Digital Commons Network^™

"A Wild Home For Wild Things": Forest Workers' Co-Creation Of Knowledge, Identity, And Place, Adrienne R. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

This study addresses the relationship between environmental knowledge and place-based and occupational identities. I conducted fifty-five in-depth interviews with people involved in forest management in northern California. Participants belonged to one of three groups: logger- industrial, governmental-institutional, or organizational. In addition, I completed twenty-seven hours of observational fieldwork at logging sites in the region. From these transcripts, several themes emerge. Participants adopt a variety of ways of knowing and conceptions of care, and these correspond to different forest priorities, as well as attitudes toward global environmental issues. These groups also each construct distinct occupational identities, which sometimes form in response …

Domestic Shakespeares In The Antebellum United States, Daniel G. Lauby

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how early nineteenth-century female novelists developed a new mode of adapting Shakespeare, what I am calling “domestic Shakespeares,” that cite, reference, and rearrange plays based on women’s experiences in and of the home. I focus on popular women authors whose novels appeared between 1827 and 1862, a time when identity was especially apparent in the geographical formation of the United States. These women novelists used allusions to and adaptations of Shakespeare in their works to express their frustrations with conventional paradigms of womanhood and related disciplinary systems, such as coverture, that limited women’s citizenship. “Domestic Shakespeares,” I …

Designing For The Dissonance: Community-Engaged Field Experiences For Challenging Curricular Misconceptions Of Place Toward Localizing And Indigenizing Curricula Within Elementary Teacher Education., Elaine Marhefka

Doctoral Dissertations

Harmful oversights remain in elementary social studies curricula which overlook or misrepresent minoritized communities. This dissertation explores designs for teacher education which address these oversights through community collaborations. This multi-manuscript dissertation is an empirical-conceptual inquiry design (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009), as it is not purely empirical or conceptual research. This design allows for an independent discussion of each study, while interpreting phenomena across the three chapters. Acknowledging my positionality as a white female, in a predominantly white, female profession, I look to Indigenous and Black scholars, both locally and broadly, to inform my perspective and project design. Using a phenomenological …

Embedding Explicit Metacognitive Instruction Into The General Chemistry Curriculum: Equipping Community College Students With 21st Century Stem Competencies, Sonja Gamby

Doctoral Dissertations

This work describes the development, implementation, and assessment of a curriculum- embedded metacognition instruction model. The Talking About Learning is Key (TALK) module, a 10-week, discussion-based instruction module was initially integrated into a general chemistry course at a community college in Spring 2020. This case study was assessed qualitatively using a thematic analysis to characterize student posts and replies to the Learning Management System discussion board. Course outcomes between Spring 2020 – Fall 2021 were analyzed to determine what effect participation had on course completion and final grade.Finally, the generalizability of the module was investigated using a focused case comparison …

Influences Of Students’ Use Of Calculus 1 Signs/Symbols On Students’ Assessment Scores, Phuong Wilk

Doctoral Dissertations

Mathematical notations not only contribute to but also confound the development of the understanding of mathematical concepts (Leinhardt, Zaslavsky & Stein,1990). Inaccurate use of calculus notations is likely to have a significant influence on student conceptual understanding and student assessment scores in the Calculus 1 course. This dissertation study aimed to examine whether or not the relationship between student’s ability to correctly write signs/symbols, interpret signs/symbols and interpret concepts using signs/symbols (students’ use of signs/symbols) and student assessment scores is statistically significant. The relationship between students’ use of sign/symbol and students’ grade performance was also examined under the effects of …

Examining Empathy During An Initial Nutrition Counseling Session Through Video-Cued Narrative Reflection, Kevin Joseph Pietro

Doctoral Dissertations

Empathy is considered critical to client-centered care within the broader nutrition profession. Through empathy, practitioners are said to recognize the individual experience better, support client/patient autonomy, and encourage collaboration in decision-making regarding treatment. However, the literature on empathy is fraught with conceptual disagreement and methodological misalignment, which has resulted in a limited understanding of the role and presence of empathy within a nutrition counseling session. Additionally, research conducted on nutrition undergraduate students using self-reported questionnaires may offer insight into students’ perceived/believed tendencies related to empathy but fail to provide evidence of empathy during a patient/client interaction. Given the current landscape, …

Characterizing New Hampshire Salt Marshes Using Geospatial Technologies, Michael R. Routhier

Doctoral Dissertations

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands flooded regularly by saltwater tides and terrestrial runoff. They are highly productive and dynamic ecosystems that provide many benefits to the environment and humans. These benefits are at risk by many natural and anthropogenic drivers that are affecting the distribution of their vegetation species. Previous research shows that salt marsh vegetation around New England has been shifting from less flood-tolerant species to more flood-tolerant species in recent decades. Monitoring these ecosystems can be helpful in providing policymakers with the information they need to promote mitigation and restoration efforts for these environments. Remote sensing is one …

Modernism On The Edge Of The Anthropocene: The Ecological Imagination Of Forster, West, Warner, Woolf, And Eliot, Leanna Jean Lostoski-Ho

Doctoral Dissertations

By reading modernist literature on the edge of the Anthropocene, I argue in this dissertation that modernist authors, through the experimental aesthetics of their works, are able to articulate the beginnings of anthropogenic climate change in the early-twentieth century. The early-twentieth century, and particularly the interwar period, in which British modernist authors such as E. M. Forster, Rebecca West, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Virginia Woolf, and T. S. Eliot were writing coincides with the early-twentieth-century ramp up period of human activity rising to the level of a geological force before the beginning of the Anthropocene. While this dissertation does not argue …

Type 3 Adenylyl Cyclase, Neuronal Primary Cilia, And Hippocampus-Dependent Memory Formation, Yuxin Zhou

Doctoral Dissertations

Primary cilia are microtubule-based cellular antennae present in most vertebrate cells including neurons. Neuronal primary cilia have abundant expression of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and downstream cAMP signaling components such as type 3 adenylyl cyclase (AC3). The deflects of neuronal cilia is associated with many memory-related disorders, such as intellectual disability. Thus far, little is known about how neuronal primary cilia regulate neuronal activity and affect hippocampal memory formation. Episodic memory is thought to be encoded by sparsely distributed memory-eligible neurons in the hippocampus and neocortex. However, it is not clear how memory-eligible neurons interact with one another to form …

Interferometric Imaging Of Lightning Initiation Through Lofar: Uncovering The Spontaneous And Not-So-Spontaneous Nature Of Lightning Initiation In 3d, Christopher Sterpka

Doctoral Dissertations

With recent advances in instrumentation and the continued development and refinement of analytical methods, the hindrances that previously existed in uncovering the physical processes governing the behavior of lightning are diminishing. The focus of this dissertation research, interferometric imaging of lightning initiation through beamforming via the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), will describe in detail how both the instrumentation and methods cooperate to enable the detection of lightning processes in which are below the level of the galactic and thermal very high frequency (VHF) background on individual antennas within the array. These conditions have proven to be integral in uncovering of …

A Case For Re-Commoning: The (De)Commodification Of Food In Lewiston, Maine, Sophie Worsh-Farnum

Standard Theses

The enclosure of land and food production technology that began during Western colonization in what is now called Lewiston was part of a larger global movement towards the commodification of food through Western notions of capital and private ownership. The contention of this paper is that this historical context has produced our current food crisis: a paradox where, despite production of more than enough food to feed the world’s population, hundreds of millions of people do not have access to adequate food. The Lewiston community experiences high rates of food insecurity despite the presence of food organizations battling hunger. Through …

Constructing Temporality And Contextualizing The Passing Of Time: How Native Foods Operate As Timekeepers / How The Modern American Food Market Manipulates Their Functionality, Robert Francis Sheils

Standard Theses

There is extensive evidence that suggests that Indigenous groups in the Northern Hemisphere (specifically in the Northern areas of what is now known as the United States) have held empirical knowledge of food and food systems to help conceptualize the passing of time. In conjunction with seasonal weather changes and evolving moon patterns, certain foods have acted as annual landmarks in which tribes could better understand their calendar year as having a cyclical design; in addition to organizing moments of the year, dishes are also made to celebrate the environments from which their ingredients were foraged from. Thus, food can …

The Environmental Implications Of War: Analysis Of The Spectacular And Slow Environmental Violence Inflicted Through Russia’S Deliberate Targeting And Weaponization Of Ukrainian Environments, Alexander Campanile Sheikh

Standard Theses

The presence of war and armed conflict can cause extreme effects in the long and short term, but war as a concept holds an inherently anthropocentric bias. Among human activities causing severe changes to the environment, war’s consequences are both intensive and far reaching, and while war is incited, perpetrated, and fought specifically by humans, these conflicts come at the expense of all, including a silent victim: the greater environment in which wars take place. Today, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is the most significant confrontation in Europe in decades. Public attention and outrage, however, tends to focus on …

Exploring Tensions Between Two Maine Landscapes: Toxic And Pristine, Caitlyn Elizabeth Hanley

Standard Theses

This thesis juxtaposes a historical account of environmental toxicity in Maine against the popular notion of Maine as a “Vacationland.” Maine is famous globally for its pristine aesthetics, iconic coastline, and vast wilderness. Because of this, tourism is amongst the largest economic sectors for Maine, much different from the complex industrial history that once drove the economy and built a strong foundation for the state. Public discourse advertises Maine as a “Vacationland,” capitalizing on its natural features while ignoring and even marginalizing the toxic history of Maine which is still impacting communities today. This idyllic visage of Maine contradicts the …

Gifts And Commodities: A Dialectical Thought Experiment For Sublation, Ruirui Zhang, Joseph D’Andrea, Chunmin Lang

Faculty Publications

The core motivation for this study is the realization that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encounter temporary obstacles, conflicts, or inconsistencies that impede progress and generalization. According to the authors, sustainable development across social, environmental, and economic dimensions is unlikely to occur without redefining the meaning and recalibrating the metrics used to measure commodities. These meanings and metrics must align with values such as general reciprocity, morality, and the common good, going beyond mere calculations of means and ends and personal preferences. The research has three primary objectives: first, to compare and reassess the meanings and responsibilities assigned to “items” …

An Analysis Of Tiktok's Digital Marketing Capabilities And Its Effectiveness For Brands And Businesses Across Different Industries, Katherine Jacome Guerrero

Theses

TikTok, a video-sharing social media site, has become one of the most popular platforms among digital natives. As a result of evolving globalization trends and unprecedented social changes, this platform has rapidly grown in popularity since its debut in 2016. TikTok has established an ideal setting to boost engagement by fostering a repetitive logic and enabling everyone around the globe to easily create and consume short videos. Although TikTok has capabilities similar to those found on other more established platforms, it has a distinct framework and platform culture refined by its predictive algorithm and user-friendly content interface. For this study, …

Reconsidering Gender And Social Constructs In Prehistoric Cave Art: The Role Of Women In Creating Art, Amanda Mooney

Theses

This thesis reviews the importance of Prehistoric Cave Art and the partial basis of its creation, including some ways in which gender and society of the time influenced and led to the creation of said art, with a considerable focus on the devaluation that women have faced as artists in prehistory. The timeframe under consideration follows the Upper Paleolithic period, which covers 50,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago. Reviewing images from certain cave art in this time period of 50,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago, and recent scholarship allows for a specific look into the assumptions of who …

Building An Immersive Simulation Of The 1785 Parisian Salon In Vr: A Guide To Recreating Historical Interiors And Digital Twins, Charles E. O'Brien

Theses

This project aims to identify a workflow for creating digital twins without access to specialized 3D imaging equipment, such as photogrammetry. The process of creating a digital twin without specialized equipment is focused more on research than data analysis. Readily available resources, such as literature, paintings, drawings, and any other historical accounts, need to be considered. The case study for this workflow was reconstructing the Parisian Salon from 1785. The Salons were a haven for men and women to have intellectual discourse. The essence of scholarly thought that was produced through these Salon exhibits makes them perfect historical event candidates …

A Critical Analysis Of Jeffrey Gibson’S Because Once You Enter My House, It Becomes Our House, A Queer Counter-Monument, Ryan Pagett

Theses

This thesis discusses Indigenous Queer artist Jeffrey Gibson’s active engagement with his queer identity in his work. Using the five aspects of a counter-monument as defined by Stevens, Franck, and Fazakerley’s Counter-monuments: the anti-monumental and the dialogic; using queer as both a form of identification; and using queer as a verbal strategy, this thesis argues that Gibson’s latest work, Because Once You Enter My House, It Becomes Our House is a “queer counter-monument.” Counter-monumentalism was a movement initially developed in Germany post-World War II in opposition to monumentalism as a system of oppression. Countermonumental work disengages from traditional monuments …

Redbird Buzz Episode 23: Jane Lynch '82, May 1, 2023, Rachel Kobus, Jane Lynch

Redbird Buzz (2022-2025)

Actor, comedian, singer, host, and producer Jane Lynch '82 sits down with Redbird Buzz to discuss the latest addition to her long list of titles—director. Lynch is visiting the Illinois State University campus this spring as an artist in residence, directing School of Theatre and Dance students in a staged reading of the Neil Simon comedy Lost in Yonkers.

Lynch is best known for her Emmy Award-winning role as Sue Sylvester on the musical TV comedy hit Glee, but she rose to fame with her breakout role in Christopher Guest's mockumentary Best in Show. She has played numerous roles on …

Between The Stacks, 05-2023, Anna Swearengen, Michelle Dry, Carl Hess, Accessibility Committee

Between the Stacks

The May 2023 edition of the University Libraries monthly newsletter presenting a calendar of events for the month, library announcements, photos and information from the recent Tennessee Library Association (TNLA) conference, information on the University Libraries annual gathering, and an article from the Accessibility Committee on accessible events.

The Racialized Violence Of Police Canine Force, Madalyn K. Wasilczuk

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Gli3 Is Required For M2 Macrophage Polarization And M2-Mediated Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Growth And Survival, Ava J. Boutilier

Master's Theses and Capstones

The macrophage polarization paradigm has become at the forefront of cancer research in recent years; however, the effects of this phenomenon have yet to be investigated in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia (WM). WM is an indolent, B-cell lymphoma, characterized by increased IgM production and infiltration of the bone marrow niche by malignant cells. Macrophages may polarize to one of 2 phenotypes: M1, which is inflammatory or M2, which is inhibitory. While macrophage polarization is typically investigated as a singular point in time, it is important to understand that M2-type macrophages can switch to an M1 phenotype, or vice versa, based on environmental …

The Impact Of Internal Barriers On Technology Use In Rural Schools, Coquesa G. Dotson

College of Education

Technology implementation in rural schools can ensure that students are more prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Therefore, it is important to remove internal barriers to technology implementation. By revealing the current levels of implementation , insight will be provided to rural districts on how to address internal barriers. The purpose of this quantitative, comparative, correlational study was to identify how integrate technology into their instruction influenced their actual practices. Data were collected using a closed-ended online survey using a 7-point Likert scale. Nonparametric measures were taken to analyze data. Comparative data analysis (Kruskal-Wallis Test and Dunn …

Histological Evaluation Of Offspring Kidneys Following Prenatal Vaping Exposure., Lucas Georges

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

A variety of nicotine-containing products have been making their way to the market as alternatives to cigarette smoking. These include, but are not limited to, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, and electronic cigarettes, with the last one being more prevalent than the others. With these alternatives, there are more tobacco users now than ever, with an increase from 1990 to 2017, which contrasts with the reduction in number of smokers observed by the Surgeon General in his Smoking Cessation report between 1990 and 2017, meaning that more and more tobacco users are using these. Pregnant women are advised to switch from …

Diversification And Convergence Following The Transition From Saltwater To Freshwater In Stingrays., Autumn D. Magnuson

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

One of the most fundamental questions in biology is why some groups of organisms are more diverse than others. Classic hypotheses for explaining differences in diversity consider distinctions in time, place, resources, and competitors as the staging grounds for differential diversification. Freshwater and saltwater environments have similar levels of diversity despite significant differences in size, so studying transitions between the two systems can provide insights into evolutionary processes. Despite the challenges associated with this transition, stingrays have invaded freshwater habitats multiple times across different continents, making them useful for better understanding these systems. In this study, I evaluated the frequency …

The Philosophy Of Activism And Its Paradox., Omar Arar

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Activist organizations have been at the forefront of countless progressive efforts, seeking to ameliorate social injustices, expand the rights of marginalized people, and strengthen democratic institutions. However, the efforts of activists always seem to lead to incremental victories or a minimal change to the status quo. In this paper, I argue that the primary cause of this largely stagnant social justice landscape is the professionalization of activism. Activism in its professional form, as people who make a living out of their activist efforts, brings with it numerous issues, the most problematic among them is the manifestation a paradox. Namely, professional …

Other Bodies: Deconstructing Visual Binaries By Subverting Visual Representations Of The Other., Amaiya L. Crawford

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The goal of creating my sculptural work, The Avian, is both to broaden the visual categorization of sentient bodies, as well as to deconstruct binary thinking regarding the way that bodies display racialized, gendered, and sexualized characteristics. The Avian does this by subverting visual and aesthetic tropes that construct labels like human, monster, and animal. Subversion acts as the main design influence that illustrates how the display how othered bodies can be used to highlight the constructed nature of how we construct humanity. This paper posits that by acknowledging an expansion in visual categorization, in addition to further pushing opportunities …

Exploring Sex Differences In Conditioned Place Aversion, Houda Hussein Chamseddine

Psychology Theses - Archive

Substance use disorder is a chronic condition characterized by cycles of intoxication, withdrawal, and relapse. Negative affective and somatic symptoms commonly accompany cessation of substance use. These symptoms can be incredibly aversive, to the extent that they can be classically conditioned to be associated with cues or environments. Women show greater cue-reactivity to drug-associated stimuli and progress from casual drug use to abuse at a faster rate compared to men. Human and animal literatures strongly suggests that these elevated vulnerabilities in females are associated with changes in levels of circulating ovarian hormones. Studies investigating sex differences and hormonal influences during …

Adapting Cultural Storytelling Styles To Modern Media, Julie Huang

All Theses

In the face of modern media, it is inevitable that certain cultural art forms will fade in popularity. Some may even fade out of existence altogether. However, there are continuous efforts to reframe these cultural gems in contemporary forms to preserve them for the younger generations. Digital media, such as animation and video games, provide the perfect vehicle to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary. This paper investigates how storytelling practices have been carried through time and the creative ways they have evolved in the face of an ever-changing mediascape.

To support this research, I present a narrative in …