture series, the project situates Valadon within a visual tradition in which women have been overwhelmingly represented by men, arguing that her engagement with the nude remains embedded in the same systems of objectification it is often said to subvert. Lecture One establishes the historical framework by tracing enduring archetypes of femininity, demonstrating how representations of women have functioned as projections of gendered power. Lecture …

Assessing The Impact Of Alumni Relations: Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Understand Fsu Students Motivation To Engage, Eldaneka Rolle, Richard Waters Phd, Ciara A. Lewis

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This study aimed to understand Florida State University graduate and upper-division undergraduate students in the College of Communication and Information, attitudes and perception of connection through the specific behavior, engagement with alumni relations. If individuals perceive a connection, is there perceived behavioral control (PBC), does PBC influence their intent to remain connected through one of the four key components, experience, communication, volunteer and philanthropy. Five focus group discussions were conducted using semi-structured interviews. Through thematic analysis, eight common themes were developed, Major, Minor or Certification Interest, Program Experience, Faculty, Advisors and Staff, Event Participation, Communication Preference, Volunteer Opportunities, Small Contributions …

The War Poetry Map Project: Exploring The Physical And Emotional Geography Of Conflict, Colin D. Halloran

English Theses & Dissertations

There can be no question that war is shaped by and has shaped cultures, and yet as an object of study it is rarely looked at from a cultural studies perspective. It is the great epics of war that form the cornerstones of Western literary tradition. It is the impact of war that gave rise to fields like trauma and memory studies. It is the propaganda produced, the hijacking of cultural industries, that help perpetuate wars. The War Poetry Map Project and accompanying written dissertation seek to move beyond historical and political contexts and view war as a cultural object. …

Shadowrunning The Human: Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun Series And Transhumanism, Alexander P. Orelup

English Theses & Dissertations

I argue that Harebrained Schemes’ video game series Shadowrun critiques transhumanism in three distinct yet related ways: in terms of religion, political control, and identity capitalism. In doing so, Shadowrun attempts to counter claims that video games are an inherently transhumanist medium and provides an opportunity for players to resist a potential transhuman future. This further elucidates the trends and perceptions of transhumanism within American culture around the time period. I utilize a variety of methodologies in my argument, ranging from cultural studies, narratology, ludology, and close reading in order to grasp all of the audio-visual and gameplay elements that …

Back Yard Lingo: Language As Cultural Identity In American Circus, Aíne Norris

English Theses & Dissertations

This project is an exploration of the deeply insider language of American circus and identifies meaningful patterns and connections between language, identity, and community. Drawing upon the theoretical lenses of cultural studies and community of practice, the study offers a thorough examination of how circus people use insider language for business, performance, and community purposes that enhance belonging, share knowledge, gatekeep, and protect their group identity.

The research employs a mixed-methods, scaffolded design that integrates both qualitative and quantitative data approaches, examining the cultural importance of circus language as written and spoken by the insider community. The design begins with …

Computational Analysis Of Immigration Discourse And Political Polarization: Evidence From U.S. Political Podcasts During The 2024 Presidential Election, Reishiro Kawakami , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This study examines how immigration is discussed across the U.S. political podcast ecosystem during the 2024 presidential election cycle, with a focus on differences across the political spectrum. While prior research on immigration attitudes has relied heavily on survey data, this study shifts attention to naturally occurring political communication by analyzing large-scale podcast transcripts. Drawing on a novel dataset of over 48,500 episodes (approximately 40,000 hours of audio) from the top 100 political podcasts ranked on Election Day, this paper combines keyword search, topic modeling, and sentiment analysis to investigate both the thematic structure and emotional tone of immigration discourse. …

Framing Emirati Womanhood: Heritage, Modernity, And Soft Power In Tourism Discourse, Valerie Priscilla Goby

All Works

This paper examines how Emirati womanhood is framed within the tourism discourse of the United Arab Emirates, analysing how gendered representation operates as both a cultural and political instrument in nation branding. Drawing on framing theory and informed by feminist perspectives on tourism and media representation, this study explores the visual and textual portrayal of women on official online platforms, including Visit Dubai, Visit Abu Dhabi, Emirates Airlines, and the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth. These materials constitute a state-sanctioned narrative of national identity that integrates cultural heritage with modernity. Through qualitative framing analysis, four recurrent interpretive frames were …

The Impact Of Social Emotional Learning On Chicanx Students And Their Educators, Alesia Renee Camacho

Chicana and Chicano Studies ETDs

My research on the impact of social emotional learning on Chicanx students and their educators aims to analyze how the planned implementation of a carefully curated curriculum centering on the students’ culture and lived experiences makes for a better overall experience. For this study, I use the interpretive paradigm as it allows me to explain how education can serve as a tool to illuminate the injustices that students and their families face in their lives and, in turn, how these injustices are addressed in Ethnic Studies courses. Chicana/o/x Studies scholars have long advocated for utilizing students’ knowledge, experiences, perspectives, and …

Preliminaries & Editor's Introduction: In The Work Of Tension, Dinah Tapia Roma

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

No abstract provided.

Beyond A Protagonist Bias In Narrative Identity Research: Methods For Identifying Master Narratives In Interview Data, Andrew D. Coppens, Jayson Seaman, Cindy Hartman

Faculty Publications

This article advances a methodological shift in narrative identity research by addressing the field’s protagonist bias – the tendency to rely on first-person autobiographical accounts as the primary evidence for identifying cultural master narratives. We integrate Erikson’s psychosocial identity framework, Vygotsky’s “tool and result” methodological insight, and sociolinguistic approaches to narrative to develop a three-stage analytic logic: (1) identifying small-n narratives through scenes conveyed in discourse; (2) grouping these into Big-N narratives that cohere thematically across scenes (Tannen, 2007, 2008); and (3) assessing candidate master narratives using McLean and Syed’s (2016) five criteria. We demonstrate this approach through a case …

Transcending Shelves And Seashells With The Writing Of Gloria E. Anzaldúa, Dr. Inmaculada Lara-Bonilla

LAII Events

Dr. Lara-Bonilla explores how Gloria E. Anzaldúa understood writing as an embodied, transformative practice that dissolves boundaries between the physical, the intellectual, and the spiritual. Drawing on her archival and posthumous work, it reflects on how her experimental, genre-crossing approach challenges academic conventions and invites new ways of thinking, feeling, and writing. Tracing a long-term engagement with her work, the talk narrates how Anzaldúa’s commitment to preserving lived, “poematic” experience has reshaped Dr. Lara Bonilla’s own scholarly and creative practice, pushing it beyond institutional limits toward more expansive and responsive forms of expression.