Digital Commons Network^™

From Feeling To Faith: How Affective Experience Gives Rise To Religion, Asia Wewel

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This paper argues that religion is the intelligible, structured response to distinct pressures arising from within human experience itself. Drawing on Schleiermacher, Otto, Kant, and Becker, the paper traces religion's emergence through four phases. The first establishes that religious feeling is pre-conceptual and categorically distinct from ordinary emotion. The second works through Otto's correction of Schleiermacher: the genuinely religious encounter is not dependence intensified but the numinous. The third shows that Kant, arriving from an entirely different direction, reaches the same destination: practical reason diagnoses a radical evil the will cannot correct alone, demanding an ethical commonwealth that mirrors …

Analysis Of The Effects Of Astaxanthin On Human Colorectal Cancer Cells, Kara A. Walters

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Astaxanthin (AXT) is an antioxidant carotenoid that is produced by the microalgae Haemococcus pluvialis. This supplement is best known for its potential health benefits including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, immunomodulatory, anticancer and antidiabetic activities. Astaxanthin is marketed as an oral dietary supplement and is widely used in the nutraceutical industry as well as a coloring agent in the food industry. Since Astaxanthin has been increasingly popular as a dietary supplement, cytotoxicity is relevant to consumer exposure. Obtaining the IC50, the concentration that inhibits 50% of cell growth, is important to find how Astaxanthin may interact with cancer, and this can be found …

Effects Of Ddgs And/Or Canola Meal On Rumen Microbiome Of Growing Steers, Santana Hanson, Ean Wetzel, Benoit St-Pierre, Jose Gonzalez, Ana Clara Baiao Menezes

Animal Science Research Report 2026

No abstract provided.

“Shaken Off The Shamefast Band”: Lady Knights In 16th Century Italian And English Romance Epics, Rita Lawlor

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the depiction of female knights in three romance epics, the Orlando Furioso (1532), the Gerusalemme Liberata (1581), and the Faerie Queene (1590, 1596). As a hybridized genre, the romance epic is forced to mediate the political imperatives of Vergilian epic with romance’s centralization of individual desires. The lady knight serves as a reflection of this generic hybridization due to her origins in both the Aeneid and the Italian romance cycle. The central role of the lady knight within romance epic becomes precarious, as Vergilian epic necessitates that she remains a marginal figure within the text, because she …

Caribbean Sea Fan Health And Disease: Investigating Aspergillosis At Cayos Cochinos, Honduras, Jayden Ponsford

Theses & ETDs

Coral reefs represent one of the most biologically rich environments on the planet, providing habitat, protection, and resources for numerous marine species. Soft corals, particularly gorgonians, are essential to reef health by providing environmental services such as habitat, food, and nutrient cycling. However, these organisms are increasingly threatened by environmental stress and disease, including the fungal pathogen Aspergillus sydowii (Bainier & Sartory Thom & Church 1926), which commonly infects Gorgonia ventalina and G. flabellum (sea fans). They are eukaryotic organisms belonging to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, order Alcyonacea, family Gorgoniidae, and genus Gorgonia. In this study, I …

Death Is Life: A Terror Management Perspective On The Relationship Between Spiritual Music And Death Anxiety, Opal Phillips

Theses & ETDs

To explain how people cope with fears of death, Terror Management Theory (TMT) proposes that individuals use two mechanisms to defend against unconscious death anxiety: cultural worldview (CWV) and self-esteem (SE). CWV is the environment one immerses themself into and internalizes to gain a sense of immortality, whereas SE is the extent to which an individual feels like they are upholding the standards of their CWV. The present study seeks evidence that may lead to the development of more accessible forms of exposure therapy by evaluating whether spiritual music can alleviate death anxiety. Participants (n = 72) listened to two …

Seeing Emily, Zoe Muska

Theses & ETDs

“Seeing Emily” is a novella length work about Iris, a young woman who is returning to her hometown with her seven year old daughter after leaving an abusive marriage. When Iris left her small, nosy, hometown to go to college, she never wanted to go back. As a child, she and her two friends used to play a game where they got to be witches in the woods during recess. Then the three girls stumbled upon the body of another little girl, Emily. The novella switches between the past and present timelines as Iris is forced to return home and …

Significant Others: The Intersection Of Memory, Display, And Object Agency In Personal Material Culture, Molly Branham

Theses & ETDs

This thesis explores the complex, reciprocal relationship between individuals and their personal objects, framed through the interdependent network of display, object agency, and memory. Grounded in ethnographic fieldwork with young adults in Florida and Virginia, the research argues that domestic objects are not passive items but active participants that space a person’s identity and physical environment. Through the practice of display, individuals exercise agency by choosing what to exhibit and how to organize their space, which in turn regulates the visibility and emotional presences of the memories tied to those objects. The study further highlights how objects serve as physical …

"Naija First Aid Al" - A Voice-Activated First Aid Assistant In Local Nigerian Languages, Esther Blessing Onoruke

Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media Culminating Experience

There are now major structural obstacles preventing Nigerian households from receiving emergency care right away. Manageable domestic events can turn into avoidable tragedies due to language barriers, delayed emergency response times, and a lack of basic first aid expertise. In addition to these health issues, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) continues to be a serious epidemic where survivors cannot safely seek assistance due to social shame and unequal power dynamics. A contemporary equivalent that is suited to the low-resource settings of today is required, much as the introduction of first aid manuals in 1901 effectively taught the public and democratized emergency care. …

Designing A Digital Media Experience: An Abundant Reflection On A Personal Journey In Higher Education, Student Experience, And The Adobe Creative Suite, Madison E. Warner

Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media Culminating Experience

This rumination is a capstone reflection iterating the importance of brand identity when designing, and how good design is directly tied to successful events. The author reflects their personal journey through working in the industry, to their time working for an academic institution designing events for students pursuing higher education. Directly correlating their experience as a Digital Designer at a marketing firm, the author talks about the foundation that makes an event successful through measured means of defining identity, recognition, and maintaining a consistent, professional brand. Within this paper, the author highlights some of their experience in large-scale event orchestration, …

Trinities In World Mythology: Why Separate Cultures Construct The Same Cosmology, Autumn Scott

Undergraduate Fellows' Research

Numerous cultures throughout the world construct mythologies and cosmologies which include a triad, triple deity, or three world cosmology. Specifically, this refers either to belief in a singular deity with three forms, belief in a distinct group of three divine beings with a common characteristic, or belief in three cosmic realms, such as the human world, underworld, and divine world. This phenomenon occurs within Europe, South Asia and East Asia, as well as North America. While many may be familiar with the Greek Moirai and the Christian trinity, this pattern appears well beyond the ancient and medieval cultures who inhabited …

How Does The Rise Of Ai-Generated Media Influence Public Trust In Audiovisual Communication?, Danny Mathew

Communications and Digital Media Theses

This study examines how the rise of AI-generated media influences public trust in audiovisual communication. As artificial intelligence technology advances, they have become capable of producing highly realistic images and videos that challenge traditional assumptions about the credibility of audiovisual media. This research uses a qualitative visual content analysis to compare AI-generated and authentic audiovisual content shared on social media platforms, specifically on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. A dataset of 30 media samples was evaluated using a structured coding framework that evaluated visual realism, facial and visual inconsistencies, contextual presentation, indicators of AI generation, and perceived credibility. The …

Open Space Management Planning: A Framework And Case Study From Eagle Mountain City, Utah, Nathan K. Shumway

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Open Space Management Plans (OSMPs) are increasingly used by municipalities to guide the long-term stewardship of natural lands; however, little formal guidance exists regarding how these plans are structured, developed, or organized in practice. While numerous OSMPs are publicly available, their compositional logic, procedural workflows, and thematic priorities remain largely undocumented within academic literature. This study addresses that gap through a qualitative document analysis of fifteen publicly accessible OSMPs from the western United States, published between 2015 and 2024.

Using manual matrix-based coding in Microsoft Excel, each plan was analyzed through three lenses: structural composition, procedural development, and thematic content. …

Which Energy Expenditure Equation Is Most Accurate In A Field-Based Setting?, Merrill C. Ward

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Several energy expenditure prediction equations for walking on varied terrain exist; however, these predictions are often theoretical and have not undergone rigorous field testing for accuracy. Field research on this topic is sparse. The aim of this study was to determine if any existing energy expenditure prediction equations are accurate in a field-based setting with load and gradient being taken into account (i.e., under conditions that are most applicable to day hiking). This was done by directly measuring relative VO₂ (ml/kg/min) of study participants and comparing these direct measurements to the values generated from the existing prediction equations. Fifteen …

Selected Projects In Scenic Design And Theatre Technologies, Daniel T. Simons

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This Plan B Report documents the development, execution, and evolution of my scenic design practice during my MFA at Utah State University, using four major productions—You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Xanadu, Annie, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory—as case studies in innovation, sustainability, and ethical design. Beginning with Charlie Brown, the report examines how a concept-driven approach rooted in research, simplicity, and technological integration established a foundation for sustainable scenic practices. Through detailed analysis of venue constraints, projection mapping, modular construction, and collaborative workflows, the project demonstrates how visual storytelling can emerge from …

The Beat Behind The Bark: Investigating The Effects Of Music Tempo On Canine Physiological And Psychological States, Marley Lanier

Poster Presentations

Music is a universal component of human culture that has been demonstrated influencing emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses, specifically heart rate and hormonal responses (Mehr et al., 2019; Trappe, 2012). Recently, this research has expended to explore how music may affect non-human animals, particularly dogs, due to their roles as therapy animals, service animals, and human companions (Lindig et al., 2020; Gee et al., 2021). Being able to understand how music influences canine stress and relaxation hold important applications in environments such as shelters, veterinary clinics, and at home. One important feature of music is tempo, or beats per minute …

Comparing Two Emergent Literacy Screeners: The Reading House And Star Early Literacy In A Florida Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (Vpk) Program, Jaime D. Swenbeck

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Acute Effects Of The Psychoactive Pollutant Fluoxetine On The Antipredator Behavior Of The Gulf Killifish (Fundulus Grandis), Semyra Reus

Honors Theses

Pharmaceutical contaminants are increasingly prevalent in aquatic environments, yet their sublethal effects on ecologically relevant behaviors remain poorly understood, particularly in estuarine systems. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine, are of particular concern due to the conserved role of serotonin in regulating behavior across vertebrates. Here, we investigated how acute exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoxetine influences anti-predator behavior in Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis), a key estuarine fish commonly found in saltmarsh habitats. Killifish were exposed to control (0 ng/L), low (17.8 ng/L), and high (596 ng/L) fluoxetine concentrations and subsequently tested in the presence …

Urea-Based Boronium Salts As Antimicrobial Agents, Gabriel Allen Merchant

Honors Theses

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used in disinfectants due to their ability to inhibit the growth of and eliminate microbes. The potency, broad-spectrum activity, and low cost of QACs have made them a cornerstone of modem hygiene. In recent years, QACs have garnered many health and safety concerns due to their overuse and subsequent accumulation in the environment. The increased use of QACs has further led to an increase in antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, making the synthesis of novel antibacterial compounds vital to combat this growing threat. Recent advances in boronium salts offer a unique alternative to address these adverse effects. …

Spectral Characterization Of Colorectal Cancer Using Excitation-Scanning Hyperspectral Imaging, Natalie Hadad

Honors Theses

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide, with a lifetime risk of approximately one in twenty-three for men and one in twenty-five for women. Although early detection significantly improves survival, current diagnostic approaches such as tissue biopsy are invasive, reliant on subjective interpretation, have extended turnaround times, and risk missing flat or depressed lesions that are more difficult to detect than raised polyps. These limitations highlight the need for objective, minimally invasive technologies capable of detecting early tissue changes. This study investigates excitation-scanning hyperspectral imaging (Ex-HSI) as a label-free optical approach for identifying colorectal cancer–associated …

Enhancing Communication In Amateur Soccer Teams Through A Centralized Management App, Manuel Rodriguez

Theses & ETDs

MatchFit is a full-stack web application designed to help amateur soccer teams manage internal logistics in one centralized system. Many teams currently rely on fragmented communication and planning tools such as group chats, email threads, and paper notes. This creates information silos where important updates are missed, schedules are unclear, and player availability is not reliably tracked. The result is extra administrative work for coaches and inconsistent accountability for players. The objective of this project was to design and implement a user-friendly platform that supports core team operations without requiring advanced technical skill. MatchFit provides secure authentication with role-based access …

Trailside Waste As An Indicator Of Human Impact: A Case Study Of The Lone Star Hiking Trail, Madison Slater

Theses & ETDs

Long-distance hiking trails provide important recreational and ecological benefits but are increasingly affected by recreation-derived waste. This study assessed the distribution and composition of litter along the 96-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) in the Sam Houston National Forest in the state of Texas. Using a complete trail census approach inspired by prior research on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), all encountered waste items were recorded, categorized, and assigned to one-mile transects to evaluate spatial patterns. A total of 327 items were documented, averaging 3.4 items per mile. Waste patterns demonstrated clear clustering near access points like that of trailheads …

Manatee Acoustic Detection: Adapting Cnn Models To New Locations, Vivian Cargille

Theses & ETDs

Automated detection of manatee vocalizations across a wide range of habitats, from coastal and estuarine systems to rivers and freshwater springs, is challenged by domain shift, the reduction in model performance when applied to acoustic conditions not represented in training data. We compiled a training dataset of 61,924 annotated clips (19,461 manatee vocalizations, 42,463 background noise) from seven locations spanning West Africa and Florida, including both African (Trichechus senegalensis) and American (Trichechus manatus) manatee vocalizations, and evaluated four Convolutional Neural Network architectures for binary vocalization detection. Leave-location-out cross-validation revealed substantial variation in cross-location generalization, with on-animal tag recordings producing the …

Return Of The Wolf: An Assessment Of The Reintroduction Of The Gray Wolves To Yellowstone National Park, Keagan Roeder

Theses & ETDs

This paper examines the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park by breaking the topic into several sections. It begins with an introduction and a history and timeline section, which provide background on wolf eradication and the events leading up to their reintroduction in 1995–1996. The paper then moves into legal sections, including discussions of the Endangered Species Act, the Environmental Impact Statement, and key court cases, explaining how policy and law made the reintroduction possible and continue to shape wolf management. Ecological impacts are explored in sections focused on animal populations and behavior, waterways, and plant communities, highlighting …

Time Is A Tree: Arboreal Chronotopes & Reciprocal Dendrochronology, Alyssa Bernard

Theses & ETDs

This thesis proposes a framework for reciprocal dendrochronology, a decolonial approach to tree-ring science that shifts the role of the researcher from an extractive observer to a vessel for translating arboreal memory, and explores how trees function as chronotopes: material intersections where time and space are fused into a living record (Bakhtin 1981). By applying the structuralist frameworks of Claude Lévi-Strauss (1955) and Joseph Campbell (1949), it is argued that trees have long functioned as universal symbols of continuity and the axis of existence. This baseline is then brought into conversation with the chronotopic theory of Mikhail Bakhtin (1981) and …

Reproductive Characteristics Of The Chain Pipefish, Syngnathus Louisianae, David Kelley

Theses & ETDs

Syngnathids: pipefish, seahorses, and seadragons in the family Syngnathidae, are an evolutionarily unique, yet often understudied group of species typically found in shallow seagrass habitats, defined by their collection of extremely specialized adaptations, which include but are not limited to: male pregnancy, elongated and rigid bodies with bony plates, small fins not well suited for swimming, and fused jaws that form long and thin snouts. This study examines the species Syngnathus louisianae, a large pipefish native to coastal waters, namely seagrass and sargassum habitats, in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast. This species was chosen for this study over …

Back To The Bayfront, Dania Hefley

Theses & ETDs

I’m trying to make sense of the different versions of myself that existed inside New College over the last four years. How I existed while studying. Which classrooms made me feel like a person. Which professors taught me how to read. Which ones taught me how to think. Which ones made me want to rise to the level of the room. Which ones made me feel like I was disappearing. I don’t want to turn these four years into a lesson, but I need a way in that lets me see the throughline. Recently, my literature professor, Miller, was talking …

Effects Of Early Life Karenia Brevis Exposure On Bottlenose Dolphin Calves In Sarasota Bay, Florida, Elizabeth Fry

Theses & ETDs

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have increased in frequency, intensity and geographic distribution in the past several decades. Florida is an epicenter for an HAB, commonly referred to as red tide, caused by the algal dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, which produces the neurotoxin brevetoxin. Acute exposure to brevetoxin causes respiratory distress and has been associated with large scale marine mammal mortalities and fish kills. However, potential chronic effects of exposure, including via maternal transfer, have not been well characterized. Fetal and juvenile mammals may be particularly susceptible to the neurobiological effects of excitotoxins due to their developmental stage. Many resident coastal bottlenose …

Inbreeding Effects On Fitness-Related Traits: Evidence From Two Populations Of The Least Killifish (Heterandria Formosa), Abigail Hansen

Theses & ETDs

Inbreeding, the mating of closely related individuals, can affect the fitness and overall health of natural populations by reducing genetic diversity and exposing deleterious recessive alleles. To better understand the effects of inbreeding, a controlled lab experiment was conducted using the Least Killifish species, Heterandria Formosa. Many species have evolved behavioral and demographic mechanisms to avoid inbreeding; however, these mechanisms can be constrained in small or structured populations. This species was purposely chosen for this experiment as the fish appear in two diverse populations; a population with high density from the Wacissa River (WR) located in South-Central Jefferson county, Florida …

I’Ll Have A Who Christmas Without You: A Case Study On The One-Person Show Through Who’S Holiday, Caitlyn Turner

Theses & ETDs

This thesis discusses the experience and history of the one-person show, or monodrama, through a performance of Who’s Holiday by Matthew Lombardo. Who’s Holiday was first performed in November 2017 at the Westside Theatre Off-Broadway. This thesis is in three parts: History & Theory, Analysis of the Play, and a Reflection of the performance. My professor Tim O’Donnell directed my performance of the play, which was performed in December 2025.