Digital Commons Network^™

Why Does The U.S. Still Practice The Death Penalty? An Application Of Waltz's Three Images, Anika Tracy

University Honors Program Senior Projects

The United States is the only Western democracy that still practices the death penalty, and legal scholars, domestic politics scholars, and comparativists have written extensively about American capital punishment. In this thesis, I will synthesize this scholarship to present a multifaceted explanation for America’s uniquely continued use of the death penalty through Kenneth Waltz’s three “images” or levels of analysis. While Waltz’s three levels of analysis is an established theory in the field of international relations (IR), the utilization of IR theory for an analysis of American capital punishment is particularly enriching because death penalty abolition is a norm in …

Music Is Medicine: Addressing Legal Challenges In An Emerging Clinical Practice, Basha Goldwater

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

Music is universally experienced, and most will recognize its profound personal impact; yet, music’s broader influence on society is yet to be fully explored. People may listen to music when they are sad, when they are seeking motivation, or as a way to relax. However, music extends beyond expression, entertainment, and an outlet for emotions. Research indicates that music can offer substantial benefits to patients in a plethora of medical situations.

Part I of this Note will explain the usefulness of music as medical care, its advantages, and the broad range of institutional support music-based medicine has garnered. Part II …

Post-Secular Revitalization Of Religion: Ukranian Experience Of Social Initiatives By Churches As A Moral Alternative To The Russian "Theology" Of War, Iryna Horokholinska, Sviatoslav Vaskul, Oleksandr Brodetskyi, Andriy Kvik

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the processes of religious revitalization in Ukrainian society under wartime conditions and their institutional manifestations. It explores how religious institutions engage with the public sphere and their role in the ethically oriented transformation of suffering, turning individual trauma into socially constructive practice. The study draws on innovations in the activities of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, other Christian denominations, as well as Muslim and Jewish communities in Ukraine. It presents the Ukrainian model of religious revitalization as a social practice shaped by institutional autonomy and interfaith coordination. Particular attention is given to …

Andrews University Press 2026 Booklist, Andrews University Press

Booklists

No abstract provided.

Andrews University Press 2026 Booklist, Andrews University Press

Booklists

No abstract provided.

Document, Curriculum Vitae, Ellen Davies-Rodgers, 1991

Documents

A copy of Ellen Davies-Rodgers' Curriculum Vitae, Davies Plantation, Brunswick, Tennessee, 1991.

Suicidal Ideation As Regulation: Exploring Dispositional Factors, Risk, And Comfort In Those With Suicidality, Christopher Francis Weller

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Despite decades of research, suicide rates remain high, suggesting that risk-factor approaches have not captured the complexity of suicidality (Cai, Chang, & Yip, 2020; Hjelmeland, 2016; Milner, Robinaugh, & Nock, 2020). Contemporary theories have emphasized understanding suicidal ideation (SI) as part of a developmental process (Joiner, 2010; Klonsky & May, 2015). Emerging research has suggested that, for some, SI serves an emotion regulation function, but individual differences in this remain underexplored (Coppersmith et al., 2018; Kleiman et al., 2018). This study examined SI as a regulation strategy by integrating the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, attachment theory, and models of emotion …

Between Two Worlds: Acculturation And The Self In The Disaffiliation From Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, Gitel Perel Gordon

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Disaffiliates from the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community exhibit particularly high rates of psychopathology and face a variety of social, psychological, and cultural challenges when they step away from their insular religious communities. The present study built on the disaffiliation-as-immigration framework to explore how disaffiliates negotiate acculturation to mainstream secular society. Specifically, the study investigated how a sample (N=256) of U.S.-based Ultra-Orthodox disaffiliates relate to both the mainstream (secular society) and heritage (Ultra-Orthodox) cultures, and how these processes shape identity and psychological adjustment. Participants completed a series of self-report measures assessing aspects of their acculturation process, self-concept, and psychological well-being, as well …

Prescriptive Behaviors: Tracking The Social Impact Of Film Portrayals Of Black Men, Garfield Ronald Benjamin

Theses and Dissertations

Cinematic and televisual media express the thoughts and emotions of people and cultures with the potential of unifying people through the social realities that are created around the visuals, narratives, and on-screen interpersonal interactions. Through media like film, television, and short-form online video, people interact with others in ways that, because of barriers like physical distance and/or social structures, they may not be able to in real life. The images, sounds, and stories depict their own realities, which are consumed, interpreted, and understood by viewers and can inform their perceptions and interpersonal interactions. Stuart Hall, Jamaican-British, cultural theorist, and political …

African American Women’S Engagement In The Black Liberation Struggle At Home And Abroad 1910-1977, Ryhaan Ameena Shakoor

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies the major social and political events of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of seven African American women, Mary Church Terrell, Amy Jacques Garvey, Claudia Jones, Salaria Kea, Eslanda Robeson, Maida Springer and Shirley Graham Du Bois. It brings to light the significance of their efforts in the fight against racism, fascism, colonialism, apartheid and neo-colonialism in the United States and abroad. As the history of the Black liberation struggle was mostly dominated by male historians and writers, this work demonstrates that amongst others, these seven African American women made gender an important component to …

Have Gun, Will Travel: The Domestic Intelligence Implications Of Travel-To-Target Distances In Domestic Violent Extremist Attacks, Kyle W. Mcdonnell

Theses and Dissertations

Domestic violent extremist (DVE) attacks in the U.S. present a fluid and dynamic threat to national security. While past research has extensively examined the ideological drivers of DVE violence, relatively little focus has been placed on their geographic mobility, particularly how far DVE actors travel from their hometowns to attack sites and what insights this provides for intelligence and law enforcement. This dissertation explores how geographic proximity, ideological motivation, and logistical constraints shape DVE travel patterns. Using a comprehensive dataset covering U.S.-based DVE incidents from 2001 to 2025, this study employs a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative geospatial analysis with qualitative …

Exploratory Research Into U.S.-Based College/University Population Perceptions And Security Responses To On-Campus Active Shooter Incidents, Donald E. Stanton

Theses and Dissertations

On-campus active shooter incidents challenge U.S.-based Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) as they are usually only identifiable after the first shot. My mixed-methods, exploratory study was conducted to fill gaps in the limited research regarding on-campus active shooter incidents. Using purposive sampling, I identified two IHL security directors for the initial qualitative phase of my research. I conducted separate virtual interviews to discuss active shooter-specific responses, policies, procedures, security measures, potential active shooter-specific security systems, and their views on the importance of open-campus learning and social environments. We also discussed their active shooter response postures and whether they believed their …

2026-2027 Catalog, Governors State University

Catalogs

The 2026-2027 Governors State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog is a comprehensive listing of current information regarding:
Degree Requirements
Course Offerings
Undergraduate and Graduate Rules and Regulations

Public Image Vs. Patient Experience: A Comparative Study Of Children's Hospitals, Abigail M. Giles

Program in Community Action (PICA)

This study examines the divergence between the curated digital brand identities of children’s hospitals and the lived experiences of their patients. Focusing on how institutions carry out their marketing objectives whilst navigating a “manipulated public sphere” on social media to maintain institutional viability and gain philanthropic support, a qualitative content analysis of 1,618 social media posts from Instagram and Facebook and 239 Google Reviews from 2023-2025 was performed. The analysis compares the difference in content curation of urban children’s hospitals and rural children’s hospitals, collecting posts from Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth. Key findings include the use …

Educational Inequality In Health Insurance Coverage Before And After The Affordable Care Act, Madelaine R. Adamich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Health insurance and health care accessibility have historically been ongoing issues within the United States. Two key factors associated with the likelihood of an individual being insured are educational attainment and income. The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has been the largest overhaul of health care in the US to date, aimed to reduce disparities in health insurance coverage and health care accessibility. My research analyzes the extent to which the ACA succeeded in reducing disparities related to educational attainment. To examine the ACA’s effects, I utilize the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data from 2008 and 2015 …

Indigenous Land Seizure & Environmental Injustice: Impacts Of Settler Colonialism, Lydia Moorman

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The fields of conservation and environmentalism prioritize ecosystem health, yet both emerged from western frameworks that displaced and criminalized Indigenous land stewardship. The idealization of “pristine wilderness” narratives served to justify the removal of Indigenous peoples from their homelands and erased millennia of sustainable land stewardship that had maintained ecological balance long before western conservation existed. These narratives not only misrepresented Indigenous relationship with land but also constructed a false dichotomy between humans and nature that positioned Indigenous presence as a threat rather than a source of ecological knowledge. Simultaneously, anthropogenic expansion; such as pipelines, mining, railroads, and other extractive …

Small Mammal Communities Within And Land Coverage Around Southwestern Missouri Prairies, Kaitlyn J. Bebensee

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Land alterations can reduce the amount of suitable habitat necessary for persistence of an associated species. Within such constrained habitats, limited resources may elicit competition, which could cause shifts in abundance and occurrence of species. Missouri prairies have been declining in size, making it imperative to collect reference data on mammal populations within and land use types around remnants. For this study, I trapped small mammals in Southwestern Missouri prairies because they can be indicators of environmental health and can vary in abundance between prairies. I focus on the diet of two dominant small mammals, Peromyscus maniculatus and Microtus ochrogaster …

The Use Of Performance Feedback To Decrease Latency Of Clinical Documentation, Taylor Reynolds

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Organizational behavior management (OBM) applies behavior-analytic principles to workplace settings. This study evaluated the effects of performance feedback on documentation latency among full-time staff in an ABA clinic. Reducing documentation latency is intended to improve the timeliness and accuracy of clinical documentation and to reduce risk related to non-reimbursement and liability. An ABABC design was used to evaluate the effects of performance feedback and the addition of a lottery reinforcement system on documentation latency. For each participant, the sequence consisted of a standard feedback phase (A), an enhanced feedback phase (B), a return to standard feedback phase (A), a reintroduction …

Resilient Voices: A Proposed Support Group For Latina Middle Schoolers, Vanessa G. Leon

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The transition to middle school represents a critical developmental period characterized by significant social, emotional, physical, and cognitive changes. For Latina adolescents, this transition may be further complicated by cultural, environmental, and systemic stressors that increase vulnerability to mental health concerns. This doctoral specialization project addresses the need for culturally responsive mental health interventions designed to support the well-being of Latina middle school students during this developmental stage. The project presents Juntas Podemos, a school-based support group intervention that integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills within a culturally responsive framework to promote emotional well-being, …

Education And The Maternal Childcare Gap: Evidence From The Uk Covid-19 Pandemic, Lara Bakhaya

Honors Theses

This paper examines whether college education shapes working mothers’ access to remote work, flexible working, and childcare hours in the United Kingdom, and whether COVID-19 school closures amplified these inequalities. Using data from the UK Time Use Survey (2016–2021), a repeated cross-sectional diary dataset spanning the pre-pandemic period and five COVID-19 waves, this paper estimates weighted logistic and ordinary least squares regressions on a sample of married or cohabiting, employed mothers. School closures serve as a natural experiment, providing an exogenous shock to caregiving demands that affected all mothers simultaneously regardless of education level. College education significantly predicted working from …

Gender-Diverse State Legislative Candidates In The United States: Identity Used Strategically On Campaign Websites, Nicholas Mossman

Honors Theses

In this honors thesis, I evaluate how transgender, nonbinary, and other gender-diverse state legislative candidates in the United States use their campaign websites to communicate messages related to gender identity to voters, and the potential effects of communication on electoral success. I used a dataset of eighty-nine candidates between 2014 and 2024, and coded fifty-four candidate websites to measure how candidates describe their personal identity and communicate about issues related to gender identity, like LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination and gender-affirming care. While existing research evaluates how voters respond to LGBTQ+ candidates, this thesis examines how candidates potentially attract voters through their campaign …

“What Are The Security Issues Surrounding Cislunar Space And Lunar Resources? How Do Theories Of International Politics And Territory Apply To Those Issues?”, Ina Loka

Honors Theses

In the recent decades, cislunar space has attracted significant interest among the biggest spacefaring nations, Russia, China, and the United States. Cislunar space is no longer a distant subject solely associated with scientific studies. It has become a crucial domain in the conduct of military operations and its importance has been increasingly emphasised in these states’ military doctrines. In an environment where the intentions of other actors are hard to determine and where there is a high degree of uncertainty, these three states are ramping up their (counter)space capabilities in order to protect themselves from any adversarial attacks, and to …

The Great Divide: The Relationship Between Perceived Immorality And The Work Of Artists, Caelyn R. Anderson

Psychology | Senior Theses

The psychological response one has when viewing art depends heavily on contextual understanding. More specifically, when a viewer learns negative biographical information about perceived immorality of an artist, it can negatively affect their relationship with that artist's work (Kaube et al., 2023). The sample was made up of 134 participants randomly assigned to one of two groups exposed to either positive or negative information about the artist Paul Gauguin. After viewing information, participants were shown three different paintings, before being asked to respond to an intentionality scale, and two art reception scales. An independent samples t-test showed that there is …

Joe Mastrangelo '76-Judy Heldman Oxman '71, Joseph Mastrangelo, Judy Oxman

Alumni Oral History Project

No abstract provided.

Resilience Shields And Grit Intensifies Subjective Cognitive Decline In Middle‐To‐Older Aged Black Americans, Sunkanmi Folorunsho, Maria Clark, Obinna Odo, Yolanda L. Jackson, Candidus C. Nwakasi, Darlingtina K. Esiaka

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: There is growing interest on the relationship between psychosocial factors and cognitive health trajectories in adulthood. While grit and resilience have been shown to influence health outcomes, their differential effects on subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in Black American adults remain understudied. The purpose of this study is to help fill this gap.

Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional research design. Black American participants (N = 242; Mean age = 44.32) responded to a survey assessing SCD, grit, resilience, and sociodemographic factors. Linear regression analysis was performed to test the associations between grit and resilience and SCD, and to …

Reorienting Library Technology Through Slowness And Care, Sanjeet Mann

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

Nearly all operations and services in contemporary libraries are mediated by technology. This makes systems and technology work an important place in the organization from which to address issues of time, power and culture.

In this essay, published as a chapter in a collection of essays about Slow Librarianship, I describe the origins of the associations between time, speed and technology in Western society. I articulate an alternative understanding of technology as relational, grounded in the needs and lived experience of those who work in and use libraries. I draw from several emerging concepts, including Slow Librarianship, feminist ethics of …

Taking Up Space: A Love Letter To Healing, Heartbreak, And Hairspray, Hailee Amerson

Honors Program Theses

An Honors Thesis disguised as a one-woman show, "Taking Up Space: A Love Letter to Healing, Heartbreak, and Hairspray" is a cabaret revue-style performance. Through original monologues, and songs from the musical theatre canon, this cabaret takes audiences through where plus-size women fit (or do not fit) in the theatre industry. The piece takes a sociological perspective, beginning with the history of beauty and health standards, while asking audiences to confront their own views on what it means to be "fat". Interspersed through the show is my own story of growing up fat in an industry where thin is “in”, …

The Machine And The Masses: A Sociolinguistic Study Of Ai Political Rhetoric, Yaseen Tasnif

2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects

With increased use of and access to generative Artificial Intelligence, or AI, political communications have begun to see its influence, leading to the question of how this AI generated political rhetoric is received. In previous research, AI output has been extensively researched and indexed, highlighting specific qualities such as overly polished speech as indicators of use. Research has also been done on perception and detectability of AI, showing that people can accurately identify AI-generated text, but tend to be overconfident. However, such research has not been done in the context of political rhetoric, which is consumed in different ways than …

University Of Richmond Magazine - Spring 2026

University of Richmond Magazine

No abstract provided.

A Living Epidemic: The Persistence Of Tuberculosis In Contemporary Indigenous Alaska, Sharon Kim , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.