Digital Commons Network^™

The Spiritual And Emotional Impact Of Color In Luis Barragán’S Convento De Las Capuchinas Sacramentarias, Ivana Martin

MA Theses

This thesis examines how Luis Barragán’s Convento de las Capuchinas Sacramentarias (1955) is a medium for spiritual experience. In his work, Barragán explores the use of color, light, and emotion as central elements and the ways in which they transform sacred space into an embodied, contemplative experience. There is also a comparison to other churches and other similar projects that were done during the same time period, specifically in Mexico. Modernist architecture in mid-century Mexico was largely defined by rationalist and more functional ideals, but Barragán separated himself from these tendencies to create an architecture that privileges silence, intimacy, and …

A Visual Analysis Of The Work Of Anna Weyant For Art Historical Precedent, Jordan Arnold

MA Theses

This paper examines the rapid ascent and artistic evolution of Anna Weyant, whose blend of technical rigor, stylized figuration, and sly narrative tension has positioned her as a leading name in contemporary figurative painting. While her market visibility and high-profile representation have often overshadowed critical engagement with her work, a close analysis reveals a steadily developing practice grounded in a set of consistent formal concerns: controlled light and shadow, psychologically charged compositions, and a sustained dialogue with art-historical precedents. By situating Weyant’s paintings in relation to the psychological realism of the Dutch Golden Age, the uncanny and erotic undercurrents of …

Becoming Art Itself: A Study On The Generative Logic And Discursive Structure Of Disability Art Incubation Institutions, Gonghui Lu

MA Theses

This study employs “Becoming” as its core analytical concept to examine how disability art incubation institutions operate at the intersection of contemporary art history and social systems as mechanisms that continuously generate both art and subjectivity. Building on Deleuze’s philosophy of becoming and Guattari’s notion of the rhizome, the study constructs a generative model linking art, institutions, and discourse. Through comparative analysis of international cases, it discusses the shift in disability art from a representational logic to a generative logic, and the dynamic oscillation between deterritorialization and reterritorialization within institutional practices. The study argues that disability art should not be …

From It-Girls To Obscurity: What Happened To The Stettheimer Sisters?, Catherine Pierce Higgins

MA Theses

This dissertation explores the lives and impact of the three Stettheimer sisters, Florine, Carrie and Ettie, cultural innovators, and major influencers of a distinctive, feministic strand of American modernism in New York between 1914 and 1950. The Stettheimer sisters did not use their privilege to assimilate into society but to create an alternate artistic universe, resisting the male hierarchies of the dominant avant-garde. By controlling a salon, an intellectual and creative social center where artists, writers, and intellectuals such as Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O’Keeffe and Carl Van Vechten held court, they were able to create an environment in which femininity, …

Marc Chagall And The Jewish Experience: A Personal Modernism In The Parisian Avant-Garde, Samantha Desanctis

MA Theses

Marc Chagall and the Jewish Experience: A Personal Modernism in the Parisian Avant-Garde examines the interplay between Marc Chagall’s Jewish heritage and his engagement with the Parisian avant-garde of the early twentieth century. Chagall’s upbringing in the Russian Empire deeply informed his visual language, which persisted even as he explored the techniques and innovations of modernist movements. This thesis analyzes Chagall’s early works alongside close readings of key paintings such as I and the Village, 1911, Homage to Apollinaire, 1911–12, Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers, 1912–13, and Green Violinist, 1923–24, considering symbols, colors, compositions, and recurring motifs drawn from religion, tradition, …

Reconstructing The Surreal: Female Artists And The Transformation Of Surrealist Aesthetics, Erin Regan

MA Theses

This thesis examines the role and legacy of female artists who took part in the Surrealist visual art movement of the early 20th century. Canonical accounts have historically privileged the contributions of male artists, marginalizing women to the fringes of the movement by framing female artists as being primarily relevant as muses for their male peers. This study contests this historiographical misconception, relying upon visual analysis and archival research, as well as drawing from psychological, feminist, and postmodern theory, ultimately arguing that their artistic and theoretical innovations fundamentally restructured Surrealism’s visual vocabulary, theoretical objectives, and cultural legacy. This thesis is …

Aura For Sale?: Art Merchandise And The Totalizing Culture Of Reproduction, Lily Paternoster

MA Theses

The art historical discipline largely excludes art merchandise from critical analysis, relegating it to being a marketing gimmick or gift shop opportunity. This failure to reconcile with the rapidly expanding enterprise for brand collaborations with fine artists has led to an overwhelming and unregulated commercial licensing industry, similar in mystique and ascend to that of the fine art market. Through the case studies of two post-humous artists and two living- Keith Haring, JeanMichel Basquiat, KAWS (Brian Donnelly), and Maurizio Cattelan- I argue that art merchandise exists on a constantly fluctuating scale between democratizing force and commodity. Despite its status on …

Calculated Allure: Persuasion And Dramaturgy At Art Auction, Jacqueline Vargas

MA Theses

The art auction, often perceived as a spontaneous, high-stakes marketplace, is, in fact, a meticulously constructed spectacle designed to stimulate desire and encourage buying. Through a systematic use of performance techniques and psychological triggers, the contemporary art auction utilizes dramaturgy and strategic persuasion to directly influence and shape bidder perception and behavior. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this study draws on theories from sociology, psychology, and art business studies to dissect the mechanisms of persuasion and cognitive biases at play within the saleroom. This theoretical framework is enriched by case studies and semi-structured interviews with seasoned auctioneers, providing essential insight into …

From Private Collections To Private Museums: The Evolution Of Art Collecting From Antiquity To The Digital Age, Li Yang

MA Theses

This thesis traces the historical evolution of private art collecting from its origins in antiquity to the emergence of the modern private museum and the rise of digital collecting in the twenty-first century. Through a comparative and historical framework, it examines how the act of collecting—once a symbol of power, devotion, and erudition— gradually transformed into a form of public engagement and cultural authorship. Beginning with the sacred collections of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China, the study explores how early collectors used art to assert identity, spirituality, and social hierarchy. The Renaissance redefined collecting through humanist ideals of knowledge …

From Fear To Familiarity: Folkloric Creatures And Cultural Identity In Contemporary Japanese And Filipino Art, Mariel Yulo Asuncion

MA Theses

Mythological and folkloric creatures have evolved beyond their traditional contexts to serve as tools through which contemporary artists reinterpret and express colonial memory, cultural experiences, and social anxieties. Both Japan and the Philippines mobilize their folkloric monsters as forms of commentary on modern conditions; however, they do so in distinct ways shaped by their differing cultural histories and belief systems. This study aims to analyze and compare how Japanese and Filipino contemporary artists reinterpret folkloric creatures within modern contexts. Employing a qualitative, comparative cultural analysis alongside a sociohistorical framework, this research investigates the contemporary reinterpretation of mythological creatures in both …

Cancel Culture: A Battle Of Headlines, Not Meanings, Nataliia Sapyrkina

MA Theses

This work explores the phenomenon of “cancel culture”, with a specific emphasis on the repercussions for Russian art, artists, and cultural institutions following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. The study examines “cancel culture” as a reputational sanctions mechanism functioning across the modern media landscape. By analyzing selected case studies this paper addresses cases of performance cancellations, institutional distancing, the termination of cooperation with donors, and the revision of artwork attributions. Crucially, Russia’s exclusion from the dialogue is driven both by direct legal grounds, namely sanctions, and by indirect technical factors or those arising from the internal structure …

Investigating The Determinants Of Fight Dynamics In The Minotaur Beetle Typhaeus Typhoeus, Amy Bromley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

It is widely accepted that the main determinants of contest outcome are resource value, residency status, and resource holding potential, with each of these playing an important role in determining contest behaviour. Examples of resource holding potential are morphological traits such as body size and weaponry. Animals that possess weaponry can exhibit different morphotypes, such as size difference in horns, which can lead to differences in contest behaviour, with larger morphotypes engaging in head-to-head combat, while smaller morphotypes can avoid combat altogether. One such species that possess weapons in the form of horns and engages in physical combat, is the …

Investigating The Potential Utilisation Of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens) As An Alternative Protein Source In Tilapia And Carp Feed, Sahya Maulu

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Three experimental trials were conducted to evaluate defatted black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) larvae meal and BSF frass as alternative protein ingredients. Defatted BSF larvae meal was tested in diets for both Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio), whereas BSF frass was assessed only in Nile tilapia.In the first experiment, dietary inclusion of 20% and 40% BSF meal, replacing mainly soybean meal (SBM) and corn gluten meal (CGM), was evaluated in Nile tilapia over 5 weeks. BSF improved growth and feed utilisation in a dose-dependent manner, increased posterior intestinal fold length, muscularis thickness, and goblet cell …

Trialing A Novel Method Of Skin Mucus Sampling To Measure Stress And Reproductive Steroid Hormones In Mobula Species Mobula Alfredi And Mobula Munkiana, Bethany Faulkner

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Anthropogenic pressures, exacerbated by exceptionally slow population growth, have led to all mobulid species being listed on the IUCN Red List. Understanding stress and reproductive physiology is essential for improving mobulid conservation strategies. However, few studies have investigated the hormonal processes that underlie stress responses and reproductive physiology in mobulids. Studies on fish species have identified positive correlations between steroid hormone concentrations in blood and skin mucus, the collection of the latter being a much less invasive technique. This pilot study examined the feasibility of using skin mucus as a non-invasive matrix for detecting steroid hormones in two mobulid species. …

Detection Of Bacterial Internalization In Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa) Leaves Grown In Aquaponic Systems With Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) Under Microbial Challenge, Angélica Adiação Jossefa, Leonildo Dos Anjo Viagem, Karoline Moreira Barbuio, Brunno Da Silva Cerozi, Sebastian Wilson Chenyambuga

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Aquaponic systems are increasingly recognized as sustainable technologies for integrated fish and vegetable production. However, concerns remain regarding the potential internalization of human pathogens into vegetables grown in these systems. This study assessed the risk of pathogen internalization in lettuce leaves grown in aquaponic systems with Nile tilapia challenged with Escherichia coli or Vibrio cholerae. The system comprised nine fish tanks, eighteen hydroponic pipes, and eighty-one lettuce plants, with tanks assigned to three treatments. Samples of water, fish gut, fish blood, and lettuce leaves were collected. Microbiological analyses included selective culture, biochemical assays, and molecular identification. Although colonies consistent with …

Bioeconomic Optimization Of Zinc And Iron Agronomic Biofortification In Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata [L.] Walp.) In Mozambique Under Tropical Field Conditions, Tancredo José Carlos Carlos, Leonel Domingos Moiana, Omar Jorge Sabbag, Boniface Hussein J. Massawe

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Agronomic biofortification with zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) has emerged as a promising approach to enhance crop productivity while improving food and nutritional security. However, fertilizer recommendations based exclusively on maximum biological yield may not maximize farmers’ economic returns. This study integrated agronomic and economic analyses to identify the biologically and economically optimal Zn and Fe fertilization strategies for cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) under tropical field conditions in Mozambique. A randomized complete block design with a 3 × 4 × 4 factorial arrangement was used to evaluate three fertilization methods (soil, foliar, and combined soil + foliar) and …

Evaluating Quahog (Mercenaria Mercenaria) Nursery Methods And Production Costs To Support Diversification Of Maine’S Fisheries And Aquaculture Sector, Hannah G. Wolf

Honors Theses

Populations of wild and farmed quahogs in Maine are expanding, driven by warming waters, declining soft-shell clam populations, and the need to diversify fisheries. The Northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) is a potential species to diversify Maine’s marine sector, as its geographical range is expanding, and they appear more resistant to green crab predation. Enhancing wild quahog stock provides economic and social advantages for both the aquaculture and wild harvest industries. However, there is limited understanding about the commercial viability of producing quahog seed on existing farms for wild shellfish enhancement in Maine. This research, part of a larger NOAA …

Review Of Hayek's Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots Of The Populist Right, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Audio-Visual Essay Assessment In Initial Teacher Education: An Exploration Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Experiences, Kristina Turner, Andrea Ng

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Assessment in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) plays an important role in shaping Pre-Service Teachers’ (PSTs) understanding of assessment in their future classroom practices. While research highlights the value of authentic and multimodal assessment in higher education, little is known about the use of audio-visual essay assessments within ITE. This qualitative interpretive study explored PSTs’ experiences of completing an audio-visual essay assessment in an Australian undergraduate ITE course. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 PSTs and analysed using an inductive qualitative thematic analysis informed by Saldaña’s two-cycle coding framework. Three themes were identified: initial apprehension and overcoming challenges, advantages …

Research-Based Learning For Pre-Service Teachers’ Meta-Reflexivity: Insights From English Language Teacher Education In Türkiye, İrem Çomoğlu, Eda Ceylan, Eda Akgün-Özpolat, Kenan Dikilitaş

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Drawing on Cramer et al.’s (2023) framework for meta-reflexive teacher education, we conducted a case study to examine how research-based learning (RbL) helps pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop meta-reflexivity. The data was collected in an undergraduate course in Türkiye where 81 PSTs engaged in RbL through developing, explaining, and exploring their pedagogical puzzles (PPs). Analysis of data from written reflections and class recordings generated themes indicating that PSTs began to adopt a meta-reflexive stance through a set of research and reflection practices involved in their puzzle exploration processes. The study suggests that RbL may be a promising approach for fostering PSTs’ …

Perceptions Of Georgia Elementary School Administrators Toward Elementary Agricultural Education, Addie Tucker

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Elementary agricultural education (EAE) is a growing component of K-12 agricultural education, yet limited research exists on how school leaders perceive its value. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of Georgia elementary school administrators regarding the implementation and value of EAE programs. Specifically, this study examined elementary principals’ and district superintendents’ views on the benefits, effectiveness, and value of EAE. A descriptive research design was used. Georgia elementary principals and district superintendents with active EAE programs during the 2025-2026 academic year were surveyed in the fall of 2025. The sample consisted of 18 principals and 18 …

Identifying The Knowledge And Skills That Students Enrolled In Agricultural Systems Technology Degree Programs Need: Perspectives From University Faculty, Jerry Blake Kennedy

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

National trends have highlighted the need for a knowledgeable, skilled workforce in advanced agricultural systems. University-level Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) undergraduate degree programs and closely-related degree programs are vital to equipping the agricultural workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to support the industry. Ensuring that AST curricula are relevant and appropriate is vital to equipping undergraduate students in such programs with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the modern agricultural workforce. This study sought to identify the essential knowledge and skills needed by undergraduate AST degree program students from the perspectives of university-level faculty across the …

Exploring Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Experienced Teachers In Agricultural Animal Reproduction: A Grounded Theory, Amanda Wooditch

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Teaching agricultural animal reproduction requires a specialized integration of scientific content knowledge and instructional strategies, conceptualized as Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). While PCK has been widely studied in other disciplines, research on its development and application in agricultural education has been limited. This qualitative study utilized grounded theory methodology to explore the PCK of experienced high school agriculture teachers in Georgia as they taught animal reproduction.

Twenty educators, each with a minimum of eight years of classroom experience, participated in the study through semi-structured interviews, lesson artifacts, and memos. Analysis, guided by Gess-Newsome’s (2015) Model of Teacher Professional Knowledge and …

Influences On Student College-Major Decision And Satisfaction Rate Among Students In The School Of Agriculture, Danielle Shafer

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence students to choose agriculture majors and agriculture careers and measure the level of satisfaction with their major based on these influences. There are many factors that influence students to choose a major in college and college-major satisfaction. These influences and satisfaction with major may have an impact on a student’s decision to choose a college career path. Some of the influences mentioned in studies are family, friends, educators, extension programs, clubs, financial, and recruitment efforts. The degree to which each of these influence students may depend on the …

Comprehensive Postsecondary Transition Planning For Students With Intellectual Disability In Florida, Sonia Y. Clark-Rosier

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the impact of early transition planning on parents’ postsecondary expectations for their child with an intellectual disability and to examine the benefits of planning, particularly when considering higher education opportunities. This study also probed the factors that contribute to the development of self-efficacy in special education teachers facilitating comprehensive transition planning. Schlossberg’s transition theory, with its four S’s—situation, support, self, and strategies—served as the theoretical framework. The data collection methods were document analysis, focus groups with special education teachers, high school teachers, and parents, and researcher observations. Seven themes emerged to …

The Economic Impact Of The Georgia Young Farmers Association On Georgia's Economy, Robert E. Bodiford Iii

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Agriculture is Georgia’s largest economy, generating billions of dollars annually. Sustaining this sector requires ongoing investment in human capital through education, training, and leadership development. While research has extensively examined youth agricultural education, limited attention has been given to the economic contributions of adult agricultural education programs. The Georgia Young Farmers Association serves as a primary provider of structured adult agricultural education in the state, offering continuing education through meetings, farm tours, workshops, and leadership development activities. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic impact of the Georgia Young Farmers Association on Georgia’s economy[BL1] . The …

"It's Dangerous To Go Alone": Examining Npcs As Influential Social Agents In An Original Single-Player Rpg, Chloe Bella Whitfield

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Parasocial Interactions (PSI) and Parasocial Relationships (PSR) may have the capacity to act as an extension of and supplement for healthy social interaction (Elvery, 2021). In some instances, PSI and PSR may even be used as a means to improve unfulfilled social needs and decrease feelings of loneliness (Jarzyna, 2021). It has been noted that digital media such as video games may produce parasocial encounters that are particularly unique, as they often simulate realistic, back-and-forth social interactions between users and a virtual agent (Elvery, 2022; Hartmann, 2008). The present study observed PSR formation between players and a non-player character (NPC) …

An Excellent Genealogy Of The Core Concepts Of Indian Contract Law: A Review Of Dr. Shivprasad Swaminathan’S “A Historical Introduction To Indian Contract Law” (Routledge 2025), Katy Barnett

National Law School of India Review

This review discusses Dr Shivprasad Swaminathan’s new book, ‘A Historical Introduction to Indian Contract Law’, including his discussion of the history of Indian contract law, formation of contracts, contractual consideration, privity, contractual vitiating factors, frustration, damages and stipulated sums, and unjustified enrichment. As noted in the last chapter of Dr Swaminathan’s book, the discussion goes to the very heart of the common law itself and how it operates. We can all learn from the Indian experience of codification.

Entendre L’Inouï: Resonance, Volume, And Transduction In Gilbert Gatore’S Le Passé Devant Soi, Rebecca Saunders

Faculty Publications – English

This paper analyses three features of sound – resonance, volume, and transduction – in Gilbert Gatore’s novel of memory and the Rwandan genocide, Le passé devant soi [The Past Before Us]. Theorising two modes of resonance in Gatore’s novel – thematic and semiotic – I demonstrate how the novel is structured by semantic forms of resonance, how those resonances incite significance, and how they are augmented by a semiotic resonance that produces “vibratory meanings”. I subsequently examine the novel’s depiction of shatteringly loud volume, its ability to obliterate thought, and to cause physical harm. Elaborating reasons why the …

Holding The Past Carefully In Players’ Hands: Historically-Structured Boardgames And The Troubles In History Education, Hugh D. O'Donnell

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

Controversial histories, such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, are often excluded from formal education, forming a "null curriculum" due to their political sensitivity, emotional difficulty, and risk of bias or re-traumatising students. To address this, Historically-Structured Boardgames (HSBGs) offer an innovative pedagogical approach, engaging students cognitively and emotionally while navigating sensitive historical terrain.

HSBGs like "The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998" embed players within historically accurate socio-political and economic structures, emphasising player agency and the consequences of their actions. Players assume roles from six factions, confronting ethically charged "Narrative Cards" representing critical historical decision points. The game's …