Digital Commons Network^™

Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp

Capstone Showcase

This thesis investigates the evolutionary relationships among disk-winged bats in the genus Thyroptera, a small group of Neotropical bats known for the adhesive suction disks on their wings and feet that allow them to roost inside tightly rolled leaves. The distinctive morphology and behavior of these bats have not been extensively documented, and their phylogenetic relationships remain only partially resolved. The goal of this research is to better understand how these species are related to one another and to determine whether the five recognized species of Thyroptera form a single monophyletic group. To address this question, morphological and genetic …

Racial Disparities In Maternal Mortality: The Role Of Explicit And Implicit Bias In U.S. Healthcare, Lailah Allen

Capstone Showcase

Maternal mortality in the United States remains a critical public health crisis, with disproportionately high rates among Black and other minority women. Despite advances in obstetric medicine, racial disparities in pregnancy-related deaths persist due to structural inequities, implicit bias in healthcare delivery, unequal access to prenatal and postpartum care, and broader social determinants of health. Nationally, Black women are significantly more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity and mortality compared to White women, reflecting longstanding inequities embedded within the healthcare system. This paper examines the relationship between race, healthcare access, and maternal outcomes through a focused case study of and …

America’S Spectacle: The Business Of Female Beauty In Professional Cheerleading, Marlene Adelman

Capstone Showcase

The National Football League (NFL) is built on values that also represent the deep rooted patriarchal structures within the country it exists in. The NFL is more than a game; it’s a mirror of America’s powerful subjugation of its women. Using one of the most recognizable cheerleading teams, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, this thesis aims to illustrate how gender is constructed and commodified in professional sports media, which reinforces the male gaze, furthers racial and gender inequalities, and contributes to women’s mental health and body image issues. This paper uses several theories, including male gaze, gender, and intersectionality, along with …

Visual Aids And Numeracy In Healthcare: Leveraging The Drawing Effect, Zephyr J. Markley

Capstone Showcase

Healthcare decisions often require patients to interpret numerical risk information under stress, yet many struggle with low numeracy, which can distort comprehension and undermine informed consent. Well-designed visual aids can improve diagnostic inference, calibrate confidence, and support better choices, especially for patients with limited numeracy, but their impact depends on whether users can actually interpret the format accurately. Drawing may further enhance these tools by adding a tactile, generative layer that engages visual, semantic, and motoric processing while helping patients organize information into concrete models.

Passive visual aids appear useful but limited because they often position patients as observers rather …

Effectiveness Of A Task-Oriented Exercise Program In Managing Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Case Report, Daphne N. Olipas

Capstone Showcase

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Scoliosis is a musculoskeletal condition that commonly affects adolescents characterized by an abnormal multiplanar curvature of the spine. This condition may result in postural imbalance, trunk asymmetry, and limitations in functional activities. Exercise-based interventions are designed to enhance spinal stability, promote postural awareness, improve respiratory function, and support participation in daily activities. This case report aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured therapeutic exercise program for a person diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis. The intervention program includes core stabilization exercises, postural re-education, breathing exercises, and functional training.

Case Description: A 14 year-old female was referred to …

Effect On C5 Myotome Distribution After Cervical Spinal Surgery: A Case Report On Early Neuromuscular Re-Education, Nicole Eder Asebias

Capstone Showcase

Background and Purpose: Postoperative C5 palsy is a known problem after cervical spinal surgery and is characterized by upper extremity weakness that can significantly limit the ability to perform daily tasks. Despite its clinical relevance, limited literature describes physical rehabilitation-focused interventions strategies for this condition. The purpose of this case report is to describe the presentation, physical therapy intervention, and outcomes of a patient with postoperative C5 palsy managed with neuromuscular re-education.

Case Description: The patient is an adult who developed left upper extremity weakness consistent with C5 palsy following cervical spinal surgery. Primary impairments included decreased shoulder abductor and …

Roll The Dice: Do Fostered Youth Stand A Chance In Juvenile Justice?, Marina Rios

Capstone Showcase

Foster youth remain dramatically overrepresented in the juvenile justice system, accounting for up to almost a quarter of system-involved youth despite comprising less than 5% of the general population. Prior research on this subject indicates that foster youth tend to face disproportionately punitive responses, systemic challenges linked to trauma, placement, and instability, as well as limited access to diversion programs. This project aims to examine the disparities that foster youth face that result in juvenile justice involvement, as well as focusing on how structural barriers influence detention rates, sentencing outcomes, and opportunities for rehabilitation. Through an analysis of current literature, …

The Political Economy Of Pfas Treatment And Water Regionalization In Harrison County, Kentucky, Jackson S. Patru, Rajan Sampat

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The discovery of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the water supply of Harrison County, Kentucky has prompted an urgent reevaluation of local treatment infrastructure. This situation has exposed a complex political economy between the City of Cynthiana, which owns and operates the municipal water plant, and the Harrison County Water Association (HCWA), which represents the majority of the ratepayers supplied by the plant. Using a qualitative research design grounded in inductive thematic analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with leadership from both Cynthiana and HCWA, as well as operators at the treatment plant, to evaluate two proposed solutions: a $14 …

Kentucky Space Futures: Defining The Driving And Limiting Factors Of Growth In The State Aerospace Industry, Ashley M. Grospitch, Isabella A. Sibold

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky’s aerospace industry has quietly become one of the state’s most significant economic drivers, generating almost $19 billion in exports in 2024 and ranking third nationally in aerospace exports in 2023 (Mattingly, 2025; Babbage & Hartsough, 2024). Despite this, Kentucky remains largely invisible as an aerospace state, both to Kentuckians and national audiences. This work was conducted on behalf of our client, Kentucky Space Futures, to identify the factors shaping the growth of Kentucky’s aerospace industry, including its driving and limiting factors, and provide actionable guidance for policymakers and industry leaders.

Using a qualitative research design, this study triangulated findings …

Narrowing The K-12 Excellence Gap In Kentucky Schools: Lessons On High Achievement From High Achievers, Jimmy M. W. Bartlett, Johnathan K. Hurley

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Disparities in high-level academic achievement – known as excellence gaps – remain a persistent equity challenge in K–12 education, particularly in access to advanced mathematics learning. This study examines school-level practices associated with narrower excellence gaps in Kentucky public schools. Principals of schools demonstrating higher-than-expected advanced achievement and relatively small gaps by gender and economic status were invited to semi-structured interviews. The interviews cover seven schools, spanning grade levels and other characteristics. Guided by the Excellence Gap Intervention Model, a hybrid inductive–deductive thematic analysis reveals that narrower excellence gaps are not driven by isolated programs or policy mandates, but by …

Comparing Economic Development And Blight Remediation Tax Increment Financing: Design, Governance, And Measurable Outcomes, Leigh Compton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a widely used local government tool for redevelopment and economic growth, yet its expanding application has raised questions regarding its design, governance, and measurable outcomes. This study compares two primary uses of TIF: blight remediation and economic development. While remediation-focused TIF is intended to address identifiable market failures in distressed areas, economic development TIF is typically used to attract or accelerate private investment in more competitive environments.

Using a structured comparative analysis of selected Kentucky TIF districts, this research evaluates how differences in statutory justification, financing mechanisms, governance structures, and performance measures align with each …

Kentucky Is Working: An Examination Of Higher-Than-Expected Labor Force Participation Rates In Kentucky, Grace E. Coleman, Gabriel M. Kalla, Joseph S. Matthews

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This client-based capstone examines the drivers of higher-than-expected labor force participation rates across five counties in Kentucky, i.e., Kenton, Pendleton, Owen, Taylor, and Monroe counties. Our client, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, requested a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders to identify and contextualize factors contributing to the five counties’ overperformance. Our findings suggest that factors such as collaboration and partnership; education and career pathway initiatives; and community champions all play important roles in supporting strong labor force participation. These insights can be used by other counties seeking to strengthen their local workforce.

Protecting The Vulnerable: Elderly Population Change In Kentucky & Nursing Home Floodplain Proximity, David M. Stevens, Austin Matthew Mullen, Nicklaus P. Hammond

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This study explores Kentucky’s changing vulnerability to flooding. Relying on America Community Survey (ACS) survey data estimates for 2019 and 2024, we illustrate how Kentucky’s elderly population has changed over this five-year period. Using nursing home data and floodplain spatial data, provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and FEMA respectively, we identify all 269 facilities and their proximity to floodplains across Kentucky. To narrow the scope of our study, we highlight counties that (a) have seen the largest percentage increase in elderly residents and (b) have a large total elderly population. Using a quartile ranking system, we …

Adolescent Daily Critical Action During The 2024 Us Election, Jacqueline Cerda-Smith, Sholeh Najafian, Shevaun D. Neupert, Kelly Lynn Mulvey

Faculty Publications – Psychology

The 2024 US election was stressful. Taking critical actions (i.e., behaviors that address social or economic inequality) may reduce or exacerbate election stress and negative emotions. This daily diary study, spanning 20 consecutive days throughout the 2024 election, takes an exploratory and descriptive approach to understand adolescents’ daily critical action and its association with political stress and emotions. Participants (N = 32, M_age = 15.53, SD = 1.19), most of whom were White (59.4%), female (62.5%) and Democrat (71.9%), reported taking critical action frequently, especially before and a few days following the election. Participants were more likely to …

Why Physical Environment Matters: The Cognitive Effects In Elementary Classrooms, Amanda Cavender

Integrated Studies

All physical elements, such as color, lights, acoustics, and furniture must work cohesively with the layout and space to create a welcoming, calm, and inclusive classroom.  This paper reviews the data surrounding these physical elements and their correlation with academic success.  Academic success in this case is defined as scores students achieve, the speed at which they can complete work, the accuracy of completed work, and attention spans.  The quality of school building plays a crucial role here; Temperature control, adequate space, and insulation are crucial to be able to properly control the environment.  Regarding lighting, studies have shown that …

Patient-Centered End-Of-Life Care: Balancing Ethics, Communication, And Quality Of Life, Alexis N. Courtney

Integrated Studies

Abstract

End-of-life care is not just a medical treatment, but can be the turning point in someone’s life to end unnecessary suffering and honor their wishes to have quality over quantity in life. This paper will discuss end-of-life care from the perspectives of patient autonomy, communication, ethical decision making, and system influences. It will explore the impact of honoring patient preference. Not to mention how speaking honestly and compassionately may affect enhancing the quality of life of patients experiencing terminal or life-limiting illnesses.

One of the key aspects of this paper is the significance of communication in end-of-life care. Specifically, …

Substance Abuse: Causes, Effects, And Treatment Approaches, Ambrea A. Watkins

Integrated Studies

Abstract

Substance abuse continues to be one of the most significant public health and social challenges facing the United States. Substance use disorders affect millions of individuals each year and have serious consequences for families, communities, and public systems such as healthcare and criminal justice. Addiction is widely recognized as a chronic brain disease that can alter behavior, decision making, and impulse control. Many individuals who struggle with substance abuse also experience related issues such as mental illness, homelessness, poverty, and involvement in the criminal justice system.

This research paper examines the causes, impacts, and treatment approaches related to substance …

More Than Medical Care: How Social Determinants Shape Health Disparities In The United States, Aiyanna N. Burton

Integrated Studies

Health disparities within the United States continue to intensify despite advancements in technology and medical practices. This paper reflects on societal factors that contribute to the persistence of healthcare disparities beyond clinical settings. Factors such as housing stability, transportation access, education, neighborhood conditions, and income play a significant role in how healthcare needs are met outside of hospital care. While clinical care focuses on treating immediate health concerns, recurring health issues are often influenced by social and structural conditions rather than bedside care alone. Through an examination of peer-reviewed research, this literature highlights how social determinants of health impact long-term …

The Importance Of Pedal Acceleration Time (Pat): A Case Study, Kelly N. Bui

Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Ultrasound Projects

Lower extremity ischemia is a limb threatening condition that can result in tissue loss, infection, and amputation; particularly in older patients with existing peripheral vascular disease or diabetes. Pain, delayed recognition of injury, and social determinants of health often complicate management and influence patient decision making. This case study reviews a 73-year-old male who presented with a severe thermal burn injury to the right foot after prolonged exposure to a heating device during their sleep. The patient's protective sensation was impaired due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy. He also has a history of a left below knee amputation (BKA) and poorly …

Supporting Students With Learning Differences: A Dyslexia Educator’S Perspective, Hailey S. Mason

Integrated Studies

Dyslexia is a common neurobiological learning difference that affects reading, writing, and language processing skills, often despite average or above-average intelligence. This project examines dyslexia from an educator’s perspective, focusing on its characteristics, impact on student learning, and effective strategies for support. A review of current scholarly literature highlights the importance of early identification and intervention in improving academic outcomes and reducing negative emotional effects such as low self-esteem and anxiety. The findings emphasize that dyslexia extends beyond reading difficulties, influencing writing, comprehension, and overall academic performance. Evidence-based instructional approaches, particularly structured literacy and multisensory teaching strategies, are identified as …

The Kawa Model Of Occupational Therapy And Disability, Benjamin A. Siress

Integrated Studies

The Kawa Model of occupational therapy offers a culturally responsive, holistic framework for OT that benefits individuals within the disabled community profoundly. By integrating the individuals’ relationship with their environment and social context, the Kawa model challenges Western, task-oriented approaches and promotes better inclusion, resilience, and meaningful participation by aligning individualized therapy with each person’s life experiences and cultural identity.

Keywords: Kawa Model, occupational therapy, disability, cultural responsiveness, holistic care, client-centered care, social context, inclusion, meaningful participation, rehabilitation

The Split Child: Fragmented Temporalities And Selves In Post-Francoist Horror Cinema, Harper A. Denniston

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis interrogates the prolific figure of the spectral child in post-dictatorial horror cinema in Spain. During the renaissance wave of the horror boom (a period between the late 1990s and early 2000s that experienced a surge in horror films), narratives of haunting often presented the ghost in child form, blending childhood and horror. This thesis examines the spectral child as depicted in the seminal horror films The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and The Orphanage (2007). First, I establish the historical context behind these films, exploring the traumatic history of children during the Spanish Civil War and Franco dictatorship, Spain’s cultural …

“Beejagalu Namma Jeevana” (Seeds Are Our Life): Women Farmers’ Relational Practices Of Care, Labor, And Life Within Regenerative Systems In South India, Sara F. Mehkri

Scripps Senior Theses

“Beejagalu Namma Jeevana” (Seeds are Our Life): Women Farmers’ Relational Practices of Care, Labor, and Life within Regenerative Systems in South India, examines the role of women farmers in regenerative agricultural systems in Kanakapura, Karnataka, through ethnographic fieldwork with GREEN Foundation (GF) and its farmer networks. It argues that regenerative agriculture in this context is produced through care-based multispecies assemblages that reconfigure relationships between labor, knowledge, and ecological life, generating resilient socio-agroecological systems and expanding forms of human capability.

Drawing on twenty semi-structured interviews with women farmers, participant observation, and historical analysis of agrarian change in South India, this thesis …

Climate Change In An Educational Context: A Model Addressing Psychological Distance, Hope, And Concern, Brooke E. Kasl-Godley

Scripps Senior Theses

As the threat of climate change becomes more urgent, educators should focus on fostering climate concern and action instead of simply providing climate information. These studies present a novel model of climate education where locally-framed and action-oriented curriculum increases students’ environmental concern through the mechanisms of psychological distance and hope. This curriculum was taught over two years to sixth-grade students at a school in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. Study 1 examines students’ environmental concern and sense of responsibility before and after delivery of the curriculum. Study 2 is a proposed follow-up study, that will address limitations of Study 1 …

Identity Development And Resonance With Cultural Sounds: A Study Of Undergraduate Women Of Mexican Descent, Manuela S. Flores

Scripps Senior Theses

Undergraduates of Mexican descent are not a monolith; their experiences vary based on positionality and lived experiences within academia in the United States. This study explored the lived experiences of seven women of Mexican descent, ages 18 to 25, to examine how they experience and make meaning of music while developing their identities in college. A descriptive phenomenological approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews to explore participant’s lived experiences in relation to music. Identity development was contextualized in relation to cultural values, musical experiences, and participant positionalities. Interview questions addressed music engagement, conceptualizations of Chicanx culture, and the values participants …

Modern Psychological Distress: An Expressionist Lens, Abigail Adell

Scripps Senior Theses

“Static Overwhelm” showcases collective stress born from perpetual engagement with the internet and social media. The piece began as a personal reflection of my felt anxiety from online overuse. However, it quickly became a greater social commentary on the modern condition of internet dependence, stress, and unease.

With any basic search engine, any amount or type of information that I could ever need, is at my fingertips. We constantly experience the stress effects of the internet’s misinformation, political pressure, and addictive design.

Inspired by the expressionist movement, I have created a piece that focuses on the expression of raw emotion, …

Seeing Through The Fuzz: Understanding Conformational Diversity In The Fuzzy Coat Of Amyloids Across Fibril Polymorphs Using Solid-State Nmr, Carah K. Allen

Scripps Senior Theses

The aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) into amyloid fibrils is a central pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease and other related synucleinopathies. Although monomeric α-syn is intrinsically disordered, the protein assembles into multiple fibril polymorphs that differ in their β-sheet core structures. Surrounding each polymorph is the “fuzzy coat,” which is a highly dynamic, intrinsically disordered region (IDR) that is not resolved by high-resolution structural techniques, such as Cryo-EM, but is thought to influence fibril interactions, propagation, and toxicity. Understanding whether different polymorphs maintain distinct fuzzy-coat conformational ensembles is therefore essential for connecting amyloid structure to biological function. To address this question, …

Doikayt And The Ethics Of Belonging: Lessons In Place-Making From The Jewish Labor Bund, Zoë L. Jacobs

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis traces the evolution of doikayt—the Bundist principle of hereness—from its origins in the Jewish Labor Bund to contemporary applications in North America. Rooted in a refusal of both assimilation and nationalist escape, doikayt emphasizes cultivating safety, solidarity, and belonging through collective responsibility rather than territorial claims.

Building on this foundation, the exploration situates hereness within a settler-colonial context, where ethical dwelling is complicated by Indigenous dispossession. Drawing on Alexis Shotwell alongside Indigenous thinkers Vanessa Watts and Kyle Whyte, I examine how inhabiting place requires confronting historical injustices and ongoing relational responsibilities. Chapter 3 analyzes Linke Fligl (2016–2022) as …

Boredom And Creativity: The Effects Of Unstructured Play Versus Screen Time On Creative Performance, Vivienne J. Swenson

Scripps Senior Theses

Children today spend increasing amounts of time engaged with digital media, raising questions about how screens may displace developmental experiences that support creativity. Although research suggests that unstructured play and even mild boredom can facilitate divergent thinking, few studies have directly compared unstructured, self-directed play with passive screen use in early childhood. The present study proposes an experimental design to examine whether 20 minutes of unstructured play leads to higher creativity scores on the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement (TCAM) than an equivalent period of passive screen engagement among children ages 3–5. Using matched-group assignment based on demographic, cognitive, …

"Chatcbt”: Understanding The Implications Of Artificial Intelligence In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Esther R. Goldberg

Scripps Senior Theses

The proposed study is intended to explore the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) tools when used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety in American adults. The research is designed to measure whether AI systems such as large language models (LLMs) provide sufficient therapy through the factors of empathy, coping skills, and anxiety symptom reduction. Human therapists are hypothesized to surpass chatbots in all three. Through an experimental design, participants will be placed in either an AI therapy condition or human therapy condition. Participants will undergo a 12-week CBT program, after which they will measure anxiety reduction, perceived empathy …