Digital Commons Network^™

Juggling Tires, Teapots, Burning Torches, And Pennies: The Challenge Of Defining The “Communities Of Interest” Criterion In Municipal Redistricting, Steve Burke

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Queering Carceralism, James Gacek

Vanderbilt Social Justice Reporter

This article endeavours to expand the horizons of queer carceral studies, recognizing it is an apt frame of reference for reconsidering empirical research and advocacy which welcomes queerness as a central and fundamental analytic lens to interrogate carceral capitalist logics. As I have argued elsewhere, we find ourselves in quite the carceral age. Despite the fact queer, trans, and gender nonconforming people continue to be disproportionately incarcerated, if not otherwise affected by the carceral system, queer studies has paid scant attention to the prison, while critical prison studies has only somewhat engaged with queerness. Indeed, the historical illegality, costs, and …

The Adirondack Frontier: Reclaiming A Vital Role In Shaping The Nation, Peter Nelson

Master's Theses

The traditional version of Adirondack history from the revolutionary period to the middle of the nineteenth century, which portrays the region as unexplored primeval wilderness, is nineteenth-century romantic mythology. It ignores thousands of years of Indigenous habitation and misrepresents early Euro-American activity in the region as well. In fact, from the earliest days of colonial exploration of North America until the middle of the 19th-Century, New York's Adirondack region was a dynamic American frontier, as important in shaping the destiny of the nation as the Northwest Territory or, later, the West. Activities in the Adirondack frontier contributed to the decimation …

Avenging Chief Sam: A Missed Opportunity In Galveston’S Commemorative Landscape, Eddie L. Brown Jr.

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This work centers on Chief Alfred Sam and the Oklahoma Blacks who were followers of his 1914 Back-to-Africa Movement. While public memory has portrayed return to Africa movements as disconnected moments in Black history, my work reinterprets Sam’s movement as foundational and revisits Galveston as the space utilized by nearly five hundred of his followers. It further asserts, that Galveston should be considered as the historical extraction point for the United States’ only Back-to-Africa movement of the twentieth century. While the Galveston landscape holds more than 200 historical markers and is the commemorated home of Juneteenth, no commemorative markers exist …

The Relationship Between Weather Variablity And Agricultural Land Cover Change In North Dakota (1997-2023) And Its Implication For Future Change, Sabrina Karim

Theses and Dissertations

Climate variability and weather patterns play a critical role in shaping agricultural land use and land cover (LULC), particularly in states like North Dakota, where agriculture dominates the landscape. This study explores the impacts of climatic factors—specifically rainfall, temperature, and Growing Degree Days (GDD)—on agricultural land cover (ALC) changes in North Dakota from 1997 to 2023, with projections for 2033. By combining historical analysis and predictive modeling, the research examines how climate variability has influenced crop dynamics and provides insights into future scenarios. The research uses advanced geospatial tools, including Google Earth Engine, and machine learning techniques such as Random …

From Cuny To Columbia: A Comparative Analysis Of Student Movements At Private And Public Institutions, Mirabel Sandler

Public Administration & Policy

In this paper, I will argue that while student movements at Columbia were often able to achieve short-term institutional changes, in part due to the University’s flexibility to cede to their demands due to their status as a private institution, these wins often do not hold in the long term. While they may impact broader social conditions, the long term impact on political conditions is somewhat limited by the institution’s insular and elite nature. In contrast, student movements at CUNY, though often less able to affect immediate institutional reform due to financial constraints and bureaucratic resistance, had a more profound …

A High Resolution Photographic Guide For Identifying Fiddler Crabs From The Shores Of The Atlantic Ocean, Abby Hutchins

Undergraduate Student Work

This project created a comprehensive, high-resolution photographic guide for identifying the 23-known species of fiddler crabs inhabiting the coastal regions of Europe, East Africa, North America, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. The primary objective is to produce clear, detailed images that highlight key morphological features necessary for accurate species identification. These images will serve as an accessible reference for educators, students, and scientists involved in biodiversity studies, ecological monitoring, and conservation efforts. It will be available to the general public world-wide, at the ScholarWorks web page by the University of Northern Iowa’s Rod Library, https://scholarworks.uni.edu/fiddlercrabs/ By …

A Future For The U.S. Department Of Education, Keith V. Allen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This thesis examines the persistent inequities within the U.S. public education system, particularly affecting low-income and underserved communities. Despite the founding mission of the U.S. Department of Education to ensure equitable access to quality education, systemic disparities continue to prevent millions of students from realizing their full potential. By exploring the Department’s historical evolution, this research highlights three critical areas undermining educational equity: unequal funding, an overreliance on standardized testing, and the lack of universal access to preschool and higher education. The thesis argues that equitable funding is not merely a financial issue, but a moral imperative—an investment in the …

Nature Vs Nurture: Place In Perceval, Zoe Fosbinder

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Perceval’s identity as a Welshman has its roots deep in his character, even if he is not aware of it. Raised in ignorance by his mother in an attempt to keep him safe from the dangers of his knightly heritage, Perceval represents a fascinating blend of culture and instinct that makes the crux of his character the age-old argument: nature versus nurture. Has his blood, heritage, and genetic history had more of an impact on him? Or has it been how he was raised, what he was taught as he grew? Much like Perceval himself, the answer is complicated, and …

Dental Access And Public Health Policy Gaps, Hafsa Tasneem

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Oral health is a key component of overall well-being, yet it is often overlooked in public health policy and planning. While regular dental care can prevent long-term complications, many individuals delay or forget treatment due to barriers such as cost, lack of insurance, scheduling difficulties, and limited awareness of available resources. I did this study as I came across health disparities in underserved communities and wanted to see if the results would be similar in a university population that is insured and has access to more resources. To investigate challenges that individuals within a university community face in accessing dental …

The Sun Shines Beyond The Mountains: The Creation Of A Suicidality Needs Assessment For Lesotho, Layhla Currier

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The country of Lesotho has the highest suicide mortality rate in the world. Although this is true, there has seldom been research into the cause of this astronomical rate, and even less evaluating how to address the issue. This study focused on the analysis of available data to better understand the possible causes of the high suicide rate in Lesotho. Additionally, a suicidality needs assessment was created to collect data regarding mental health, social support, risk factors, and previous suicidality from Basotho (moniker for residents of Lesotho) in a non-stigmatizing way. Two varying suicidality assessments were used to create this …

Animation Gumbo: Stirring Up Style, Story, And Self, Miguel Caffey

Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media Culminating Experience

This project explores how animation can serve as a space for blending identity, culture, and artistic techniques. Drawing inspiration from layered works like Arcane and Spider-Verse, I fuse 2D and 3D animation methods to reflect my experience growing up mixed-race Black American and Puerto Rican. Through frame rate manipulation, layered aesthetics, and the use of 2D visual effects within 3D spaces, I experiment with storytelling that embraces contradiction and complexity rather than smoothing it away. This paper traces the evolution of my creative process, the technical challenges of merging 2D and 3D, and the broader cultural significance of hybrid storytelling. …

Pottery As A Socio-Economic Marker In Prehistoric Burials Along The Southern Coast Of South Korea, P. Codi Shoemaker

Theses

This thesis investigates the role of pottery as a socio-economic marker in prehistoric burials along the southern coast of South Korea, with a focus on the Late Jeulmun to Early/Mid-Mumun Pottery Periods. Through an interdisciplinary analysis of burial sites at Janghang (Gadeok-do), Sangchonri, and Yulha-ri, the study examines how ceramic design, placement, and associated grave goods reflect evolving social structures within early Korean communities. While pottery has long been examined through functional and chronological lenses, this research considers its symbolic and cultural value in funerary contexts. Findings suggest that pottery served not only utilitarian or ritual purposes, but increasingly signaled …

Negotiating Food Security, Maria Cudowska

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In the United States and worldwide, nutrition and food emerge as both high-profile public policy targets and as fundamental aspects of the right to self-determination. This Article examines how national security impacts food security in the United States. It explores conflicts and synergies between municipal, state, and federal law developments related to the right to food and investigates recent developments in how those commitments have been negotiated. The challenge and nebulous justiciability of the right to food can be in part attributed to existing global and national systems, which include supply chains, welfare programs, and foreign investment in the U.S. …

The Interplay Of Housing Instability And Mathematics During Adolescence: A Retrospective Study Of Black Stem Folx, Sharetta M. W. Bufford

All Dissertations

Few studies have delved into the delicate nuances that impact Black students’ mathematics performance, nor have they paid much attention to the resources students leverage to overcome systems that perpetuate negative stereotypes about Black youth. For decades, studies about Black youth have been explored from a deficit perspective, shedding negative light on circumstances typically beyond the control of those being studied. Even more, some studies have placed blame on parents and parental figures in the lives of Black children for unacceptable school behavior and poor academic progress (Cobb II & Russell, 2015). Black youth have been portrayed as problematic, disruptive, …

Global Multi-Specialty Clinician Perspectives On The Implementation Of Alzheimer's Disease Blood Biomarkers, Joanne Rodda, Lindsey A. Kuchenbecker, Wyllians V. Borelli, Mari L. Demarco, Raphael M. Castilhos, Erin E. Cawston, Tinatin Chabrashvili, Melissa M. Budelier, Claudia Duran Aniotz, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction: Clinicians' views on the clinical readiness of Alzheimer's disease (AD) blood biomarkers (BBMs) are not well understood.

Methods: The Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment Biofluid-Based Biomarkers Professional Interest Area conducted a survey to elicit clinician opinions on AD BBM implementation, including contexts of use, assay selection, reporting, and result interpretation.

Results: Clinician respondents (n = 212) practiced in Europe (56%), North America (24%), the Caribbean and Central/South America (11%), and other continents (9%). Most respondents were medical doctors (80%) practicing in secondary or tertiary care (88%). For 56%, cerebrospinal fluid AD …

Urinetown: A Lighting Designer’S Process, Caroline Nowak

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

This thesis describes the design and production process of the lighting design for the musical Urinetown, written by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann, featuring music by Mark Hollmann, produced by The Nebraska Repertory Theatre in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Glenn Korff School of Music, performed in the Howell Theatre from April 25th, 2025, to May 3rd, 2025. Urinetown was directed by Ann Marie Pollard, with musical direction by Suna Gunther. The creative team included scenic designer Sariah Roberts, costume designer Breeanna Pierce, and lighting designer Caroline Nowak. The production team included technical director Ashley Faulkner and stage …

A Genetic And Spatial Analysis Of The Last Megafaunal Species (Tapirus Terrestris) In The Paraguayan Dry Chaco Forest, Emily Bowers

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Literary Postcritique And American Transcendentalism: Helping Students Practice Community-Building By Rewilding Literature In The Classroom, Tate Aldrich

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Literary postcritique is an emergent theoretical approach to literature that has elicited skepticism among many in academia because of its central claim that their unchecked overreliance on suspicious and symptomatic reading styles is diminishing the pedagogical potential of our reading together. To restore this potential, Rita Felski, a champion of literary postcritique, suggests adopting an aesthetic reading style, a mid-level interpretation that neither indulges in the formalists’ habits of close scrutiny nor in the cultural critics’ wider lens of political and social contexts. In The Limits of Critique and Hooked, Felski argues that an aesthetic reading style can develop …

Through The Garden, Across The Pond, And Beyond: Comparing Noncompetes With Garden Leave And Trade Secret Law, Kathleen Fink

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

No abstract provided.

Perception, Pain, And Prejudice: Misunderstanding And Contemporary Maternal Health Inequality, Anyssa Holloway

Honors Theses

Pain is a universal experience that we human beings experience daily, whether mentally, physically, or emotionally. Encountering pain is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, serving as a universal reminder of our shared humanity. It operates as an internal alarm system, alerting us to disruptions in both external and internal equilibrium, thereby highlighting the importance of maintaining homeostasis. With this universal sensation felt by all of humankind for millions of years, in a more modern context, there exists a need to understand how a universal connection is measured. As pain is felt on a universal scale such as the …

Dialectal Variations Of Food Terms In The Spanish-Speaking World And Their Causes, Dylan Muccino

Honors Theses

This study explores the dialectal variations of food-related terms across the Spanish-speaking world, emphasizing their multilingual etymological origins. Using etymological dictionaries and sociolinguistic sources, the study categorizes food-related lexical variants into five main root language groups: Arabic/Afro-Asiatic/European, Pre-Columbian Caribbean, Mesoamerican, South American, and unknown or unique origins. The findings represent the persistence of Indigenous influence, the impact of Arabic on Peninsular Spanish, the development of Spanish from Latin, and the role of analogy and adaptation in naming unfamiliar items, illustrating the dynamic and complex relationship between language, culture, and history.

A Public Administration Approach To Funeral Cost Regulation In Michigan, Carley L. Leanes

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

This research explores the pricing disparities associated with the funeral industry in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. Evidence suggests that there is poor regulation of costs for services provided by the funeral industry, which leads to inconsistent pricing structures, which is especially noticeable when market competition in rural and densely populated counties is considered. This paper presents an evaluation of the current state and federal regulations. Using a public administration framework grounded in bureaucratic theory, policy implementation theory, and social equity theory, this research results in recommendations to implement new legal regulations that would ensure transparency and ethical …

A Review Of Praziquantel Resistance In Schistosomes And The Future Of Schistosomiasis Control, Gabriela G. Eastham

Senior Honors Theses

Schistosomiasis is a group of both acute and chronic parasitic trematode infections of the genus Schistosoma. Praziquantel (PZQ) has been the drug of choice to treat schistosomiasis for decades. Though it is effective against all three clinically relevant species, heavy reliance on PZQ has led to concerns of schistosome resistance, especially in areas that have implemented this drug in mass drug administration (MDA) programs. Although there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that schistosomes are becoming resistant to PZQ on a large scale, other control methods are a necessity to best treat and eliminate schistosomiasis. This article summarizes the …

Sex-Based Differences In Osteoarthritis In Early Medieval Spain: A Case Study From Visigoth And Carolingian Period Terrassa., Jordan Chatellier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beginning in 1995, individuals from the Sant Pere church complex in Terrassa, Spain were exhumed. Using 21 biological females and 32 biological males collectively between the Visigoth (5^th – 8^th centuries) and Carolingian (9^th – 11^th centuries) periods from this collection, this research examined the difference in osteoarthritis between estimated phenotypic sexes. For osteoarthritis to be present, an individual needed to meet one of two criteria: 1. two or more of the following was present: macroporosity, sclerotic bone, joint deformation, and marginal osteophytes, or 2. eburnation had occurred. Through employing embodiment theory, along with gender and …

Finer Resolution Paleoclimatological Network Analysis Of Hydrological Extremes And Tree-Growth Response For Kentucky, U.S.A., Jordan Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As climate change accelerates, southeastern states like Kentucky face increasing environmental and economic challenges. To improve future climate predictions, this study enhances paleoclimate reconstructions with a high-resolution tree-ring network for Kentucky, combining data from both living trees and dendroarchaeological sources. I evaluated the climate sensitivity of tree growth using superposed epoch analysis, static correlations, and spatial field correlations in KNMI Climate Explorer, along with moving correlations against seasonal temperature and moisture variables. Findings reveal that white oak and tulip poplar exhibit significant drought sensitivity across both live and archeological sites. However, I observed a weakening relationship between tree-ring growth and …

Contesting The City Through Sustainability Discourse: A Joint Archival And Interview Analysis Of City Planning In Louisville, Kentucky., Calvin Grant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability is a part of a global discourse cast as a universal, technocratic solution to the climate crisis in need of a receptive public and active local adaptation. In many cases, language espousing sustainable development ideals and policy implementation promotes a perspective of scientific neutrality that overlooks socio-politically grounded discourses. This joint archival and interview-centered discourse analysis demonstrates that official sustainability discourse in Louisville’s Comprehensive Plan 2040 was produced through a carefully moderated consensus among planners and select stakeholders. Such consensus prioritizes the perspectives and agency of policy experts, business leaders, and others who have “recognized speech” of authority, while …

2025 Oer Deep Dive Materials, Nancy A. Henke, Cassie Bergstrom, Molly Jameson, Michael Aldridge

About OER

The Affordable & Open Educational Resources (AOER) Committee at UNC, with support from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, UNC’s Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, and the University Libraries, held a day-long, in-person OER Deep Dive professional development session on Thursday, May 29, 2025. This day-long session was for faculty and staff who were curious about Open Educational Resources (OER) but had not yet used them in their work. Participants explored what OER are, how they differ from other free resources, how they support diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how to start integrating them into their teaching. …

The Effect Of Language On Student Achievement Across Countries, Ryotaro Hiraki

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

Does language matter in achieving higher scores in school? Do international standardized tests measure students speaking different languages equally? We study whether a language students speak affects their academic achievement. Understanding this research might also help construct a format for standardized testing. It might also help to build a curriculum for bilingual students and facilitate foreign language learning in schools. We analyze the role of institutional factors and the role of linguistics in student’s performance. To do so, we use PISA 2018 data and linear regression models for both the whole sample of students in each country and first and …

The Role Of Specialty Coffee Roasters: A Proposal For A Sustainable Value Chain, Konoka Hattori

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

Specialty Coffee Roasters are starting to adopt transparency to reshape the coffee value chain, as climate change and sustainability challenges deepen. Through a case study of Onyx Coffee Lab in Arkansas, this research examines how transparency in pricing and traceability can foster more equitable and sustainable value chain systems. This thesis also explores the potential of B Corp Certification to further embed sustainability into Specialty Coffee Roasters’ business models, by comparing Onyx with Coffee Collective based in Denmark, which already has B Corp certification. By making pricing transparent and investing in producer relationships, Specialty Coffee Roasters can lead a future …