Digital Commons Network^™

Simulated Intelligence, Surveillance, And Play, Atienah Cape

Theses - ALL

This MFA thesis explores modern panopticism and the feeling of being watched by creating and installing Four Real Friends, an interactive robotic artwork inspired by the 1998 Furby. The project looks at how surveillance technologies are not just outside forces, but part of daily life, often feeling familiar, playful, and even social. The installation uses hardware design, custom circuits, computer vision, and real-time data display to collect and process how visitors interact in the gallery. Its nostalgic and friendly look encourages people to take part, while still showing how data is collected and displayed as it happens. This makes surveillance …

Kitchen As An Archive: Konkani Food, Memory, And Identity In India, Sanjana Sharma

Theses - ALL

The Konkani community has often struggled to find an effective way to preserve its culture. Colonial conflict, regional division, and diasporic migration have stood in the way of creating a unified identity. My thesis argues that Konkani cooking traditions comprising heirloom ingredients, conventional cooking tools, ceremonial food practices, and adaptable diaspora recipes constitute a vibrant and evolving repository. This makes the kitchen an essential yet overlooked space for cultural memory. Concentrating specifically on the Konkani communities in Karnataka, I explore how ingredients such as Kokum underscore an understanding of plant ecologies; how seafood sheds light on coastal traditions; how gendered …

Evapotranspiration Everywhere, All The Time: Towards A Unified View From Earth Observation, Joshua B. Fisher, Martha C. Anderson, Diego G. Miralles, Kanishka Mallick, Paul C. Stoy, Youngryel Ryu, Wim G. M. Bastiaanssen

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Scientists want to know everything, everywhere, and all the time. This is particularly true in Earth science, where we seek to understand processes that span from the molecular to the planetary scale in how the world works, how it affects us, and how we impact it—especially the water cycle. Evapotranspiration (ET) was the last component to be measured in closing the water cycle: for decades, closing the water budget meant adding up all the measurable components, then inferring ET as the residual. Early measurements relied on water loss from pans and weighing lysimeters, followed by sensors inserted into plants to …

Assessing Knowledge And Decision-Making In Basic Genomics Among Adolescents And Adults, Sidharth Masarur

Honors Scholar Theses

Background

Genetic testing and genomic sequencing are increasingly part of pediatric care, yet many adolescents and parents lack the knowledge needed to make informed decisions. Prior studies show gaps in understanding, even among highly educated families, raising concerns about the adequacy of consent and assent. Little is known about when youth begin to comprehend genomic sequencing and how this impacts their own genetic and genomic decision-making.

Objective

To assess baseline genomic knowledge among adolescents and parents, examine its influence on decisions about genetic testing and sequencing, and identify opinions on appropriate age thresholds for youth participation in testing decisions.

Methods …

Leading A Culture Of Success, Collin T. Ginnaty

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

An in depth look toward leadership in the private and public sectors with emphasis in Law Enforcement Leadership.

A Quality Improvement Project To Increase Identification And Treatment Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes In A Rural Clinic, Paige Spence

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

No abstract provided.

Who Really Cares: A Critical Textual Analysis Of Television Portrayals Of The Fictional “Black Lady Therapist” Post-Pandemic, Tiara Johnson

Dissertations - ALL

Given television’s capacity to shape audience perceptions (Bryant & Oliver 2009) and help our cultural understandings of mental health (McMahon-Coleman & Weaver, 2020), both academic and industry research on mental health depictions and stigmas on television have increased. However, with the growing crisis and need for mental healthcare within the Black community over the past 15 years, this research uses a critical qualitative textual analysis to explore television's portrayal of fictional Black Lady Therapist (BLT) as a main character, and how these depictions counter and support stereotypical depictions of the Black woman and how these depictions can be used to …

Symmetries Of Legged Locomotion: Theory And Applications In Animals And Robots, Jiayu Ding

Dissertations - ALL

Legged locomotion in animals and robots is naturally modeled as a hybrid dynamical system: smooth body evolution is repeatedly interrupted by discrete contact events such as touchdown and liftoff. Although symmetry is a powerful organizing principle in smooth dynamical systems, a comparably systematic symmetry framework for hybrid legged locomotion remains underdeveloped. This dissertation develops such a framework for a scoped class of periodic hybrid locomotion models and uses it to relate theoretical gait analysis, animal locomotion studies, and robotic gait generation. The dissertation first extends symmetry notions from autonomous dynamics to hybrid legged systems and distinguishes symmetries of the hybrid …

As Seen On Tv: Growing Influence Of Latinidad In The United States, Alex Vazquez

Dissertations - ALL

“As Seen on TV: Growing Influence of Latinidad in the United States” examines how Latinos increased their political power through television. Examining both English and Spanish language television programming and its business dealings from the 1970s to the 2010s uncovers an unexplored history of Latino activism. Cultural representations of Latinos on television caused Latinos to respond to these depictions through acts of protest, challenging television’s display of Latinidad. In this dissertation, Latinidad serves as a broad term to link Latin Americans living in the United States. It crosses ethnic identities, uniting them through similar elements of culture expression, language, attitudes, …

Translating Marine Corps Learning Doctrine Into Practice: Alignment Between Data Systems Training And Fleet Operations, Daniel Duayne Green

Dissertations - ALL

Modern military organizations increasingly rely on information-rich systems that demand both technical competence and adaptive problem-solving from their personnel. In the United States Marine Corps, recent doctrinal reforms articulate an ambitious learning philosophy centered on adaptability, conceptual understanding, and continuous development. This thesis examines how that doctrinal vision is translated into practice through the entry-level training of enlisted data systems technicians. Using an exploratory case study design, the research investigates how first-line supervisors interpret the alignment between institutional training at the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School and the operational competence demonstrated by newly assigned Marines. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, …

Financial Outcomes Of Digital Marketing, Jaihyun Jeon

Dissertations - ALL

Digital technologies have transformed how information about firms is created, disseminated, and interpreted in the marketplace. In particular, social media and artificial intelligence (AI) have introduced new channels through which marketing-related information reaches financial markets. Consumers increasingly share product experiences and opinions on social media, while firms communicate technological initiatives through corporate disclosures such as press releases. These developments have reshaped the information environment surrounding firms and influence how investors and financial analysts evaluate firm performance. In this dissertation, I examine how digitally mediated information originating from both consumers and firms affects financial market perceptions, contributing to research at the …

Transformative Simulations: Bridging Theory And Practice Through Clinical Simulations, Jessica Fundalinski

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation study explores how teacher candidates (TC) respond to, reflect on, and make meaning of a clinical simulation that surfaces marginalizing language ideologies towards multilingualism and multilingual language users. This study is framed conceptually through language ideologies, Critical Multilingual Language Awareness (CMLA) (García, 2017; Prasad & Lory, 2020), and practice-based teacher education, emphasizing the role of reflective, justice-oriented practice in shaping future educators' critical consciousness. To explore how TCs navigated the simulation in real-time and how they reflected on their approaches and takeaways from the simulation, this study employed a four-phase analytical framework and coding process of video and …

How Institutions Of Higher Education Leverage Information Technology To Navigate In A Dynamic Environment: The Case Of Alternative Credentials, Sarah J. Williams

Dissertations - ALL

This research examines how higher education leverages information technology (IT) to mitigate the uncertainty of enrollment volatility in a dynamically shifting landscape. The strategic alignment model (SAM), a theory of strategic alignment of business and information technology, was applied to analyze how microcredential programs in higher education institutions address this uncertainty. Publicly accessible information was collected to develop cases from 15 institutions of higher education alternative credential programs. The collected evidence was assessed to discern how leveraging technology generates value related to the strategic mission of the institutions. The hallmarks of excellence standards, developed by the University Professional and Continuing …

Estimator And System Variables On Eyewitness Identification Procedure Outcomes, Gabriella Kathryn Larson

Dissertations - ALL

Eyewitness identification is fundamentally a recognition memory task, yet the field has historically been disconnected from broader memory research. The present dissertation bridges this gap by applying foundational recognition memory principles, including list length effects, encoding strength, output interference, and retention interval, to eyewitness lineup identification across three experiments. Using signal detection theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework, discriminability was assessed through both theoretical (d′) and empirical (AUC) measures, alongside positive predictive value (PPV) and confidence-accuracy calibration analyses. Experiment 1 employed a 4 × 3 × 3 factorial design (n = 181) to examine the effects of lineup size, encoding …

The World Needs You — And You Are Ready, Eric F. Spina

President's Blog: From the Heart

Build community. Seek truth. Cultivate belonging. Model hope. "Together, these are powerful forces as we work toward peace, justice, and the common good," University of Dayton President Eric F. Spina told the Class of 2026 at spring undergraduate commencement.

Implementing A Buddy System To Enhance Float Pool Nurses’ Experience And Unit Integration, Nancy Kairia

Doctoral Projects

Float pool nurses play a vital role in maintaining hospital operations; however, they often experience role ambiguity, inconsistent integration, and reduced psychosocial empowerment, which may negatively influence engagement and retention. This Doctor of Nursing Practice project implemented and evaluated a structured buddy program designed to enhance psychological empowerment among float pool nurses in a large academic medical center. Guided by Gretchen Spreitzer’s Psychological Empowerment Framework, the project examined changes across four domains: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. A pre-post design was used to assess outcomes before and after implementation. Five nurses completed the preintervention survey; of these, four completed the …

Belonging, Identity, And Agency: A Qualitative Study Of Muslim Students In U.S. Higher Education, Amir Duric

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of Muslim students in U.S. higher education, focusing on how they navigate identity formation, search for belonging, and exercise agency within two predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in the Northeast. Drawing on 40 semi-structured interviews and four months of fieldwork, the study demonstrates how Muslim students navigate not only their religious identity and practices in secular contexts but also how the racialization of their Muslim identity is shaped by U.S. foreign policy and the Global War on Terror. Three central findings emerged from the data. First, Muslim students demonstrated sustained and deepening religious commitment through …

Hands On: An Exploration Of Techne Via Everyday Embodied Practices, Molly Mcconnell

Dissertations - ALL

In the field of Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing Studies (RCWS), techne has been a longstanding focus of the field, notably as it pertains to our understanding and practice of rhetoric and how we teach writing and rhetorical practices. Some scholars have focused on techne as it is taught in the writing classroom; others have focused on how rhetoric is understood and applied in the classics. My research builds on previous work by considering techne in connection to embodied practices. I argue that discussions of techne have thus far focused on individual learning, especially in relation to composition and rhetoric. In …

Nanoparticle-Based Therapy For Peripheral Artery Disease: Evaluation Of Collagen Reduction And Fibrosis Mitigation In Ischemic Tissue, Tresha Nguyen

2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is characterized by reduced blood flow, ischemic injury, and fibrosis, which collectively impair tissue function. Current treatment strategies are limited in their ability to target fibrotic tissue and restore normal function effectively. This study evaluates the therapeutic potential of drug-loaded nanoparticles to reduce fibrosis in ischemic tissue. Nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized for in vivo application. Tissue samples from experimental groups, including saline control, blank nanoparticles, free drug, and drug-loaded nanoparticles, were analyzed using Masson’s Trichrome staining to quantify collagen deposition. Histological images were processed using image analysis software to determine the percentage of collagen area. …

“The Least You Can Do Is Start A Meeting With A Karakia”: Challenging The Culture Order In A New Zealand Cricket Organisation, Stephanie Foxton, Tame Pere

Journal of Global South Sport Studies

Previously, it was documented that cricket operated as a tool of colonisation, serving to spread British culture and values across the empire, reinforcing British identity and asserting cultural superiority (Baucom, 1999). In places like Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), cricket became a cornerstone of colonial social life, solidifying the dominance of British culture. Employing the Colonial Matrix of Power framework (Mignolo, 2007; Quijano, 2007) alongside the concept of the culture order (Holmes, 2018), this article aims to understand how Aotearoa NZ’s ever-evolving cricket culture sustains, and in some cases challenges, the dominance of Pākehā/British norms. By weaving these theoretical …

Co-Designing Sweettexts: An Intake-Driven Sms Intervention To Reduce Free-Sugar Consumption In Preschoolers, Bervelyn Asantewaah Addo

Theses - ALL

Abstract Introduction: As early childhood represents a crucial window for establishing lifelong dietary patterns, excessive intake of sugary foods and beverages during this period may result in long-term adverse health outcomes. Intake levels continue to exceed recommended guidelines, and disparities within and across race and low-income population groups persist. Given these disparities, targeted interventions developed to consider the unique needs, preferences, and cultural differences in diverse population groups are essential to enhance health and well-being. The purpose of this research was to develop the content of the "SweetTexts", a text-message-based intervention to reduce the intake of free sugar among preschool-aged …

Apparatus Of Relief: On Sustained Exhaustion, Jiayue Yu

Theses - ALL

This thesis examines how contemporary capitalism manages a shared condition of exhaustion—the accumulation of stress, alienation, and mental fatigue—by offering calibrated forms of relief that leave its underlying causes intact. Approaching exhaustion as a collective and structurally produced condition, I make photographs that trace how it is softened and normalized within the spaces we inhabit and move through in our daily lives. Central to the project are what I describe as “apparatuses of relief”: infrastructural features embedded in public and semi-public spaces that are designed to regulate affect and soothe nerves. Operating beneath the surface, these elements promise momentary relief …

Agency At The End Of History: Time, Terrorism, And Technologies Of Innocence In Engaging The Far Right, Gabriel Gr Herring

Theses - ALL

This thesis explores the way political rhetorics of time, morality, and political violence play out in visual representations of the far right in the United States via maps. In Out of Joint: Power, Crisis, and the Rhetoric of Time, Nomi Claire Lazar argues that governments and political movements use temporal-rhetorical frameworks to generate political legitimacy by associating their movement with time, which is generally understood as natural. I argue that every temporal-rhetorical frame also implies a set of moral codes which are understood to be materially true, despite the fact that our experiences of time are only ever aim-dependent and …

Systems Thinking And Satire, David Kossack

Theses - ALL

In this thesis, I explore the relationship between satire and systems thinking, drawing on the DSRP (Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, Perspectives) theory of Systems Thinking developed by Dr. Derek Cabrera as a lens through which to examine satire as both a creative and cognitive phenomenon. In my view, satire functions not merely as a tonal mode of storytelling but as a deliberate cognitive engagement that operates on the audience's preexisting mental models, subverting and reorganizing them to generate new meaning. Referencing well-known satirical works of cinema, including Dr. Strangelove and Brazil, I aim to articulate how satire uses humor and absurdity …

Remembering Return: Diasporic Identity And The Tabom Community In Accra, Elizabeth Akosua Adobea Danso

Theses - ALL

This thesis examines the historical and cultural significance of the Tabom community in Accra, Ghana, as a case study in diasporic identity, collective memory, and return migration. As descendants of Afro-Brazilian returnees who arrived in the Gold Coast in the early nineteenth century, the Tabom occupy a distinctive position within Ghana's social and historical landscape, navigating multiple cultural affiliations across Brazilian, Yoruba, Hausa, Ga, and Ghanaian identities over generations. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Jamestown, Accra, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and oral history collection, this thesis argues that Tabom identity is neither static nor reducible to a singular …

Quasiparticle Poisoning Of Superconducting Fluxonium Qubits, Kesavan Manivannan

Dissertations - ALL

Superconducting qubits based on Josephson junctions have emerged as a leading hardware platform in the quest to realize large-scale quantum computers. However, qubit decoherence remains a major hurdle on the path toward fault-tolerant quantum computing. In particular, excess quasiparticle (QP) excitations constitute a significant source of dissipation in superconducting quantum devices. The empirically observed QP density in these systems is orders of magnitude larger than that predicted by Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory. Moreover, QP poisoning due to high-energy particle impacts can cause correlated errors that simultaneously affect multiple qubits, thereby impeding quantum error correction. Although QP-induced decoherence has been extensively studied …

Breaking Ground: Educational Identity Formation Among First-Generation Students During The Transition To College, Carrie Sue Ingersoll-Wood

Dissertations - ALL

This mixed-methods research study examined the educational identity formation of first-generation college students during the transition into higher education through participation in a six-week summer bridge program. Drawing on Community Cultural Wealth and Self-Determination Theory, the study situated identity development at the intersection of institutional entrance, cultural capital, and motivation. Survey data from 135 participants were analyzed descriptively to examine patterns of identity signaling and motivational orientation. Qualitative interviews with a purposive subsample of participants were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory methods to examine meaning-making related to transition, autonomy, belonging, and academic self-concept. Autoethnographic excerpts and brief reflexive statements clarified …

'Realizing' Information Literacy: A Philosophical Argument, Jeongbae Choi

Dissertations - ALL

Despite more than half a century of scholarship, the information literacy (IL) field continues to face unresolved tensions over its definition, theoretical foundations, disciplinary boundaries, and relationship to power and social structure. This dissertation argues that these tensions are not isolated problems but interconnected aporias that reveal constitutive features of the field, and that resolving them requires a philosophically grounded reconceptualization. The dissertation proceeds across three phases. Study A conducts a comprehensive critical review of over 600 publications in the IL literature, adopting an aporetic lens to identify six constitutive aporias: truth, knowledge and data, information behavior, genericism versus contextuality, …

“It Makes Me Wonder: How Can We Build Truly Inclusive, Co-Taught Environments That Support Every Student, Not Just Those With More Easily Accommodated Needs?”: Preservice Teachers’ Self-Perceptions Of Preparedness For Working With Diverse Learners, Sara H. Petit-Mcclure

Dissertations - ALL

The student population in the United States is increasingly diverse, yet students from marginalized groups — particularly those with intersecting identities including disability — continue to experience poorer outcomes and limited opportunities. In response, some universities have developed programs to prepare teachers to create inclusive, culturally sustaining opportunities for students from marginalized groups. This qualitative study analyzed self-perceptions of preparedness among nine preservice teachers recruited from two elementary dual-certification programs in the Northeastern United States. The study asks: What are the self-perceptions of preparedness to work with diverse learners among preservice teachers enrolled in dual certification programs? Drawing on Disability …

Cooperating Music Teachers And The Edtpa: Negotiating The Demands Of Mentoring Student Teachers In The Face Of A State Mandated Performance-Based Assessment, Deborah Alane Cunningham

Dissertations - ALL

This qualitative case study examined how cooperating music teachers navigated mentoring student teachers during implementation of the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), a state-mandated performance-based assessment required for initial teacher certification in New York State from 2014–2022. Initial data analysis suggested utilizing Roegman and Kolman’s (2019) cascading, colliding, and mediating framework to better understand the experiences of the participants, fifteen cooperating music teachers who hosted student teachers from a large private university in the Northeastern United States. Participants represented diverse contexts (elementary through secondary, instrumental, vocal, and general music) with an average of twenty years of experience. Data were collected …