Digital Commons Network^™

Preserving The Past: Exploring The Last Frontier's Ecosystem Shifts And Biodiversity Of The Tallgrass Prairies, Gisell Maldonado, Amelia Villaseñor

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

In North America, grasslands are a cornerstone of the environment. Historically, the tallgrass prairie was expansive and reached from Manitoba in Canada to Texas. Today this unique ecosystem is highly fragmented and reduced, but it remains an important ecosystem for biodiversity and cattle management. While there are many complex ecological interactions in the prairie, recent research shows that large herbivores are vital in maintaining grasslands through grazing and other behaviors that reduce woody encroachment and support nutrient cycling. Here, we examine cow and bison dietary behaviors and connect these to the ecosystem services provided by these large herbivores. In the …

Sacred Spaces In The African Diaspora: Archaeology Of Praise Houses And The Cultural Preservation Of The Gullah/Geechee, Libby C. Holden

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Historical archaeology is traditionally defined as the study of remains from past cultures and societies that have supplemental historical evidence, usually in the form of written records, with the rough timeline covering 1500-present.[1] African American archaeology is a relatively new subfield in historical archaeology. The first archaeological investigations focused in African American life occurred in the 1960s by Charles H. Fairbanks, a historical archaeologist of the U.S. Southeast based at the University of Florida.[2] The sudden uptick in interest of plantation archaeology and African American archaeology during this time is likely attributed to the passage of historic preservation …

Historical Comparison Of Bridal Fashion Symbolism: Contrasting Queen Elizabeth Ii, Princess Diana, And Catherine, Princess Of Wales, Rebecca O'Dea

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to gain understanding and insight into the profoundness behind the practice of dress. Throughout history, royal attire has been used to demonstrate aspects about the individual and regency. Royal fashion served as an excellent area to narrow in on, due to the influential status, and high standards expected of their appearance and actions. This research project studied members of British royal family, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and analyzed fashion elements of their wedding dresses. The examination of bridal fashion was conducted through thematic framework determining if the concepts …

Exploring The Significance Of Hyper-Feminine Fashion Within Gen Z, Riley D. Frymark

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines the rise of hyper-feminine fashion within Gen Z and the role that social media plays in shaping trends. Through a social media content analysis, this study explores how hyper-feminine fashion and aesthetics gained popularity and how it is perceived by Gen Z women. The findings suggest that Gen Z associates hyper-feminine fashion with empowerment, agency, and a sense of nostalgia redefining and challenging traditional expectations of femininity. These findings informed a fashion design developed to reflect key themes and design elements identified in the content analysis such as a pink color palette, lace, bows, and ruffles. Overall, …

A Dyadic Mixed Methods Study Of An Online Asynchronous Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Intervention For Individuals Diagnosed With Dementia And Their Caregivers, Gavin Brendan Green

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

A dementia diagnosis can be overwhelming for both the person diagnosed and the people who care for them. Many experience stress, uncertainty, and emotional strain, yet most support programs require significant time and are difficult to access. This study examined a brief, online program called the Compassion Compass, designed to provide early emotional support for both individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.

The program is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and can be completed in about 30–45 minutes. It focuses on helping individuals notice difficult thoughts and emotions, reconnect with what matters to them, and take small, …

Where Were Women?: Women In The United States Intelligence Organizations From The Office Of Strategic Services To The Central Intelligence Agency, Madison Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

United States intelligence historians have largely neglected the importance of women’s intelligence labor as well as the centralized intelligence organizations that existed from World War II to the early years of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – including the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), Strategic Service Unit (SSU), and Central Intelligence Group (CIG). While assumptions about women in intelligence work during this period are usually drawn from stereotypical portrayals in popular media, such as books and movies, this thesis utilized statistical data and other agency sources to build a broader understanding of women’s actual labor.

This thesis demonstrates that women …

From Classroom To Courtroom: Understanding Real Pathways Into Legal Careers, Timothy S. Troxel

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study examines how legal professionals describe their preparation for legal and law-adjacent careers, with the goal of identifying practical guidance for college students entering the field. Existing literature on legal career preparation often emphasizes measurable qualifications, while offering broad or generalized advice. At the same time, research on career development highlights the importance of experiential learning and mentorship, suggesting a gap between formal guidance and lived experience. To explore this gap, this study conducted interviews with ten legal professionals across a range of roles and experience levels. Participants were asked about their backgrounds, career paths, skill development, and other …

The Role Of Perceived Perpetrator Centrality In Intentions To Express Or Confront Sexist Behaviors, Anna G. Miller

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Confronting sexist acts (e.g., by saying, “That was sexist!”) has been empirically shown to reduce others’ sexist behaviors. However, bystanders are often reluctant to confront sexist acts, particularly when perpetrators of sexism are perceived as high in status. Prior studies have operationalized status in terms of organizational rank. However, individuals may also have status by virtue of their connections to other group members, which I investigate in the present study. Participants with full-time work experience (N = 451) were asked to read a vignette describing a sexist incident in which a male perpetrator of sexism had many (vs. few) …

Teacher–Student Relationship Quality As A Predictor Of Effective Classroom Leadership, Ty P. Rockwell

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

A teacher is the leader of their classroom. Strong teachers manage classroom climate, deliver engaging instruction, support students’ academic outcomes, and form lasting relationships with students. This study examined whether teacher–student relationship quality predicts student engagement, academic success, and subject interest, and whether classroom psychological safety and perceived teacher support help explain those links. Drawing on leader-member exchange (LMX) theory and educational psychology, the study treated teachers as classroom leaders and asked University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) undergraduates to recall either a positive or a negative experience with a high school core-course teacher. A total of 128 participants completed …

Post-Quantum Cryptography Encryption Implementation For Messaging App, Callum S. Ward

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This paper and complementary capstone project aim to explore the state of post-quantum cryptography today by defining the algorithms with which quantum computers can decipher modern asymmetric cryptographic algorithms in exponentially accelerated time, exploring national standards body NIST’s recommendations to circumvent these weaknesses with post-quantum solutions, and implementing recommended algorithms in my group’s project for the UNO Computer Science Capstone course, LockTalk. After having decided on ML-KEM for quantum-resistant asymmetric key transfer and AES-256 for symmetric message encryption and decryption, I was able to cryptographically encode messages to obscure their plaintext values from communication interceptions without any discernible increase in …

Blockchain Message Integrity For Messaging App: Python-Based Implementation Of Blockchain-Backed Verification And Tamper Detection, Brendan J. Farrell

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

With the rapid development and use of digital communication, the need for maintaining the integrity and authenticity of transmitted information becomes more pressing than ever.  However, existing methods of data exchange have several flaws and drawbacks such as reliance on centralized networks which are subject to manipulation, modifications, and potential failures.  Thus, the current project offers an innovative approach to improving the integrity and detection capabilities of messages in real-time communication platforms using the power of blockchain technology.  The proposed solution uses the inherent features of blockchain-based systems to ensure secure and safe message transmission.

Artistic Embodiment: The Role Of Art-Based Research In Communicating Disability Experiences, Juliana Scheopner

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Visual art has immense potential to communicate complex experiences of disability. As a disabled artist, I am interested in how disability has been portrayed in artwork, particularly in how other disabled artists choose to represent their lived experiences. Through art-based research, this study explores how disabled artists have used portraiture to depict their disability. Selected art includes work from Frida Kahlo, Deborah Padfield, Persimmon Blackbridge, and the author. Following an analysis of literature, selected artworks, and salient disability scholarship, emergent themes were identified. The focus on the complexity of disability experiences demonstrated the importance of considering a wide range of …

The Self-Perception & Identity Of Latino Men: Looking At The 2024 Presidential Election & Its Impact On Latino Communities, Lucia M. Revollo

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election and under the second Trump administration, Latino and immigrant community has experienced significant sociopolitical impacts. During the presidential campaigning of the elections, media narratives focused on the male Latino voters as a contributing factor to this presidential election. However, this was not as big of a contributor as the media and research centers are portraying. This study addresses critical gaps in existing research by examining the self-perception and identity of Latino men and how these factors shaped their voting decisions in the 2024 presidential election. Especially looking at the current trends in …

Tarot - Reimagined: Monotype Tarot Landscapes, Eleanor B. Nelson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Printmaking is a form of artmaking that utilizes transferring marks from the matrix to the final piece of paper, often through a press. These processes are able to create an edition of multiple identical prints. This is typically considered the highlight of using print processes; however, the process of making monotypes allows for one original piece. Through the process of researching and creating watercolor monotypes, I made a collection of ten original pieces, all depicting different landscapes throughout the Tarot deck. Each piece is 9” x 12” printed on a 13” x 17” piece of paper and created with watercolor, …

The Lasting Impact: Aces, Foster Care Placement, And Lifespan Development, Abigail J. Luth

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Research shows that children in foster care experience adverse childhood experiences at a disproportionately high rate. This significantly impacts developmental, and health outcomes across ones lifetime. Through interviews with field specialists and individuals with experience in foster care, a qualitative analysis was conducted to identify thematic responses and draw conclusions. Interviewees were briefed on the project and gave consent to participate. Key findings included a high ACE score prevalence among foster youth as well as a need for stability in home placements. Further research should be done to look into how professionals can help make the transition into foster care …

Message Malware: File Vulnerability Scanning In Messaging Apps, Miah Mason

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

As messaging platforms become primary communication hubs within highly secure environments, they introduce significant vulnerabilities regarding file sharing with potential malicious content. This research, an honors extension of the Northrop Grumman sponsored Capstone project ‘LockTalk’, evaluates the technical abilities of automated file scanning methods within messaging platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or our own developed platform LockTalk. This paper investigates a variety of scanning methods and their applications, with particular emphasis on comparing the qualities of static scanning, used in signature-based detection, and dynamic scanning with heuristics. Furthermore, this paper investigates the differences and advantages of both End-to-End Encryption (E2EE), …

Writing Center Alumni: How Their Work Works For Them, Summer Dingman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Writing centers (WC) serve as an indisputably useful campus resource that serves a broad group of students and faculty. With their role of helping individuals at any and all stages of the writing process, they prove that all writing skills can be supported and grown through visit(s) Though as proved by existing scholarship – which serves as the foundation for this project – from the University of Wisconsin Madison’s Peer Writing Tutor Alumni Research Project (PWTARP) designed by Harvey Kail, Paula Gillespie, and Bradley Hughes as well as Florida International University’s version of PWTARP titled “Writing Tutor Alumni Takeaways: Pros …

Barriers And Facilitators Of Childhood Immunization: A Mixed Methods Assessment Of Health Care And Community Health Professionals’ Observations, Jenny Dong

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Childhood immunization has led to significant decreases in the burden of infectious disease morbidity and mortality. Despite these contributions, U.S. childhood vaccination rates have been declining in recent years, and updates to the federal immunization schedule have removed recommendations for several childhood vaccinations. Amid such an uncertain public health landscape, understanding how environmental conditions affect childhood immunization behaviors is crucial for ensuring that children receive the vital protections vaccines offer. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the barriers and facilitators of childhood immunization observed by Nebraska health care professionals (HCPs). This study utilized an online questionnaire and …

Success In Motion: A Comparative Thematic Analysis Of Patient Success In Inpatient And Outpatient Physical Therapy, William T. Gish

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Physical therapy is practiced across a wide range of clinical settings that differ substantially in patient populations, goals, and care timelines. While standardized outcome measures are commonly used to evaluate treatment effectiveness, little research has examined how physical therapists themselves define successful outcomes  or whether those definitions vary across inpatient and outpatient contexts. This study employed a qualitative mixed-methods design to explore how physical therapists conceptualize success in clinical practice. Ten licensed physical therapists participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Supplementary quantitative data were collected via an online background survey. Five primary themes emerged: goal-oriented, patient-centered …

Comparative Analysis Of Secure Messaging Systems: Peer-To-Peer Vs Client-Server Architecture, Maddie Luth

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This research serves as an honors extension of a capstone project sponsored by Northrop Grumman, focused on the development of a secure messaging application, LockTalk. The study evaluates the performance of peer-to-peer and client-server network architectures within a messaging system. It compares these architectures based on key factors such as security, privacy, and reliability. The results are used to determine the most suitable architecture for implementation in LockTalk, with particular emphasis on protecting sensitive communications. This work highlights the trade-offs involved in selecting a network architecture and provides guidance for developing secure and efficient messaging platforms.

Trad Lives Of Tiktok Wives: Rhetorical Strategies Of Mormon Wives On Tiktok, Makena L. Colson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Recently in the United States there have been debacles over gendered spaces in the home and workplace as debates spark over who a homemaker can be in a modernized society. TikTok, a short-form video social media app, is a way members of the younger generation communicate with one another over political and world events and discuss with one another in real time. The “tradwife” phenomenon on TikTok is examined here by using Walt Fischer’s Narrative Paradigm to show how what popular tradwife influencers’ words matter to a generation of adolescent girls and young mothers. Three popular influencers, Nara Smith, Hannah …

Cultural Influences On The Association Between Gender Typicality And Self-Perceived Competence In Adolescents Across Multiple Countries, Alexa Mcinerney

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Participants were early adolescents from Bogota, Colombia; Curitiba, Brazil; Montreal, Canada; and Shanghai, China. Correlations between gender typicality and social, cognitive, and physical competence were examined across cultural contexts. Gender typicality was strongly, positively correlated with social competence, and weakly, positively correlated with physical competence. Classroom-level collectivism and individualism were tested as moderators of the examined associations but did not significantly impact the relationships. Place and gender effects were analyzed. Three-way interactions between gender typicality, gender, and place were significant for social and physical competence. Gender typicality and social competence were distinctively weakly related among boys in Bogota. Gender typicality …

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

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

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

The Undergraduate Education And Scientific Literacy: Exploring How College Influences Student Perception Of Covid-19 Events, Peyton Brooking

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Current undergraduate students received much of their education following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these students experienced pandemic events before receiving any or most of their science-based higher education. Exploring their progress through higher education, and how it retroactively influenced their perception of pandemic events, serves as an informative research area. This study explores how undergraduate education in the sciences influences student engagement with complex recent events in science. In addition, this study asked how higher education builds confidence in interpreting this information. Additionally, students were surveyed to understand their scientific literacy baseline at the beginning of …

“Am I A Criminal?”: How College Students Conceptualize Misconduct And Crime, Talia J. Norby

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Institutions of higher education play a critical role in regulating student behavior; however, existing research has given limited attention to how students themselves interpret conduct addressed through campus disciplinary systems. The present study examined how college students differentiate institutional misconduct from crime in university settings and whether those judgments are associated with perceptions of institutional legitimacy. Data was collected through an online Qualtrics survey administered to 146 students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Participants were presented with six vignette-based scenarios depicting campus-relevant behaviors and asked to classify each as criminal or non-criminal, rate its perceived severity, and identify …

Using Ai For Data Loss Prevention, Camden A. Wright

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) systems play a critical role in protecting modern systems that handle sensitive information from both accidental and malicious exposure. Traditional DLP approaches often rely on static rules and methods that can struggle to adapt to complex and evolving data patterns. This paper presents a hybrid DPL system that integrates machine learning-based message classification, rule based policy enforcement, and context-aware access control to improve both detection accuracy and decision reliability. In addition, the system introduces a second stage access control model that evaluates user context, including role of clearance level and job title to determine whether access …

Soft Skills In The Workplace: A Comparative Analysis, Meg Rothfuss

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Soft skills are defined as any non-technical ability related to how you do your work. While hard skills are commonly thought of first when it comes to job responsibilities, soft skills are increasingly important to the success of any role. Soft skills can be broken into the broad categories of cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills. The goal of this study was to define the soft skill profiles of different industries and compare the similarities and differences across industries. To do this, an interview and survey were conducted including employees from a variety of industries. The interviews compared the IT and …

Lost In Translation? The Role Of Language In Hispanic Healthcare, Amy Aguilar Portillo

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Language and cultural understanding can play a critical role in delivering effective and life-changing care. Certain barriers, such as limited English proficiency, can impact the patient's overall experience.  This study was designed to gain healthcare professionals’ perceptions of the impact language and culture can have on patients' experience. Each participant was asked to complete a Likert survey in which they were asked to rate the level to which they disagree or agree with various statements. Findings suggest that healthcare professional perceive the Spanish language as influencing clinical outcomes, patient understanding, and overall health. The findings also highlight potential improvements to …

Utilizing Brain Computer Interfaces That Interact With A Virtual Keyboard, Skye Lilienthal

Honors Theses

A brain-computer interface (BCI) can allow someone to utilize electrical signals in their brain to complete tasks using a computer. BCIs can help people take advantage of technology to type without the need for a traditional keyboard setup. This paper used the OpenBCI Mark IV to test the effectiveness of non-invasive BCIs with dry electrodes within the OpenViBE P300 Speller. This paper shows how to use the P300 speller through a setup pipeline. Results indicate that electrode placement affects P300 accuracy and that areas related to visual processing improve accuracy, suggesting that P300 signals can be detected within OpenBCI Mark …

Being Scared In A Secondary Universe: Experiencing The Self Through The Horror Film, Emily C. Hueser

Media and Cultural Studies Honors Projects

This paper explores the horror film as a site of self-creation. Using Michel Foucault and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, I argue that the horror genre primes the viewer for an embodied, affective experience, and the resulting interaction between self and screen constitutes and redefines the self. By engaging with Jordan Peele’s Get Out, David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and The Fly, and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, I explore how horror films engage our physical bodies and rework our experience and understanding of race, disability, and collectivity. These interactive experiences of filmviewing allow us to conceptualize the cinema as a tangible site of identity creation, …