Digital Commons Network^™

The South Got Somethin' To Say!: Black Student Affairs Professionals Sustaining Equity Work Amid Dei Dismantling, Jaborius D. Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Scholarship within the academy extensively interrogates the realities of Black faculty but neglects the lived experiences of Black Student Affairs Professionals (BSAPs). This omission renders BSAPs labor and experiences institutionally invisible while reinforcing the narrative of equity work being a racial obligation pushed on Black professionals rather than institutional responsibility. Although representing 15% of the higher education workforce, this gross percentage is disproportionately concentrated in lower-paying, non-exempt staff positions (e.g., service, office/clerical) rather than in decision-making authority (CUPA-HR, 2025). Despite structural marginalization and inconsistencies, institutions rely on Black professionals to bear the brunt of racialized equity labor work classified as …

How Did A Pandemic Impact Park Usage Among The Older Adult Populations In Memphis, Tn?, Katherine Barlow

Theses and Dissertations

During COVID-19 older adults’ populations were a vulnerable demographic, and through a review of existing literature it was determined that there is limited research about park and outdoor space use during COVID-19 by older adults. This research seeks to address these gaps by examining how a pandemic impacted park usage among the older adult population (age 60+) in Memphis, TN at Shelby Farms Park. This study examines the comparison of park use during (2020-2023) and after (2023-present) COVID-19. A mixed methods approach was employed. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was run to analyze the survey data and a significant statistical difference. …

The Effect Of Stem Recutting And Floral Food On Vase Life Of Zinnias Elegans, Lauren Elise Baskin

Theses and Dissertations

A recent shift in the cut flower market focuses on locally produced cut flowers, creating interest in the consumer mind. The vase life of these cut flowers varies by variety and species. Knowing the proper post-harvest protocol is crucial information, as this affects flower’s longevity. This research used a 2x2x2 factorial design examining the zinnias variation in vase life between the following test groups: zinnias with trimmed and untrimmed stems in tap water and trimmed and untrimmed stems in floral food solution. The results of the study indicated that zinnias placed in a floral food solution and were trimmed have …

Community Development Professionals’ Perceptions Of Agritourism In Mississippi, Emma Jane Berry

Theses and Dissertations

Agritourism has emerged as a strategy for supporting rural economies, strengthening community identity, and increasing agricultural literacy. Although prior research has examined agritourism operators and visitors, limited attention has been given to the perceptions of community development professionals who influence local planning and program support. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine community development professionals’ perceptions of agritourism’s role in community development, economic growth, and agricultural literacy in Mississippi. Guided by Social Exchange Theory, data were collected through two semi-structured virtual focus groups with 12 professionals representing Extension, tourism, economic development, and Main Street organizations. Data were …

An Evaluation Of Mississippi’S Policy For Identifying And Exiting Targeted Support And Improvement (Tsi) And Additional Targeted Support And Improvement (Atsi) Schools, Christopher A. Burrow

Theses and Dissertations

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to identify schools for improvement based on overall performance and the performance of student subgroups. While substantial research has examined CSI schools, limited attention has been given to state policies governing the identification and exit of TSI and ATSI schools. This project evaluates Mississippi’s policy for identifying and exiting TSI and ATSI schools to determine whether the system appropriately identifies underperforming subgroups, promotes sustained improvement, and aligns with ESSA's equity-focused intent. Guided by the policy analysis triangle framework, the study employed a desk-based secondary data analysis of Mississippi’s publicly available state and …

Determining Agricultural Literacy Proficiency Of Extension Professionals And Primary Volunteers In Mississippi, Molly Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The development of agricultural literacy is a lifelong process, moving from gaining agricultural knowledge to communicating with others to applying to societal issues, and extends beyond the formal classroom. The Mississippi State University Extension Service has the ability to reach various audiences through educational programming, making them a potential catalyst for change in increasing agricultural literacy across the state. The study aims to determine the agricultural literacy levels of Extension professionals and primary volunteers in Mississippi and the factors potentially influencing these levels. Twenty-nine Extension professionals and eleven primary volunteers completed a survey of demographic questions and the Judd-Murray Agricultural …

Mandates Versus Capacity: Utilizing Pace To Proactively Approach Teacher Evaluation For High School Administrators In Mississippi, Jessica Paige Posey Cumberland

Theses and Dissertations

A lack of teacher support from administration remains one of the leading reasons provided by teachers leaving the classroom exacerbating the growing teacher shortage nationwide. Over the past twenty years, policies have been passed in the form of teacher evaluation systems in order to ensure support for teachers is provided and that quality educators are servicing public school students in the U.S. Oftentimes relying on already overburdened administrators in the school to provide the mandated support without the consideration of the existing environmental demands of the administrator, specifically time as a resource, the potential for administrators to cope with the …

British Subjects "Of Ye Jewish Religion": The Negotiated Identities Of The Levy-Franks Family, Laura Miriam Drake

Theses and Dissertations

Through a series of determined choices over sixty-five years, the Levy-Franks family blended their religious identity as Jews with their claimed British socio-political identity to achieve economic success in eighteenth-century colonial New York. Through colonial records, newspapers, legal petitions, portraits and, most significantly, the letters of Abigaill Levy Franks, this dissertation examines the family’s actions taken to create a blended identity, despite the potential threat that their participation in the broader British Atlantic world posed to their religious selves. During a time in British history when religious identities were at the forefront of political debate, the Levy-Franks family created a …

Faculty Perceptions Of Transfer Students: How Characteristics And Experiences Inform Faculty Predispositions Toward Transfer Students In Senior Institutions, Tracey Ann Dubard

Theses and Dissertations

Faculty perceptions of student populations have been widely discussed, but the conversation has seldom focused on the transfer student population. Because a third of community college students choose to transfer into four-year institutions, the elements of the environment awaiting them are worthy of exploration. The classroom setting is a shared experience for transfer students. Therefore, faculty can play a significant role in creating a climate of support for this population. However, the opposite may be true. Transfer students often arrive on campus to find an environment that is mostly focused on traditional students. The lack of a supportive environment may …

Investigating Teacher Cognition Of Teaching Spatial Thinking Among Middle And High School Stem Teachers: A Knowledge, Belief, And Attitude Perspective, Jonathan Grant Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial thinking is a critical cognitive ability that supports learning and problem solving across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Despite extensive research highlighting the importance of spatial thinking in STEM achievement and career success, limited research has examined STEM teachers’ cognition of spatial thinking or developed instruments to measure it. The purpose of this study was to investigate middle and high school STEM teachers’ cognition of spatial thinking, including their perceived pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of spatial thinking, self-efficacy beliefs about teaching spatial thinking, and attitudes toward spatial thinking as a critical component of STEM learning and achievement. …

Adaptive Channel Switching For Contention Resolution, Shafqat Hasan

Theses and Dissertations

Contention resolution is a fundamental problem in distributed computing, where multiple devices compete to transmit over a shared channel without centralized coordination. Classical models typically assume a single always-available channel and focus on minimizing makespan. However, modern wireless systems increasingly operate under spectrum-sharing frameworks in which access to high-capacity spectrum is opportunistic and may be interrupted by higher-priority users. These settings introduce new challenges, including asymmetric channel speeds, adversarially scheduled evictions, and non-trivial switching costs. In this thesis, we study contention resolution in a dual-channel model consisting of a slow, always-available channel and a faster channel subject to adversarially scheduled …

A Research-Informed Wellness Guide For Creating A Culture Of Educator Wellness And Retention In Schools, Anthony L. Herbert

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition in high-poverty K–12 schools continues to undermine instructional continuity, organizational stability, and educational equity. While compensation and accountability pressures contribute to turnover, emerging research identifies workload intensity, emotional exhaustion, and the absence of systemic wellness supports as central drivers of burnout and departure decisions. The purpose of this capstone project is to develop a research-informed wellness guide designed to assist site-based leaders in embedding educator wellness within school systems as a strategic approach to improving teacher retention. This study addresses the question: What leadership strategies and school-level practices does the research recommend for creating supportive, wellness-centered environments in …

Development And Application Of An Edna Protocol For The Detection Of Gulf Coast Walleye (Sander Vitreus) In Mississippi, Kevin W. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The Gulf Coast Walleye (Sander vitreus) is a genetically unique Walleye population endemic to the southeastern United States and is increasingly threatened due to habitat loss. The current distribution of this population is poorly understood, especially in the upper Tombigbee River Basin in Mississippi. We developed an environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling method for Gulf Coast Walleye by modifying an existing quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. Our assay tested highly sensitive for Walleye DNA and presented a minimal risk of cross-amplifying co-occurring nontarget species. We then applied the assay to samples from 26 streams in the upper Tombigbee Basin and positive controls. …

Mapping And Measuring Sidewalk Network Connectivity In Starkville, Mississippi: The Role Of Policy-Required Development, Public Investment, And Destination Access, Isabella R. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Sidewalks support pedestrian mobility, public health, social community, and access to destinations, but few studies explore sidewalk connectivity in small cities. This study examines changes in sidewalk network connectivity in Starkville, Mississippi after the adoption of a sidewalk ordinance in 2009. Using ArcGIS Pro, a dataset of the city’s sidewalk network was created and used to analyze changes in the network between 2009 and 2024. Sidewalks were given connectivity ratings using a system that considered physical connections to the network as well as proximity to important destinations such as grocery stores, parks, schools, bus stops, and the city’s hospital. The …

A Pedagogically Effective Conceptual Framework For The Resilience Of Unit Test Suites To Refactoring, Daniel Paul Knight

Theses and Dissertations

Unit test suites are intended to support safe and efficient source code refactoring, yet in practice they can hinder rather than help when tests are tightly coupled to implementation details. Such non-resilient tests require frequent co-evolution, consume valuable engineering time, and may disincentivize beneficial code improvements. While concepts such as passive and active resilience, test smells, and technical debt have been studied individually, they have not been integrated into a single actionable framework, nor has their pedagogical value been systematically evaluated. This dissertation introduces a novel conceptual framework for the resilience of unit test suites to refactoring, grounded in resilience …

Parhsom: A Novel Parallel Hierarchical Self-Organizing Map Implementation, Rebekah E. Lane

Theses and Dissertations

The digital age has completely transformed the way that information is processed and stored, which makes cybersecurity a crucial field of research. Cybersecurity contains many different domains, but this work focuses on Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs). Within the literature, Hierarchical Self-Organizing Maps (HSOMs) have been used to create trustworthy, explainable, and AI-based IDSs. However, HSOMs are trained sequentially, which means that training HSOMs on large datasets is slow. This work presents a novel parallel HSOM architecture, called parHSOM. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect that parallel computation has on the HSOM training time. parHSOM is tested …

Assessment Of Local Ecological Knowledge, Oyster Predation, And Habitat Function To Improve Management Of Nearshore Habitats, Cynthia Evelyn Marie Lupton

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal ecosystems along the northern Gulf of Mexico are ecologically and economically vital yet increasingly threatened by environmental change, habitat degradation, and knowledge gaps that complicate restoration and management efforts. This dissertation integrates social and ecological approaches to improve understanding of predator dynamics, stakeholder perceptions, and habitat function related to nearshore habitats. Thereby, providing information that can inform adaptive management and restoration in the region through addressing three overarching objectives: 1) evaluate stakeholder perceptions of oyster (Crassostrea virginica) predation and management practices; 2) quantify environmental and habitat factors influencing oyster drill (Stramonita haemastoma complex) abundance; and, 3) assess the influence …

Creative Media Production Curriculum Design, Development, And Implementation For Undergraduate Programs, Christopher P. Misun

Theses and Dissertations

This capstone explores the limited availability of structured, production-focused creative media education within the examined institutional context, despite increasing student interest and industry demand. The aim of this study is to design a research-based undergraduate Creative Media Production (CMP) curriculum that aligns with institutional needs, industry standards, and evidence-based teaching practices. The study utilizes a conceptual framework combining constructivist learning theory, Understanding by Design, Project-Based Learning, High-Quality Project-Based Learning, and the ADDIE instructional design model. The research questions investigate how curriculum design and teaching methods prepare students for professional creative media production education. Using a qualitative, design-based approach, data are …

Improving And Supporting Flight Instructor’S Decisions For First Solo, Isabella Piasecki

Theses and Dissertations

Flight instructors have the burden of determining when a student is ready for their first solo flight, and many have expressed uncertainty over their own decision-making skills during this phase of a student’s training. Prior studies have examined flight instructors’ pre-solo decisions in other countries, but no such study has been conducted with American flight instructors. For this study, current flight instructors with multiple prior endorsements for a student pilot’s first solo were interviewed to identify the more abstract concepts they use to guide their decision. Qualitative themes were identified from their experiences. Using this information, a checklist was developed …

In The Pursuit Of Beauty: A Bureaucratic History Of Chicago's Parks, 1860-1900, Jackie L. Perkins

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how the decentralized and competitive urban government of Chicago regulated not only the material conditions but also the aesthetic beauty of three separate park systems formed in 1869 as a response to Chicagoans’ broad push for improved recreational landscapes in the city. The systems, political entities each governed by its own commission, experienced varying levels of independence from the city of Chicago. As commissioners worked towards the creation of urban parks modeled after the idealized beauty made popular by New York’s Central Park, they encountered the bureaucratic and environmental realities of Chicago, two forces that often worked …

Characterizing The Microbial Structure And Function In Black Soldier Fly Digested Dairy Manure And Subsequent Larvae, Branden N. Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This work examined the microbial structure and gene expression found in Black Soldier Fly larval guts and their frass when reared on dairy cattle manure that had been amended with either R. rhodococcus 21198, P. polymyxa 8158, or both and compare the results to larvae reared on untreated manure. First an overview of literature surrounding projected global food supplies and the possible use of insects to either increase them or mitigate the environmental effect of producing said supply. A cellulose degradation assay was performed to assist in determining which bacterial species to use as amendments. Characterization of the microbial communities …

Development And Evaluation Of A Closed-Loop Controlled Ugv With Rtk-Gps Navigation For Plastic Contamination Removal From Cotton Fields, Asifur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Plastic contamination in cotton reduces fiber quality, causing an estimated $600 to $750 losses annually for the U.S. cotton industry. This work developed an RTK-GNSS-based UGV navigation for a collaborative UAV-UGV plastic retrieval system. An Amiga rover was adopted and modified, and a closed-loop PD steering control based on cross-track and heading error was developed and deployed in it. The first set of tests was conducted on a 111 m A-B line on a flat lane based on ASABE/ISO 12188-2 guidelines, then repeated in a cotton field. The P50 and P95, and max cross-track errors were about 1, 5, and …

No-Till Versus Conventional Tillage Cover Crop Systems Effects On Cotton In The Blackland Prairie Region Of Mississippi, Mallie West Rivenbark

Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) plays a critical role in cotton production systems. Management practices such as tillage systems and cover crops (CC) can influence nutrient cycling and availability within the soil. The present study assessed the effects of CC in a conventional tillage (CT) vs. no-tillage (NT) system on cotton yield, fiber quality and N use efficiency. Ramifications for CC and N rates on lint yield and cotton N uptake were investigated during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons in Verona, MS. Cover crop treatments include cereal rye (Secale cereale), crimson clover (Trifolium incaranatum) and a mix of cereal rye and crimson …

Impacts Of Goat Grazing On Coastal Upland Understory, Maya Stratman

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal upland pine savannas and flatwoods along the northern Gulf of Mexico are biodiversity hotspots degraded by woody encroachment following fire suppression and loss of herbivory. Conservation grazing has been proposed as a management tool, yet its effectiveness in these systems remains understood. This study evaluated how goat grazing frequency and duration influence understory vegetation structure, diversity, productivity, and light availability in an Ilex-dominated coastal upland in Mississippi. Five grazing treatments (monthly, every three months, biannual, seasonal, and ungrazed control) were applied across 25 plots over one year. Vegetation percent cover, genus richness, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, light penetration, and …

Students’ College Choice: Factors Influencing The Decision To Attend A Particular College, Miss Thompson Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges play a vital role in expanding access to higher education by offering affordable and flexible opportunities for diverse learners, including many who face academic and socioeconomic challenges. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the factors that influence high school seniors' decisions to attend a particular college. Guided by Hossler and Gallagher's (1987) three-stage college choice model of predisposition, search, and choice, the research explored how students gather information; the influence of family, peers, and school personnel; and the importance of college characteristics such as cost, location, and campus environment. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten high school …

Inclusion On The Margins: Exploring Multicultural Education In Predominantly White Areas, Suparna Bagchi

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

At a time when the Western world is facing major sociocultural and geopolitical turbulence through far-right and anti-immigration protests, it has become even more important to practise multicultural education. This is particularly pertinent in unique topographies that remain predominantly White, despite experiencing an increase in their global majority populations. This article is based on a doctoral study that explored teachers’, parents, and students’ experiences and understanding of multiculturalism in mainstream primary schools in an under-researched geographical location in southwest England. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with adult participants, students’ classroom activities, field notes, and classroom and corridor displays. This …

Cultivating Confidence And A Habitus Of Ex Corde Prayer Among The Baptized, Abigail Reynolds

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Reynolds, Abigail C. “Cultivating Confidence and a Habitus of Ex Corde Prayer Among the Baptized: Encouraging Ex Corde Prayer Among the Baptized as Part of Diaconal Soul Care.” M.A. thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2026. 77 pp.

Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions abound with encouragement to pray, describing prayer as communication between children and their heavenly Father. Yet, for many parishioners in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, praying ex corde prayers aloud with other Christians (family or friends) causes anxiety and is not a common practice. This thesis examines the Lutheran teaching that prayer is based in baptismal identity as God’s child and …

Multiple Intracranial Aneurysms: An International Consensus Statement, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Introduction: Multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIAs) pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, and widely used rupture-risk scores have not been validated for this subgroup. Research question: To develop expert-based recommendations for the diagnosis, rupture-risk assessment, treatment selection, and follow-up of patients with MIAs. Material and methods: A modified Delphi process was conducted. After topic generation from the literature, iterative questionnaires were administered anonymously online to invited experts. Consensus was prespecified as ≥70% agreement. Twenty-six of 35 invitees (74.3%) completed the survey. Results: Consensus identified the ruptured lesion in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) using computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and 3D rotational digital subtraction …

Fort Hays State University Tiger Weekly, May 15, 2026, University Relations

Tiger Weekly Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Within These Walls, Nicholas J. Roberts

LSU Master's Theses

I was raised to understand home through labor. In the working-class household I grew up in, in rural Southeastern Pennsylvania, value was earned through work, identity took shape through trade, and rest was often an afterthought. That framework was not chosen. It was inherited. And it has not been easy to see it clearly from the inside.

The Exhibition, Within These Walls, examines that inheritance through printmaking and sculpture, using the material and spatial language of domestic construction as both subject and method. Through fragile paper structures that resemble wood but cannot hold weight, a staircase that cannot be climbed, …