Digital Commons Network^™

Shin-Chi’S Canoe (2008) By Nicola Campbell, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …

Muinji’J Asks Why (2022) By Shanika Maceachern And Breighlynn Maceachern, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …

Una Nueva Herramienta Para Estimar El Volumen Muscular Independientemente De La Edad, El Sexo Y El Nivel De Actividad Física, José J. Rivera-Sánchez, Laura P. Burgos-Morelos, Daniel Castillo-Castillo, Gerardo Méndez-Suárez, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Damián Carrillo-Ruíz

School of Medicine Publications

Antecedentes: Actualmente, la evaluación del volumen muscular requiere técnicas invasivas o de imagen, lo que aumenta los costos y retrasa la evaluación, y las mediciones antropométricas con frecuencia son inexactas.

Objetivo: Desarrollar una fórmula matemática para estimar el volumen del cuádriceps.

Material y métodos: Se evaluaron 127 sujetos: 40 adultos sedentarios de 20 a 35 años, 47 atletas adultos de 20 a 45 años y 40 adultos sedentarios de 70 a 94 años. Se dividieron en grupos de desarrollo y de validación. Se realizaron mediciones de variables antropométricas y fuerza de agarre, y se desarrolló la fórmula de predicción del …

Comparative Analysis Of Ev-Charging Converters Using Silicon Carbide Mosfets And Silicon Igbt’S, Muhammad A. Kahn

Electrical Engineering Theses

The rapid expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure has increased the demand for efficient and reliable power electronic converters. Semiconductor device selection is critical to system performance, influencing efficiency, power density, and reliability. This thesis presents a comparative analysis of Silicon (Si) Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs in a representative EV charging converter, with emphasis on electrical performance and thermal behavior under identical operating conditions.

The research employs PLECS (Plexim) and electro-thermal simulation models to accurately characterize device and system interactions. The converter configuration consists of a grid-connected voltage source inverter (VSI) that maintains …

Character Kinetics: An Interactive, Immersive Installation On The Mindfulness Of Asemic Writing, Danielle S. Desmarteau

Scripps Senior Theses

Character kinetics is an installation art piece that explores how writing asemically (without language) can ease the body and mind into the present moment, allowing one to focus on the material and movement of mark-making. Throughout the semester, I held workshops where participants were invited to scribble it out, to express their thoughts and surroundings without needing to make sense in the context of language. The resulting pieces were transformed into sculptural paper forms suspended in air, creating an interactive three-dimensional space inviting viewers to analyze the infinite possibility of interpretation within asemic symbolism.

Stitched In Precarity: Labor Exploitation, Immigration Policy, And Resistance In The L.A Garment Industry, Reyna Guadalupe Silva Carrillo

Scripps Senior Theses

Los Angeles hosts one of the largest garment manufacturing industries in the U.S., built on the labor of undocumented immigrants who often work under exploitative and unsafe conditions. This paper explores how the intersection of broken labor laws and punitive immigration enforcement creates systemic vulnerability for these workers. Despite recent reforms—such as California’s SB 62, which bans piece-rate wages and holds brands accountable—enforcement remains weak, and wage theft continues to persist. State-level protections for undocumented immigrants clash with federal policies that prioritize detention and deportation, leaving workers in a state of constant precarity. While grassroots movements have secured important legislative …

Real Interpolation: An Approximate Introduction, Madeline Anderson

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis provides an introduction to real interpolation. We establish

relevant notions in functional analysis first, and use these concepts to study

real interpolation using J. Peetre’s 𝐾-functional in some detail. We also

explore the basics of approximation theory, in particular the connection

between approximation and interpolation results.

Making Faces, Elinor Attisani

Scripps Senior Theses

Making Faces is a series of gelatin silver prints and moving images that argues that identity is constructed through– rather than simply reflected in– repeated choices and behaviors. Through my project, I suggest that gender is not innate, but rather, performed. The images visualize the process through which a gendered self is established. A series of representations of Mari in costume come together to demonstrate the practicing of gender, and point to the illusory nature of the notion of a pre-existing, essential self. This representation of an exaggeratedly feminine subject is highly staged and theatrical, compelling the viewer to look …

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, …

Indirect Effects Of Coral Bleaching On Tursiops Truncatus Diet And Foraging Behavior In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Annabel Fiero

Scripps Senior Theses

Indirect effects, where another species or factor mediates the effects of a given species, are critical to ecosystem structure and resilience. Shifts in fish community structure, as a result of rapidly declining coral reefs in the Caribbean due to warming-induced bleaching, pose a threat to apex predators like Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose dolphins). Branching corals create habitat niches for numerous fish species. These fish rely on coral for food and habitat, and in turn provide food for upper trophic levels. Prior research has highlighted how coral bleaching will disrupt Acroporid reef building corals and fish community structure, but the effects of …

The Impact Of Heavy Resistance Training On Type Ii Muscle Fibers Throughout Female Reproductive Stages, Lily G. Colberg

Scripps Senior Theses

Type II muscle fibers, also known as fast-twitch muscle fibers, are reliant on aerobic glycolysis and are crucial for high-force contractions, mobility, and rapid movements, such as fast reflexes. Heavy resistance training has been found to increase type II muscle fiber concentration in young, middle-aged, and elderly individuals. However, there have been few studies conducted on female-only sample populations. In women, the impact of heavy resistance training on type II muscle fibers is affected by the progressive decline of estrogen that defines the transition throughout the four female reproductive stages: premenopause, perimenopause, late-transition menopause, and postmenopause. Menopausal estrogen depletion causes …

Food Stamp Participation And Health Outcomes In Ca Immigrants, Esther Kang

Scripps Senior Theses

The U.S. social welfare system includes programs aiming to increase access to nutritious food to reduce nutrition insecurity. However, studies suggest that immigrants continue to face disproportionate risks of nutrition insecurity and may face barriers to enrollment due to legal status. This study, using secondary data from the 2023 California Health Interview Survey, examines the associations between food stamp participation, food insecurity, and clinical diagnosis of diabetes among adult U.S.-born, naturalized, and non-citizen adults in California. The findings suggest that those enrolled in food stamps are more likely to report food insecurity than those who are not enrolled, and that …

Evaluating Acupuncture As An Adjunct To Standard Ulcerative Colitis Therapy, Mia A. Ciotti

Scripps Senior Theses

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by recurring cycles of flare and remission that significantly affect patients’ quality of life. Standard allopathic treatment for UC centers on mesalamine, a 5-aminosalicylic acid drug that acts locally on the colon to reduce inflammation, but does not cure the disease entirely. Acupuncture, rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been proposed as an adjunct therapy for inflammatory conditions, yet its biomedical efficacy remains uncertain due to methodological limitations and insufficient controls of prior studies.

This study proposes a randomized, participant and assessor blinded clinical trial evaluating mesalamine, true acupuncture, sham …

Broadening The Fetal Alcohol Paradigm: Bdnf Methylation As A Link Between Paternal Alcohol Use And Offspring Neurodevelopmental Deficits, Caitlin E. Muñoz

Scripps Senior Theses

Developmental effects of fetal alcohol exposure are extensively documented as a consequence of maternal gestational alcohol consumption. However, similar consequences of paternal alcohol consumption remain understudied. This proposed pilot study will examine preconception paternal alcohol consumption within its capacity to induce heritable epigenetic modifications in sperm, such that offspring are susceptible to adverse in utero neurodevelopment and neonatal neurobehavioral outcomes. Specifically, it will examine DNA methylation patterns along the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exon IV promoter in paternal spermatozoa. BDNF exon IV is considered a key locus in neurogenesis regulation, synaptic plasticity, and cortical development. It is hypothesized that BDNF …

Madison, Wisconsin As A Climate Haven: Infrastructure, Environmental Justice, And Community Voice, Sophia N. Heffner

Scripps Senior Theses

As climate change accelerates internal migration within the United States, the concept of “climate havens” has emerged as a way to identify communities that may become receiving zones for displaced populations. Madison, Wisconsin has increasingly been positioned within academic, policy, and media discourse as a potential climate haven due to its geographic advantages, strong public infrastructure, and proactive climate policy environment. This paper evaluates Madison’s readiness for this role through an equity-centered, participatory planning lens. Drawing on planning documents, climate data, municipal policies, and interdisciplinary scholarship, it argues that Madison’s long-term success as a sustainable and inclusive climate haven depends …

Cycling For All: Designing With The "Invisible Cyclist" As A Pathway Towards Urban Sustainability And Citizenship, Eloise Heimert

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the role of “invisible cyclists” in cycling networks and practices. Through an application of the “right to the city,” spatial production, and mobility justice frameworks, this paper investigates the experiences of women and disabled cyclists in London, England. By examining a city with an emerging cycling network, this thesis offers insight into measures for increasing the inclusivity and resilience of them. The argument establishes that these lines of analysis reveal important lessons in urban design and planning for a more sustainable future. Firstly, this thesis examines social barriers to cycling participation, and thus urban citizenship. In the …

The Rise Learning Theory: A New Paths-Way For Teaching Social Emotional Learning Curricula, Rebecca L. Demeo

Scripps Senior Theses

This study aims to look at the effectiveness of the Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) Social Emotional Learning curriculum when taught through the second and fourth principles of the RISE learning theory. The implementation will take effect within United States elementary schools, and consenting students will participate in the quasi-experimental design where classrooms will either be assigned to the control group, PATHS program taught as normal, or the experiment, PATHS taught with the RISE principles. During the study, participants will complete pre-experiment, post-experiment, and follow-up assessments to measure differences in mean scores of competence and application throughout the implementation. I …

Roots To Recovery: How Therapeutic Horticulture Can Heal Sexual Trauma, Fiona E. Larsen-Teskey

Scripps Senior Theses

Sexual assault is one of the most prevalent sources of trauma among females. While still requiring more research, therapeutic horticulture (TH), also known as gardening therapy, has so far shown promising results regarding trauma recovery. In this study, I seek to discover how TH can aid in female sexual assault recovery. To determine its impact, I will conduct a three-month experiment with two groups: those who receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and those who receive CBT plus TH. I will specifically measure three common side effects survivors face: dissociation, shame, and PTSD. These categories will be measured through surveys and …

Carrots, Not Sticks: A Contingency Management Model For Rural Methamphetamine Recovery, Ella House

Scripps Senior Theses

Rates of methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) have risen sharply across the United States, with rural Appalachia experiencing the steepest mortality increases. Contingency management (CM) is among the most effective treatments for stimulant use, yet implementation is constrained by cost, logistics, and clinician shortages. Utilizing digital CM platforms and peer recovery support specialists, who are central to addiction support in rural regions, may reduce these barriers. This thesis proposes a 16-week, three-arm randomized controlled trial (N ≈ 300) comparing: (1) Digital Abstinence CM Only (remote saliva toxicology and monetary vouchers for stimulant-negative tests); (2) Digital + Peer-Goal CM (digital abstinence-based CM …

Pervasive Policing: The Psychological Effects Of Overcriminalization Of Black And Latino Youth, Chloe Gonzalez

Scripps Senior Theses

Recent years have brought increased awareness to the discriminatory treatment of Black and Latino individuals by the police, but a gap in the literature remains at the intersection of the study of criminalization and psychology. The proposed study will attempt to bridge this gap by investigating the extent to which the overcriminalization of Black and Latino high schoolers contributes to the internalization of racialized stereotypes and the development of depressive symptoms. The research will implement a correlational approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods to gather data from a sample of Black and Latino high schoolers ages 14 to 18. Participants …

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 …

Art Therapy’S Effect On The Social And Emotional Skills Of Children With Autism: A Naturalized Parent Mediated Design, Abigail Adell

Scripps Senior Theses

This study examines the effect of art therapy on the social and emotional skills of children with autism. Using sensitive design and language, participants will take the CARS2 and ADOS-2 and then undergo an eight-week art therapy program. Families will attend weekly training sessions at the autism center their child already attends for eight consecutive weeks, with each session lasting approximately 90 minutes. Parents will implement the assigned art activity at home five times per week between training sessions, with each home session lasting fifteen to twenty minutes. The program uses a naturalized parent-mediated design so topics and projects can …

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, …

Bilingual Beginnings: Expressive Language And Socio-Emotional Development In Early Childhood, Molly C. Mccormick

Scripps Senior Theses

Although research on bilingualism has expanded rapidly in recent years, the majority focuses on cognitive advantages or receptive vocabulary, or the words children understand. Far less attention has been given to how expressive language, the words children produce, and its potential role as the mechanism linking bilingual exposure to socio-emotional development. Although dual-language learners sometimes appear to have relatively limited expressive vocabularies in one language, these differences tend to reflect patterns of language use and input quality rather than true developmental delays. Even so, temporary differences in expressive skills can be especially meaningful during children’s formative years, when they rely …

Resilience As A Pathway From Openness To Eustress In College Students, Karis H. Choi

Scripps Senior Theses

College students experience high levels of stress, yet not all stress leads to negative outcomes. This study examines how personality and coping resources contribute to eustress—a positive, motivating form of stress—by investigating whether resilience mediates the relationship between openness to experience and eustress. Undergraduate participants completed baseline measures of openness and resilience before engaging in either a high-demand mental arithmetic task or a low-demand control task. Following the task, participants reported their emotional and behavioral responses using the Measure of Emotional, Physical, and Behavioral Markers of Eustress and Distress (MEDS). Consistent with expectations, individuals higher in openness were predicted to …

Exploring The Moderating Role Of Ethnic Identity In Asian American Multi-Ethnic Youths’ Sense Of Purpose And Life Satisfaction, Grace Cheung

Scripps Senior Theses

The rapid increase of interracial and interethnic families globally creates a need for researchers to understand the unique experiences and development of multi-ethnic youths’ sense of identity and purpose as they relate to well-being. Emerging research in Asian American psychology also suggests the urgency and need to reexamine the experiences of individual ethnic groups. The current study will examine the moderating role of ethnic identity in Asian American multi-ethnic youths’ sense of purpose and life satisfaction through a mixed methods approach that includes an online survey followed by an interview for a subgroup of participants. Anticipated results will show how …

An Analysis Of Eating Disorders As A Comorbidity Of Autoimmune Diseases, Madeleine Shore

Scripps Senior Theses

For many autoimmune disease patients, psychiatric conditions are a common comorbidity. Although there are many shared mechanisms between autoimmune disease and psychiatric conditions, current research surrounding mental health among autoimmune disease patients often focuses on mood disorders rather than eating disorders. Despite the high risk for developing psychiatric conditions, most autoimmune disease patients are not screened for eating disorders. This lack of screening is significant, because if an eating disorder is missed by a healthcare provider, the autoimmune or eating disorder condition could be exacerbated, resulting in severe illness or even fatality. Given an existing link between comorbid psychiatric disorders, …

Effects Of Teacher Training On Identifying Inattentive Type Adhd In Afab Students, Gabrielle A. Boles

Scripps Senior Theses

Teachers are more likely to detect hyperactive ADHD symptoms than inattentive ones, which often results in students, especially girls with inattentive symptoms, being under-referred (Willcut, 2012). This study evaluates whether a targeted, inattentive-focused, and gender responsive teacher training reduces gendered and symptom-based biases in referral decisions. K-5 teachers will be randomly assigned to receive either standard general ADHD identification training or an inattentive-focused, gender-responsive training, and will then be asked to review vignettes depicting children with hyperactive and inattentive symptoms, with varying student genders. Referral accuracy and knowledge of ADHD will be measured. Training condition, symptom presentation, and student gender …

Assessing Diagnostic Overshadowing For Co-Occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) And Eating Disorders (Ed), Eden Sweet

Scripps Senior Theses

Significant behavioral overlaps in feeding patterns are observed among individuals with eating disorders (EDs) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These behavioral similarities can blur diagnostic boundaries, contribute to diagnostic overshadowing, and consequently increase the risk of misdiagnosis and the implementation of ineffective treatment approaches. The proposed study addresses the risk of diagnostic overshadowing as it relates to the ambiguous distinction between autism-driven feeding behaviors and clinically significant eating disorders (ED) within the autistic population. Although the literature has acknowledged behavioral similarities between ASD and EDs, limited research has systematically examined how they impact diagnostic practices and influence the likelihood of …

Lights, Camera, Aggression!: Exploring The Relationship Between The Horror Genre And Criminality, Taylor M. Wanke

Scripps Senior Theses

This proposed correlational study will examine the effect of exposure and involvement with the horror genre in media and the crime genre in media on one’s antisocial personality traits, criminal thinking, criminal behavior/aggression, and morality in the general population and those who are currently incarcerated. Data will be collected through a Qualtrics survey accessed online for the general sample and printed out for the incarcerated sample. Each participant will complete exposure checklists, involvement scales for each genre, and multiple measures to record their level of each dependent variable. Data will be analyzed using a correlational analysis, 1-sample t-tests, and a …