Digital Commons Network^™

Back To The Drawing Board? Overdraft Fees, The Congressional Review Act, And The Cfpb's Path Back To Consumer Protection, Kaitlin A. Caruso

Faculty Publications

In late 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau adopted a rule aimed at addressing a longtime pain point for consumers: high, sometimes unpredictable, overdraft fees. The CFPB predicted that the rule would save consumers billions of dollars per year. But it was not to be. The second Trump Administration has taken unprecedented, sometimes unlawful, action to incapacitate and dismantle the CFPB. The President and Congress have also worked together to use an unusual statutory tool, the Congressional Review Act, to not only to kill the overdraft rule but also keep the CFPB from adopting any regulation that is “substantially the …

Humanizing The Base Of The Pyramid: Exploring The Influence Of Resource (Dis)Advantages On Value Creation, Ted London, Lisa Jones Christensen, Tyson Mackey, Alison Mackey, Heather Esper, Andrew Grogan-Kaylor

Faculty Publications

Base of the pyramid (BoP) scholarship emphasizes the potential for enterprises to generate profits by enhancing the wellbeing of the impoverished, often by selling socially-beneficial products (SBPs). Yet, many such BoP enterprises have experienced mixed results. We argue that this may stem from insufficient attention to how BoP consumers value SBPs and other products. We frame SBPs as a type of human capital investment and thus use human capital theory to study how the consumption of SBPs does or does not create value for consumers. Specifically, we use a novel data set from rural India to measure value creation in …

2026 Acropolis, Whittier College

Acropolis (Yearbook)

No abstract provided.

Experiencing Objectification In Platform Work: Food Delivery Riders’ Accounts Of Organizational Absence And Self-Valuation, Emerald Jay D. Ilac, Ma. Tonirose D. Mactal, Clarisse Aeaea M. Kilboy

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

This study aimed to explain how food delivery platform riders experience objectification in the context of platform-based work, with particular attention to how organizational practices and leadership shape experiences of marginalization, dignity, and voice. A qualitative design was employed using Descriptive Phenomenological Analysis. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine food delivery platform riders to describe the essential structures of their lived experiences of objectification. Subaltern Theory was used as an interpretive lens in making sense of the findings. Five experiential themes were identified: (1) leaders’ non-presence resulting in perceived abandonment, (2) leaders’ devaluing of food delivery riders, (3) social devaluation …

Merger Crisis Role-Play: Organizational Behavior In Action, Jyro B. Triviño

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

To advance professionally, students must be prepared to navigate dynamic and contentious organizational environments by articulating their varied views, protecting their personal and professional intentions, anticipating challenges, and then fostering consensus. This paper addresses a high-stakes, multi-round immersive role-play simulation of a company merger in an undergraduate Organizational Behavior course. Grounded in the core pillars of experiential learning, adaptive leadership, and organizational sensemaking, this classroom exercise places students in a pre-set, realistic post-merger leadership team facing immediate business challenges. Compared to traditional case studies, this method requires students to demonstrate real-time organizational behavior competencies, providing a powerful platform for negotiation …

Removing Of Erroneous Penicillin Allergy Labels (Repeal), Neil Powell

School of Biomedical Sciences Theses

BackgroundPenicillin allergy records are common; 15% of hospital inpatients report a penicillin allergy record, but the majority, estimated to be >95%, can take penicillin after formal testing. Penicillin allergy records are associated with several patient, healthcare-system and wider societal harms thought to be due to the avoidance of non-penicillin antibiotics, which are often first line for common infections. Testing patients with penicillin allergy records and removing them if they test negative is called penicillin allergy de-labelling and is traditionally the role of allergists. More recently, non-allergy healthcare workers have been shown to be able to safely remove low risk penicillin …

Unlearning Tension: How The Alexander Technique Enhances Body Awareness In Performance, Clayton Stoker

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The Alexander Technique assists in identifying, releasing, and redirecting patterns of tension to create new direction. Built on tenets of awareness, inhibition, and direction, this technique can be applied to everyday activities. The Alexander Technique brings awareness to recognize inefficient and unhealthy habits, giving the body a new direction. While working on my music degree at Eastern Michigan University, I initially focused on playing accurately rather than the tension in my playing. Through guided exercises and self-observation, I became aware of inefficient movement, which piqued my curiosity. This thesis draws on tenets of the Alexander Technique that demonstrate how conscious …

The Effects Of Surf Film Viewing As A Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Aligned Intervention For Trauma-Related Symptoms, Ryan Papero

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This study examined whether viewing a surf film aligned with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) principles would reduce emotion dysregulation among trauma-exposed adults. Participants (N = 14) with self-reported childhood trauma were randomly assigned to view either The Endless Summer or a neutral industrial documentary. Emotion regulation was assessed using pre- and post-intervention Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) scores. An independent samples t-test comparing change scores indicated that the control group demonstrated a greater mean reduction in DERS scores (M = 6.13, SD = 5.22) than the surf group (M = 2.50, SD = 3.08); however, this difference was not …

The Effects Of A Thiamine Treatment On The Growth, Survival, And Foraging Behavior Of Thiamine-Deficient Michigan Lake Trout (Salvelinus Namaycush), Allie J. Muschong

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The Great Lakes top predator Salvelinus namaycush (lake trout) suffers from Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC), which causes neurological problems and inhibits survival in young lake trout. The lake trout population in northern Lake Michigan experiences insufficient natural recruitment, necessitating yearly stocking. Few treatments have been explored, but preliminary studies in a hatchery setting suggest that increasing tissue thiamine promotes survival; thus, we expected a novel thiamine treatment to boost the foraging rate and weight of lake trout fry. We raised the eggs of six wild lake trout pairs, and applied treatments at both the egg stage and the hatch stage. …

A Phosphorylation Study Of Serine-8 And 26 In Two Fragments Of Amyloid Beta, A Peptide Involved In Alzheimer's Disease And Cancer, Colby J. Merrill

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Both cancer and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affect many people in the United States and impact the families of patients suffering from these challenging illnesses. Recently, it has been reported that these two diseases share several key pathophysiological features, and an inverse relationship exists between them. These diseases share several biochemical modulators, most notably the amyloid-beta protein, which affects tissues in both AD and cancer by misfolding and aggregating. Phosphorylation is believed to regulate the aggregation and toxicity of amyloid-beta by altering the protein's shape and charge, thereby changing its interactions with cells. Phosphorylation can also toggle some proteins on and …

Headset Chatter, Lynn G. Lower

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

How Candidates Campaign To Sway Minority Voter Bases, Katelyn Karwick

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Religious groups in the United States are making large partisan switches–decades-long Democrats are questioning their support and often change their vote to another party. This phenomenon contributed to Michigan’s flip to Republican in the 2024 presidential election, as well as divided Jewish support for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Past research has linked a positive correlation between religious participation and political mobilization, though the tactics used by campaigners to create this connection have gone under research. Looking at Donald Trump’s victory in Dearborn, Michigan in 2024 and Zohran Mamdani’s extensive New York City mayoral campaign, this study focuses …

The Development Of Wordercord, Rylee J. Curley

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This paper delves into the ongoing development of the series, WONDERCORD, providing documentation of the progress, evolution, and future direction of the series. WONDERCORD is an indie animated series about 10 characters who get stuck in a new world and must explore games to collect batteries to return home. Motivated by the desire to innovate within the field of animation, Pokito Productions, our production studio, seeks to use a unique approach to storytelling through dynamic style changes in various media forms. Additionally, the paper delves into the marketing campaigns used to garner attention, and it will serve to offer a …

The Effect Of Perception & Trust: How Our Flaws Shape Prices, Institutions, Systems, And Economic Stability, David Mackinnon Butler

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Integrating Computational Modeling And Experimental Analysis To Characterize Autophagosome Size And Number., Rakan A. Alnsour

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Autophagy is a key cellular recycling process that helps cells maintain homeostasis and survive stress by breaking down damaged organelles and misfolded proteins. When autophagy is disrupted, it contributes to diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, so getting accurate measurements of autophagosome size and number is important for understanding how this pathway works. In this project, we are working on improving a computational model in CompuCell3D that simulates how autophagic bodies clump inside the yeast vacuole, which we later compare to real transmission electron microscopy images. We generated starting files with defined body numbers and sizes, simulated …

College Of Education: Procedures And Guidelines On Display Cases

Academic Affairs – Policy Library

No abstract provided.

College Of Arts And Sciences: Mcandless Distinguished Professorship Procedures, Responsibilities, And Expenses

Academic Affairs – Policy Library

No abstract provided.

Graduate School : Academic Policies And Processes

Academic Affairs – Policy Library

No abstract provided.

From Wikipedia Tables To Public Data Visualizations, Tanvir Prince

Open Educational Resources

This open educational resource presents a practical mathematics lesson in which students turn numerical data from Wikipedia into a clear data visualization. Students select a Wikipedia page with a data table but little or no visual representation. They examine the original source, date, units, definitions, and possible data limits. They then organize the data in Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet, choose an appropriate chart, and explain what the visualization helps readers understand. A complete worked example uses the 2017 population growth rates of South American countries.

The resource package includes an instructor lesson plan, a student project guide, a Wikimedia …

Aac Training Experience Of Speech Language Pathologists And Special Educators, Jenna Kekich

Brehm Scholars Research

No abstract provided.

Visual Supports For Elementary Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Madisyn Setser

Brehm Scholars Research

No abstract provided.

Working With Gestalt Language Processors: Slp Perspectives, Alex Disbro

Brehm Scholars Research

No abstract provided.

Clinical Identity And Cognitive Difference: Neurodivergence Among Speech-Language Pathologists, Domonique M. Mitchell

Brehm Scholars Research

Neurodiversity has been increasingly recognized within speech-language pathology in relation to client populations; however, comparatively little attention has been given to the cognitive diversity of clinicians. Professional norms in healthcare and allied health often emphasize neurotypical standards of communication, productivity, and professionalism, which may shape how neurodivergent clinicians experience their work.

This study explored the lived experiences of neurodivergent speech-language pathologists (SLPs), with particular attention to professional identity development, workplace experiences, and the perceived impact of neurodivergence on clinical practice. Using a qualitative design, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with five neurodivergent SLPs across varied professional settings and analyzed using …

Autistic College Students Who Identify As Female: Experiences Working With Speech Language Pathologists, Mollie Spencer

Brehm Scholars Research

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of The Four Pediatric Feeding Disorder Domains By The Elementary School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist: A Research Plan, Kelsi Szakovits

Brehm Scholars Research

No abstract provided.

Student Perceptions Of The Learning Environment In A Hospital School Program, Hannah Buck

Brehm Scholars Research

Most research related to hospital school programs has focused on adult perspectives (e.g., teachers, administrators, parents, and clinical staff) rather than on the perspectives of hospitalized students. This study examined the education-related perspectives of hospitalized K–12 students (N = 10) who had engaged with the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital School Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Participants completed one semi-structured interview and two short surveys. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, in vivo coded, and thematically analyzed. Despite the challenges associated with hospitalization, participants generally reported equal or greater enjoyment of in-hospital schooling compared to non-hospital schooling. Survey responses revealed that higher …

Communication Sciences And Disorders Faculty Perspectives On Collaborating With Students As Instructional Partners, Bryanna Cosman

Brehm Scholars Research

Student-faculty partnerships, such as instructional partnerships, have been shown to benefit both students and faculty members who engage in them. This form of collaboration does not commonly occur at public, comprehensive universities, especially in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of CSD faculty on collaborating with students as instructional partners (IP), as there is limited research on it. IPs are students who have successfully taken a class in the recent past, attend the course in a subsequent semester, and meet after each class with the professor to discuss …

Understanding The Level Of School-Family Alignment Around Anti-Bullying Programs In A Rural Middle School: Is Everyone On The Same Page?, Eleanor M. Kilishek

Doctor of Education (EdD)

School-family engagement is commonly regarded as a critical element for effective bullying prevention programs in schools, however the extent to which families understand these systems is often unclear. Guided by an integrated conceptual model that weaves theory on alignment with an examination of ecological systems layers and feedback loops, this qualitative single-site case study examined the levels of alignment between parent perceptions and the implementation of a rural middle school’s bullying prevention program. Leverage points for growth emerged by identifying where gaps in understanding or informational silence occurred. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants for semi-structured interviews with members …

Qualitative Exploration Of Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Healthcare Workers In Sierra Leone: Do The ‘Trusted Messengers’ Trust The Vaccine?, Ifeolu David, Enid Schatz, Wilson Majee

Population Health Leadership and Analytics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction

Vaccine hesitancy is a global issue, and the important role of healthcare workers in addressing vaccine hesitancy is well documented. However, there is limited theory-guided research on the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations among healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study examined COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in Sierra Leone and assessed the relevance of the 5C model—which posits that vaccine uptake is shaped by confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation and collective responsibility—in explaining their vaccination attitudes, intentions and behaviours.

Methods

24 indepth interviews were conducted in 2022 with healthcare workers in Freetown, Makeni and Kenema. The …

Information Technology Dashboard Design Research, James Myers

Dissertations and Theses

Dashboard displays in command center environments benefit from design guidelines informed by perceptual and cognitive research. This dissertation examines how spatial hierarchy and chartjunk affect knowledge retention from dashboard displays, using a mixed-methods approach that combines formative qualitative studies with controlled experiments. Three formative studies, an expert review, a heuristic analysis with three reviewers, and semi-structured interviews with IT professionals identified spatial hierarchy and chartjunk removal as the design guidelines most likely to affect dashboard comprehension. A subsequent co-creation study with IT professionals refined these findings and informed experimental stimulus development. Two experiments tested these guidelines using a dashboard knowledge …