Digital Commons Network^™

Building The Bridge: A Trauma Informed Supportive Presentation For Parents & Caregivers Of Adolescent Children Who’Ve Experienced Trauma, Cynthia Rodriguez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Children exposed to trauma often face significant adverse effects on their development and well-being when parents/caregivers lack emotional support to their children. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and implement a psychoeducational presentation designed to teach parents the basics of trauma-informed care principles and practical strategies to help support their children who have experienced trauma. A virtual live presentation approach, including educational evidence-based, trauma-informed curriculum to a set of participants who identify themselves as caregivers or parents. The presentation was evaluated by personal interviews to determine if the participant was satisfied  and would benefit from the presentation. …

Understanding Challenges Faced By Refugee Women And Women With Experiences Of Forced Migration In Entrepreneurship In The Midwest Region Of The United States, Ritu Jadwani

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The labor market participation of refugee women was only 6%. The United States had the maximum employment rate for the refugee women population, which was 40%, as compared to 6% in Germany, Lebanon, and Jordan (Kabir & Klugman, 2019). Refugee women faced many challenges in labor force participation and especially in entrepreneurship. As demonstrated by Desai, Naude, and Stel (2020), refugees faced challenges like cultural integration, language barriers, level of education, and acceptance of education merits. This eventually led to disparities in income generation. Thus, many either remained in low-paying jobs or started their own business (Desai et al., 2020). …

Autonomous Deficiency Detection And Vision-Language Summarization For Underground Infrastructure On Embedded Edge Systems, Johny Lopez

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Aging underground infrastructure poses significant risks to public health and environmental safety, yet structural condition assessment remains bottlenecked by labor-intensive manual CCTV inspections. This thesis proposes a comprehensive algorithmic framework enabling fully autonomous, real-time deficiency detection, geometric assessment, and natural language reporting on resource- constrained edge computing platforms. Three core components address this challenge. First, RAPID-SCAN, a novel semantic segmentation architecture utilizing a Dynamic Feature Pyramid Network and Channel-Spatial Attention, achieves real-time, pixel-precise defect localization with dramatically reduced parameters. Second, an Edge-Optimized Vision-Language Model pipeline employing LoRA and 4-bit QLoRA quantization compresses Phi-3.5 for local deployment, en- abling autonomous technical …

Unveiling Embodied White Supremacy: Therapists’ Experiences And Its Imprint On Therapeutic Relationships In Dance/Movement Therapy, Melody E. Gamba

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative, arts-informed research study explored how White-identifying dance/movement therapists experience and articulate their awareness of embodied White supremacy within therapeutic relationships. Grounded in critical race theory, relational-cultural theory, and embodied critical transformation theory, the study addressed a gap in dance/movement therapy literature concerning how White supremacy is not only cognitively understood, but also somatically felt, relationally enacted, and professionally navigated. The purpose of the study was to understand how White-identifying dance/movement therapists perceive, kinesthetically experience, and make meaning of embodied White supremacy in therapeutic practice, and to explore how these embodied experiences influence therapeutic presence, attunement, and the potential …

Religious Ramifications: An Analysis Of Ancient Religious Mythologies And Their Effects On Societal Gender Roles, Christina E. Burkhalter

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Undergraduate Honors Theses

An analysis of the effect of ancient religious writings in the Mediterranean on local gender culture with a specific focus on the texts deities.

Training With Orthographic Stress And Rhythm Markers Improves Adult Readers’ Prosodic Sensitivity, Jennifer Gross, Michelle Roldan, Tanner Kiessel, Madison Esselink, Lucretia Dunlap

Peer Reviewed Articles

Across alphabetic writing systems, orthographies provide only partial cues to prosody, making prosodic sensitivity an important component of skilled reading. In English, readers must infer lexical stress and rhythm from opaque spelling patterns while silently constructing an inner voice. Two independent replications of the same randomized active control experiment (N=528 undergraduates) evaluated an orthographic prosody training in which passages were annotated with stress and rhythm markers and practiced with feedback, after which cues were reduced to a single marker to evaluate transfer. Prosodic sensitivity was measured using a forced-choice meter judgment task in which readers selected the metrically …

Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions On The Wida Framework To Support Academic Literacy In Multilingual Learners, Laura G. Faris

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine teachers’ perceptions of benefits and barriers to using the WIDA Framework to support academic literacy in multilingual learners (MLs).  Content-area teachers of MLs who continue to learn English are teaching academic literacy through complex linguistic structures for students to both comprehend and produce informative textual structures which occur in secondary textual reading and written assessments in the literature and historical content areas. Qualitative methods including reflective journal entries, semi-structured teacher interviews, and classroom observations were used to collect data on teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of using the WIDA Framework to better …

A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Pre-Service Mathematics Teacher Preparation Approaches In Jamaica And Historical Black Colleges And Universities In The Southeast United States, Sandra Riley-Brown

Dissertations

This qualitative comparative case study embarked on an in-depth exploration and comparison of the approaches to pre-service mathematics teacher preparation programs (PMTPP) in Jamaica and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Southeast United States (U.S.), employing a cross-cultural lens. The primary objective of the study was to identify and analyze the similarities and differences between the methodologies utilized in PMTPP across these two regions, with a specific focus on how HBCUs addressed the preparation of culturally responsive educators. The research took two distinct phases. The initial phase involved a thorough analysis of documents provided by the participants. This …

Understanding How Ai Chatbots Act As Gatekeepers When Recommending Destinations, Ayden Alexandra Carmack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence chatbots become a primary tool for travel discovery, questions arise about whose destinations get recommended and how. This study examines how ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), and Google Gemini function as algorithmic gatekeepers in travel recommendations, drawing on gatekeeping theory, framing theory, and growing scholarship on AI bias in tourism. Using a content analysis of 135 AI-generated responses to 15 standardized travel prompts (45 per platform, each run three times) this study coded destination selection patterns, dominant narrative frames, and informational omissions across platforms. Results show that 88.9% of recommended destinations were classified as high-income nations, with Japan, …

Intellectual Property Is A Drag [Queen], Brianna Pruitt

Barry Law Review

No abstract provided.

When An Untraditional Linguist Speaks - A Cultural Self-Analysis Of Untraditional Language, Justin Lambert

RhetTech

This essay presents a cultural and linguistic self-analysis that challenges dominant ideologies surrounding “proper” English in academic spaces. Through a blend of personal narrative and scholarly engagement, the author examines the legitimacy and rhetorical power of Black Language as a dynamic, historically rooted, and intellectually rigorous mode of communication. Drawing on the work of Geneva Smitherman, April Baker-Bell, and Vershawn Ashanti Young, the essay situates Black Language within traditions of contrastive rhetoric while actively applying code-meshing as both method and practice. Tracing the author’s linguistic development across familial, cultural, and academic contexts, the piece reveals how code switching and linguistic …

A Curriculum To Empower And Equip Women For Leadership In The Monash City Church Of Christ In Melbourne, Australia, Devni Yasindra Attygalle

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses women in Christian leadership in the Monash City Church of Christ Melbourne, Australia. The problem identified within this ministry context was a lack of appropriate theological teaching around women in leadership, especially in the areas of preaching, teaching, and leading, which has led to misconceptions and prejudices in the minds of church members, negatively impacting the congregation’s mission. The purpose of the project was to develop a curriculum specific to MCCOC that provides a theological foundation for advocating for future senior leadership roles for women. The curriculum provides biblical teaching on women in leadership that will equip …

Biblioteca: A Full-Stack Social Reading Platform For Spanish-Language Book Discovery And Community Engagement, Bilge Akyol

Theses & ETDs

Social reading platforms combine book cataloging with social networking features, enabling users to engage with literary content and other readers. While global platforms such as Goodreads dominate the market, platforms that foster a community around a shared language and culture gain readers' interest by offering a meaningful experience. Despite the large Spanish-speaking audience, there is a lack of digital platforms that effectively cultivate this type of culturally cohesive community. Existing Spanish-language platforms often suffer from outdated interfaces, cluttered layouts, and limited user experience, which can reduce engagement. This thesis represents Biblioteca, a web application built with React, Typescript, and Supabase …

The Dual Erosion Of Political Identity: Nationalism And Cosmopolitianism In Transition, Jaylen Turner

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines how nationalism and cosmopolitanism have changed as political identities under intensified globalization, treating them not as opposites but as overlapping, variably activated networks of belonging. Drawing on constructivist theory and debates on universalism, it analyzes World Values Survey data from Waves 5–7 (2005–2022) using repeated-measures ANOVAs on indicators such as national pride, willingness to fight for one’s country, national-citizenship identification, immigration attitudes, world-citizen identification, cross-national trust, and confidence in the United Nations. The findings show a dual erosion of both national and world-citizen identifications in the late 2010s and early 2020s, alongside stable or improving pragmatic orientations …

Material Selection In The Mountain West: A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (Mcda) Based Approach For Architects, Melissa Bach

Theses

With modern advancements in technology and the expansion of a globally interconnected network, architects have access to a large range of building materials. Increasing public concern for the environment has prompted architects to prioritize materials that are more sustainable, but varying definitions of sustainability, coupled with unclear guidelines for material selection, repeatedly lead to uncertainty and decision-making challenges within the profession. To address this, a comprehensive methodology such as Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is needed for the material selection processes. Furthermore, a gap in the literature demonstrates that the application of MCDA for material selection in the Mountain West region …

Folk Phonetics: A Case Study, Geoffrey S. Nathan, Margaret E. Winters

English Faculty Research Publications

No abstract provided.

La Pervivencia Del Euskera, Wiley P. Prior

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Este proyecto busca explicar la sobrevivencia de la lengua vasca (euskera), ya que es la única lengua prelatina que todavía existe en la Península Ibérica. Existe la idea de que el euskera ha persistido por tanto tiempo debido a su aislación geográfica y a la resistencia abierta de los vascos; sin embargo, este trabajo propone que el pueblo vasco tiene una historia muy larga de cooperación y convivencia con las culturas que le rodean, además de su capacidad para adaptarse. Esta convivencia está en parte evidenciada por la transferencia léxica que ha ocurrido entre el euskera y las lenguas romances …

Resisting Prospero: Racial Purity In The Tempest And Its Adaptations, Hannah N. Covin

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

William Shakespeare’s The Tempest focuses on Prospero, the banished Duke of Milan, who loses his kingdom and is exiled to an island where he lives with his daughter, Miranda, and two indigenous islanders, his servant, Ariel, and his slave, Caliban. The inciting incident of The Tempest is the attempted rape of Miranda by Caliban. Prospero’s desire to maintain power leads to the creation of an enemy “other,” Caliban, whose negative portrayal is tied to his racial difference and inferiority. In The Tempest, Prospero’s primary fear of Caliban is directly related to his fear of miscegenation, between Miranda and Caliban. In …

Transcultural Questions Around Research Quality In Design, Juan Montalván Lume

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.

Design Education Around The World, Derek Jones, Violeta Clemente

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.

Geographic Bias In Ai: How Llm Outputs Vary By Location, Alekya Bongu

RhetTech

This paper explores the inherent biases present in Large Language Model (LLM) outputs. As AI use becomes more widespread, it is extremely important to examine the implicit biases in these models, as AI will only perpetuate inaccuracies. By understanding the implications of using AI, we can use it in a way that causes the least harm. Using Hofstede’s cultural onion to structure research questions, I tested four LLMs—ChatGPT, Pi.ai, Qwen, and DeepSeek—across three different geographic locations: the United States, India, and Ireland. The findings demonstrate that while LLMs can adjust some content based on a user’s location, they frequently default …

Eugenics Rhetoric In C.S. Lewis’S That Hideous Strength And Essays, Michelle Griffin

RhetTech

In the book That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis depicts the National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments (N.I.C.E.) as an exclusive organization dominated by scientists, academics, and state authorities, mirroring the professional middle class that shaped British eugenics in the 20th century. Throughout the book there is evidence of eugenics discourse relating to human experimentation, feeblemindedness, sterilization of the “unfit,” as well as the role of power dynamics, all of which points to That Hideous Strength being an intentional representation of the eugenics discourse happening in Britian around the same time in which Lewis wrote the book. There is substantial evidence …

Ai And The Ethos Of Education: Reflections On Human Learning Past And Present, Melanie Trotochaud

Yale Divinity School Theses

This thesis reflects on contemporary issues of “Artificial Intelligence” (AI), while also bringing into conversation 12th century Christian mystic and polymath Hildegard Von Bingen and 18th century Humanist philosopher Giambattista Vico. Hildegard’s and Vico’s contexts philosophically and historically share similarities to our present moment: reassessing our humanity and learning in times of technological, economic, and social shifts. Holding up their writing to various conversations about our contemporary world helps illuminate the present. Key aspects of the discussion include what constitutes tools or technologies, the agency we have in choosing to use or not to use them, and how we make …

2026 Workshop On Bridging The Gaps: Tackling Microplastics And Nanoplastics Challenges In Coastal Ecosystems, Shenghua Wu, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Melike Dizbay-Onat, Alexandra Stenson, Jinhui Wang, Tina Miller-Way, Ebenezer Nyadjro, Bhuvnesh Bharti, John Weinstein, Yi Bao, Shihui Shen, Valerie Longa, Shenghua Zha, John Cleary, Marty Lind

Workshops

This report presents the findings from the 2026 Workshop on Tackling Microplastics and Nanoplastics (MNPs) in Coastal Ecosystems, which took place in Mobile, Alabama. More than 140 experts from universities, government, industry, and community organizations gathered to address the increasing issue of MNPs in coastal regions.

Concerned Philosophers For Peace, Vol. 34 (2026), Concerned Philosophers For Peace

Concerned Philosophers for Peace

In addition to organizational information, honors, awards, and calls for papers and abstracts, this issue contains the following articles:

• “Genocide, Evil, and The Madman's Bluff: The Moral Stain of President Trump's Shameful Threat to Annihilate Iran,” by Andrew Fiala
• “Lest We Forget,” by Anna Malavisi
• “Ancient Lessons on Peace from a Roman Dissident,” by Court Lewis

The Use And Efficacy Of Non-Verbal Gestures In Applied Studio Voice Instruction And Vocal Coaching, Mark Eugene Lubas

Dissertations

Despite important innovations in the use of technology in vocal instruction, individualized, faceto- face communication remains the predominant delivery modality for applied voice lessons and vocal coaching. Applied voice instructors and vocal coaches consistently identify non-verbal, gestural communication as a significant dimension of these instructional interactions. Existing scholarship has examined the expressive use of gesture in musical performance, the role of gesture in facilitating pitch accuracy acquisition among young singers, and the neurological responses of singers to gestural input. However, systematic investigation of gesture as a pedagogical instrument from the perspective of the instructor remains underdeveloped in the literature. This …

Practices And Strategies Used In Classrooms For Children Who Are Deaf With Autism, Jennifer Anne Hills

Dissertations

Deaf education has a history spanning more than 200 years; however, there remain relatively few evidence-based practices specifically identified for use with children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH; Cawthon & Carrie, 2021). In contrast, autism as a diagnostic and educational category is a much more recent phenomenon. Just over 80 years ago, Donald Triplett, became the first person diagnosed with autism in the United States (Donovan & Zucker, 2016). The diagnosis and education of autism is a newer phenomenon with strong research underpinnings. Conversely, the field of deaf education has existed for over 200 years, yet few evidence-based practices …

The Relationship Of Analysis And Performance In Henri Tomasi’S Concerto Pour Trombone Et Orchestre, Craig Owen Hull

Dissertations

Henri Tomasi’s Concerto pour Trombone et Orchestre is regarded as one of the most important pieces within the trombone solo repertoire. However, neither Tomasi nor his Concerto pour Trombone et Orchestre have received a notable amount of scholarly attention. This is likely due to Tomasi’s obscurity to a general audience and too few trombonists engaging in analytical and historical scholarly endeavors. However, the quality of the composer, his work, and the lack of scholarship surrounding it encourage such a study to exist.

The music theory discipline known as analysis and performance relies on analysis and historical context. The combination of …

Improving Patient Satisfaction Through Enhanced Communication Strategies, Kiranjot Kaur

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Patient satisfaction reflects more than the technical quality of healthcare; it represents patients' perceptions of communication, respect, and emotional trust throughout the care experience. Ineffective communication contributes to poor comprehension, reduced treatment adherence, preventable readmissions, and disparities in patient outcomes. Conversely, clear, culturally responsive communication improves patient engagement, safety, and satisfaction. This project proposes a leadership-driven communication improvement initiative for a mid-sized acute-care hospital located in Southern California serving a culturally and linguistically diverse population, including Hispanic, Asian, and limited-English-proficient patients. The initiative is guided by the Patient-Centered Care Model and Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory. These frameworks position …

Encounters Of Third Space: A Case Study On Salvadoran Political Art And Identity Interplay, Breanna Delgado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Third space is an in-between thought space designated for marginalized collectives, allowing multiple recontextualizations of identity interplay. However, Third Space is colonized due to western ideological influences such as criminalization of political art, stunting collective growth. This project serves to question and challenge Salvadoran political art and collective identities through questions such as why political art? Can political art be considered “safe spaces”? and dissecting the process of political art, third space meaning making, and identity interplay. Preserving the collective’s political art serves as a grassroots method of justice, accountability, and collective reparation.

I applying three conceptual frameworks: Bhabha’s (1994) …