Digital Commons Network^™

Albany City As A Case Study In Language Mapping, Storm Pupina

Linguistics

This thesis uses Albany, NY, as a case study in urban language mapping, following the example of many other language mapping projects, most notably the NYC Language Mapping Project. Albany's languages and linguistic features were analyzed to better understand the area's linguistic ecology and ongoing heritage-language maintenance efforts. Various types of American Census data were compared to reach the conclusions. Despite not being a major city, Albany is bustling with both new and old language communities. Similar efforts with more varied data-gathering tactics would greatly benefit other American urban landscapes.

Disturbances In A Convergece Zone: Artisanal Fishers And The Making Of The Nearshore In Northern Coastal Peru, Leigh Shattuck Rodi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project seeks to study how artisanal fishers in northern coastal Peru interpret and respond to environmental change provoked by three sources of harm: climate change, overfishing, and contamination. Drawing from six and a half weeks of ethnographic fieldwork among artisanal fishers in Lobitos, Peru, this paper foregrounds the concept of the nearshore assemblage to highlight the ever-shifting relations between humans and marine ecologies that constitute littoral and oceanic worlds. Artisanal fishers utilize discriminatory, non-mechanical methods to fish in a protected section of Peru’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Fishing livelihoods in this space were previously possible because the convergence of …

Staying In Stem?: A Qualitative Exploration Of Women’S College Classroom Experiences In Stem Education, Sarah Dapaah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women leave STEM not because of a lack of ability, but because of the classroom and institutional conditions they encounter once they arrive. This study examines how classroom experiences shape women’s decisions to persist in or leave STEM majors at the college level. Drawing on the sociological frameworks of doing gender, gendered organizations, and intersectionality, this study explores how gender, race, and class shape women’s experiences of belonging, support, discouragement, and recognition in STEM. Using 21 semi-structured interviews and 4 classroom observations at the University of Mississippi, the study analyzes the experiences of undergraduate women who remained in STEM, women …

“Con Ăn Cơm Chưa?” (“Have You Eaten Yet?”): Foodways, Identity, And Generational Place-Making For Vietnamese Women In Memphis, Alana Freimanis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the role of food within community tactics for mobilization and negotiation. In order to do so, this study employs a mixed-methods approach of semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and archival analysis, to answer questions around how participants subvert historically racialized narratives around Vietnamese immigrant’s labor, family, and identity. Specifically, how do Vietnamese American women in Memphis use food labor to negotiate racialized immigrant identities and mobilize cultural and community power within the constraints of gendered expectations, class position, and racial stereotypes? Furthermore, this research focuses on Vietnamese women’s positionality, centering women chefs and community leaders as the …

Health And Care: Childhood Among The Classic Period Maya At Buenavista Del Cayo, Belize, Lindsey Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Three deposits of perinates, infants, and young children within two non-residential superstructures of Buenavista del Cayo, Belize, display evidence of daily maintenance and care. A total of ten subadult individuals, aged 39.4 weeks gestation to 3 years, from the archaeological site of Buenavista were recovered during 2018 excavations. Signs of care and daily maintenance include survivorship through the vulnerable neonatal period (first twenty-eight days) and transition into infancy, survivorship with potential pinprick lesions on external and internal zygomatic, parietal, and pars basilaris, and intentional maintenance of the body after death. Identification of care and daily maintenance at Buenavista informs the …

Recipe For Resistance: Oral Histories Of Queer Foodways In The Us South, Astrid Janie Knox-Mcconnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the emerging question of what constitutes “queer food.” It asks how this concept takes on a distinct regional form in the United States South. Drawing on oral histories, archival materials, and cookbooks, it argues that queer southern foodways are not only a subset of queer food studies, but also a distinct cultural and political formation shaped by southern histories of race, labor, family, and survival. The thesis makes the case that queer southern foodways function simultaneously as protest, utopian practice, and aesthetic pleasure. Through the act of cooking, eating, and sharing food, queer southerners articulate alternative social …

From Homeland To The Foreign Classroom: The Salaysay Of Filipina Immigrant Teachers In Texas, Shanna Cui Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

Filipina immigrant teachers are a growing presence in Texas schools, especially as districts respond to teacher shortages by recruiting internationally trained educators. This narrative study explores the salaysay of Filipina immigrant teachers in Texas and examines how their funds of knowledge inform their teaching practice. Guided by the research question, What are the salaysay of Filipina immigrant teachers in Texas, and how do their funds of knowledge inform their teaching? The study uses Funds of Knowledge (Moll et al., 1992) as the central framework and resizes it to focus on teachers as holders of culturally developed knowledge. The resized framework …

The Effects Of Ai Adoption On Digital Entrepreneurial Intention: A Meta-Analysis, Xandra Precious Okori

Theses and Dissertations

AI adoption and its widespread use have sparked debates about the future of work, job displacement, and the evolving entrepreneurial landscape. While AI is often seen as a threat to traditional employment, research shows that this emerging technology is more likely to change task structures rather than eliminate entire occupations or industries. This shows that there are new entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly digital, that potential entrepreneurs can venture into. This thesis uses a meta-analytic approach to study the relationship between AI adoption and digital entrepreneurial intention, addressing inconsistencies in current research.

Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across Web …

Perceptions Of Educators To Recognize And Respond To Suicidal Ideation Of Secondary Students, Clary Aaron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how secondary teachers in East Tennessee perceive district-provided suicide prevention training and its role in supporting students experiencing suicidal ideation. Eleven middle and high school teachers who had previously made a crisis referral participated in semi-structured interviews. The study examined teachers’ experiences, perceived strengths and limitations of training, and needed resources. Findings revealed that teachers felt confident recognizing warning signs, especially behavioral changes, when strong student relationships existed. However, training was often described as repetitive, generic, and minimally engaging. Social media and limited support systems were seen as major stressors for students. Teachers emphasized relationship-centered …

Learning A Second Language In A Second Language: Bi/Multilingual Students’ Experiences In Stem, Lara L. Spence

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Drawing on qualitative interview data from undergraduate students at a public university in California, this thesis conducts a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of the experiences of bilingual and multilingual STEM students as they navigate language barriers in higher education. Specifically, it examines how disciplinary sublanguage, defined as the specialized vocabulary and communication practices unique to an academic field of study, and dominant language ideologies (e.g., monoglossic ideology, the English-only movement, etc.) gatekeep students’ access to knowledge, participation, and academic success. To do so, this thesis employs Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of CDA to connect individual experiences with broader institutional and societal …

Tribute To The Dead Is Honor To The Living: Uncovering The Evolution Of Funerary Monuments In Black Cemeteries Throughout Charleston, Sc, Lorena Garrod

All Theses

Black burial grounds throughout Charleston have long been understudied, and their funerary architecture even less so. Within the City of Charleston’s Urban Growth Boundary, many undocumented Black cemeteries are threatened by development. Previous scholarship is scant, as these sites have gone without dedicated research for many years. As awareness of their historical significance grows, attempts are being made to document and understand Black burial grounds, both within the context of Charleston, but more so within the context of the descendant communities these burial grounds serve. To this end, this research asked the question, “What material and formal shifts can be …

The Geography Of Race: A Spatial Analysis Of Free People Of Color In The City Of Charleston (1790-1861), Alexandra Ullman

All Theses

In Charleston, South Carolina, for all but one year from 1790 to 1860, the enslaved and free Black population outnumbered that of the white. Through manumission, the process of an enslaved person gaining their freedom, the free Black population grew substantially and reached a peak in South Carolina during the nineteenth century. This large community of free people of color (FPOC), shifted the social climate by upsetting the balance of white power, thus increasing racial conflict, tension, and legislation that aimed to control the movement of FPOC.

Despite FPOC comprising a significant portion of the total population of Charleston, there …

Mazique (22ad502): Late Woodland Village Or Vacant Ceremonial Center?, Lonnie A. Burch Jr

Master's Theses

Overlooking the bank of Second Creek near Natchez, Mississippi, the Mazique (22AD502) site is a Coles Creek period (AD 750-1000) mound and plaza center that once featured three mounds surrounding an open central plaza. Mounds A and B still sit prominently along the southern and eastern edges of Mazique’s plaza. The location of  Mound C remains unclear. Historic agricultural and construction activities have left no visible trace of the monument. The 2021 University of Southern Mississippi archaeological field school set out to investigate potential locations for Mound C and to explore the site's functionality.

Did the Mazique site support a …

The Role Of Art-Based Pre-Performance Rituals For Collegiate Student-Athletes And Their Perceived Effects On Mental Preparation, Haylee P. Robinson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper will explore whether collegiate student-athletes at the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO) engage with art-based pre-performance rituals (PPRs) and, if so, examine their perceived effects on mental preparation prior to competition. Research has discussed traditional preparatory routines (PRs)—breathing techniques, visualization, goal setting, and problem-solving—creating a gap for understanding how creative or symbolic rituals function in the realm of collegiate sports. Combining Clifford Geertz's (1973) anthropological framework of ritualized behaviors acting as “meaning-making systems” with empirical evidence supporting art therapy, this research positions symbolic art-based interventions as PPRs, helping athletes with focus, emotional regulation, and confidence prior to competition. …

From Words To Growth: Exploring Employee Perceptions Of How Organizational Culture Shapes Effective Feedback Experiences, Amanda Neuts Phd

All Student Scholarship

Organizational culture plays an essential role in shaping how employees experience feedback and whether feedback supports professional growth. While feedback processes have been widely studied, less emphasis has been placed on how employees interpret the organizational culture conditions that influence feedback effectiveness. This qualitative phenomenological study explored employee perceptions of how organizational culture shapes feedback experiences and their impact on professional development, satisfaction, and engagement. Grounded in Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture and supported by Social Exchange Theory, this study investigated how values, underlying assumptions, and artifacts interact with relational dynamics such as trust, reciprocity, and fairness. Analysis of eight …

The Southwest Black Artists Collective: Afro-Modern Ecology, Kinship, And Collectivity In The Desert Southwest, Bradley L. Petty

Art History Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the Southwest Black Artists Collective (SBAC) as a site of

Afro-diasporic kinship, artistic production, and spatial intervention within the Desert

Southwest. Operating within a region where Black populations are comparatively small

and institutional support is diffuse, SBAC emerges as both a response to and a

reconfiguration of the regional artistic landscape. The Collective constructs an affirming

community through shared artistic practice, exhibitions, and the maintenance of The

Projects/Space in Tucson, Arizona, where public engagement and private creative

exchange coexist.

Drawing on theories of human ecology, this study expands existing frameworks

by introducing the concept of Afro-modern ecology, …

2nd Place Research Paper: Shaping The Ape: Storytelling, Cultural Reflection, And Boundary Negotiation In Human-Ape Zoo Encounters, Abigail Bond Halling

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

The typical Western zoo functions as a unique environment in which animals are frequently positioned as subjects of education and entertainment through the medium of storytelling. In this sense, the zoological institution can also be read as an extension of popular Western constructions surrounding nonhuman animals, particularly those who are symbolically charged characters in our collective imaginary– the great apes. Given the morphological, behavioral, and psychological similarities between humans and other great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans), nonhuman great ape enclosures at the Western zoo become spaces where humans are most radically confronted with navigating the boundaries of the “human-animal …

Toward An Anthropology Of The Expressive Individual: Reformational Insights Into Emotions, The Heart, And Christian Formation, Isaac Kantola

Senior Honors Theses

Contemporary Western culture is increasingly defined by what theologians and sociologists call “expressive individualism,” driven by an “ethic of authenticity” in which one’s emotions and desires are seen as the primary arbiter of identity and meaning. Responding to this cultural movement, the Church has appropriated the language of desire, happiness, and the affective in its preaching, ministry, and apologetic endeavors. Figures such as John Piper, James K.A. Smith, and Timothy Keller have each, in their own way, sought to contextualize the faith so it may be better understood by a culture obsessed with their longings and therapeutic self-concern. While these …

Volume 17, Christian O’Neill, Kyara Greene, Savva Sidorov, Laura Bisaillon, Luke Clemmer, Hannah Gordon, Kitt Benson, Taylor Blount, Rachel Danzitz, Nicholas Duellman, Chase Gionis, Hima Fernando, Seth Franzyshen, Onyx Gonzalez, Bryan Lin, Samantha Start, Ysabel Wells, Maggie Duncan

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research

From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell

Cover Artist’s Statement Maggie Duncan

On Mentoring Dr. Yulia Uryadova

Ukrainian Resistance in the Face of Russification: Nestor Makhno and Anarchism

by Christian O’Neill

Life Vest by Kyara Greene

Isolation and 16S rRNA Identification of Bacteria from Fire Department Connection Pipe by Savva Sidorov

The Effectiveness of Planned Exercise in Reducing ADHD Symptoms in Children by Laura Bisaillon & Luke Clemmer

Linguistic Analysis on Confidence and Communication Strategies with Disparities Between Sign Fluency and Hearing Impairment by Hannah Gordon

Freedmen in Indian Territory by Kitt …

"Because You Speak Two Languages": Latino Immigrant Families Negotiating Language Ideology, Liminality, And Education In Arkansas, Cindy Rauth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a critical ethnographic study of lower socio-economic status, multilingual Latino immigrant families in one region of Arkansas, which has undergone rapid demographic changes in the last four decades. As the Latino population has grown, schools have struggled to accommodate the needs of their diverse students and families, which has contributed to below-grade-level literacy skills and significant student disengagement. This study examines students’ schooling experiences from the perspective of the family. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this study explores three interconnected themes: family experiences of schooling, language ideology, and liminality. A comprehensive examination of family educational experiences includes the …

Intersectionality And Belonging: Higher Education Mathematics, Ashley Natalie

Mathematics and Statistics

Students with intersecting marginalized identities (such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, or first-generation background) often face unique challenges in advanced mathematics that affect confidence, participation, amounting to a sense of belonging. These experiences remain underrepresented in mathematics education research. This qualitative, narrative-based study examines how these students experience classroom dynamics and belonging in upper-level mathematics courses. Semi-structured interviews will be analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to identity, classroom culture, instructor behavior, and peer interactions. Findings aim to highlight barriers and supportive practices, informing more inclusive teaching strategies and equitable learning environments in advanced mathematics.

Intersectionality And Belonging: Higher Education Mathematics, Ashley Williams

Mathematics and Statistics

Students with intersecting marginalized identities (such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, or first-generation background) often face unique challenges in advanced mathematics that affect confidence, participation, amounting to a sense of belonging. These experiences remain underrepresented in mathematics education research. This qualitative, narrative-based study examines how these students experience classroom dynamics and belonging in upper-level mathematics courses. Semi-structured interviews will be analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to identity, classroom culture, instructor behavior, and peer interactions. Findings aim to highlight barriers and supportive practices, informing more inclusive teaching strategies and equitable learning environments in advanced mathematics.

Feeding Ecology In Coastal Systems, Randi L. Cannon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are critical foundation species in estuaries, providing numerous ecological and economic benefits. However, oyster populations have diminished worldwide. Effective oyster restoration and aquaculture require a mechanistic understanding of the physiological and environmental factors that govern oyster feeding, growth, and resilience under changing coastal conditions. We investigated how oyster ploidy and environmental conditions influenced oyster feeding and investigated how changes in abiotic conditions affected behavioral performance of oyster drills (Stramonita spp.), a key oyster predator. To better understand feeding responses and behaviors of both predator and prey we 1) used in-situ filter feeding assays to determine if feeding …

Two Genres, One Narrative? A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Gendered Relationships In Top Hip-Hop/R&B And Country Songs (2015-2025), Alyssa A. Yarbro

Honors Theses

For this research, I examined how gendered relationships are depicted in the lyrics of 55 top-charting Hip-Hop/R&B and Country songs from the past decade (2015-2025). I employed Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis to examine how song lyrics use language to reproduce or challenge dominant ideas of gendered relationships. My analysis identified three prominent themes within the lyrics: Respect, Commodification, and Regret. Songs within the Respect category were characterized by these of romance, affection, and non-sexual intimacy. The commodification category included songs that had dominant themes of objectification, sexualization, and depicting individuals as disposable or interchangeable goods. The songs in the …

Humor And The Politics Of Belonging: Race, Gender, And Radicalization In Online Spaces, Reese Chatman

Master's Theses

This thesis argues that post-ironic and meta-ironic humor acts as an affective gateway to far-right radicalization within online masculine subcultures. Examining incel forums and Groyper spaces, it traces how humor operates as the architecture through which extremist ideology is introduced, normalized, and internalized. Drawing on a synthesis of meme studies, digital rhetoric, and theories of irony and affect, and using digital ethnography and critical discourse analysis, the study examines recurring meme figures, especially the Wojak and its NPC variant, as portable diagnostic devices that sort participants into the "awake" and the unconscious regardless of ideological content. Case studies include incel …

The Dragon In The Dress: A Folklore Analysis Of Gender Bias In Ai-Generated Monster Imagery, Nicole M. Christensen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

When asked to generate a monster, AI image generators consistently produce masculine or genderless creatures and never female ones. This thesis documents that finding through a year-long experiment across seven generators that produced 577 monster images, not one of which depicted a female monster. Female monstrosity has deep roots in folklore and cultural tradition, yet it is entirely absent from these systems' neutral outputs. When specifically prompted, the generators handled female monstrosity in wildly different ways, ranging from hypersexualized figures to a dragon wearing a dress, while male monsters looked nearly identical across all platforms. The inconsistency between generators indicates …

How Community Garden Participation Shapes Food Security: Participant Perspectives, Kai Li Tullis

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This study aims to answer two research questions: How do participants of the Flores Family Community Garden perceive their food security needs? And are there differences between participants' individually owned gardens and previous small-scale agricultural experiences and the Flores Family Community Garden? 

This study used a semi-structured interview format to collect qualitative data on the experience of 8 participants of the Flores Family Community Garden regarding their perceived food security status. The results of this study found that the top 7 reasons that individuals used the Flores Family Community Garden include Fresh Produce Access, Access to Community, Exercise, Learning Opportunities, …

Energy Poverty In U.S.-Mexico Border Communities: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Lived Experiences In El Paso And Laredo, Texas And Quantitative Patterns In Brownsville, Texas, Felipe Israel Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Energy poverty in the U.S.-Mexico border region remains understudied, and much of the existing literature overlooks the lived experiences of households in this region. This thesis examines the lived experiences and coping strategies of residents in El Paso and Laredo, Texas, while also analyzing the sociodemographic variables associated with electric disconnection in Brownsville, Texas. The study employs a mixed-methods design that combines a quantitative ZIP code-year panel of electric disconnections in Brownsville, Texas from 2015 to 2024 with 14 qualitative interviews conducted with residents in El Paso and Laredo, Texas who had experienced electric disconnections or shutoff notices. These two …

Public Art And The Future Of Remembrance In Contested Spaces, Rebecca Ann Munoz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the memorial landscape of El Paso, Texas as a contested site of public memory, cultural identity, and community representation. Situated at the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso functions as a palimpsest of layered histories shaped by colonization, militarization, and ongoing negotiations of belonging. Drawing on memory rhetoric and composition studies, and art history, the paper raises critical questions about community engagement, representational equity, and the politics of visibility in public art processes. The paper ultimately calls for a deeper examination of the rhetorical strategies and institutional frameworks that shape memorial meaning-making at the local level, with broader implications …

Enhancing Gender Congruence And Life Satisfaction In The Borderland Through Gender-Affirming Communication Services, Kimberley Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transgender individuals frequently encounter barriers to accessing gender-affirming healthcare, particularly within marginalized borderland communities. Communication-based gender affirmation, including voice therapy and nonverbal communication training, remains an underexplored yet essential component of transgender health and psychosocial well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender-affirming communication services on voice-gender congruence and life satisfaction among transgender individuals living in the U.S.-Mexico borderland region. A single-subject experimental design (ABAB) was implemented with six participants initially enrolled in the study. Four participants completed all intervention phases and were included in final analysis. Intervention consisted of individualized gender-affirming communication services targeting …