Digital Commons Network^™

Balancing Act: How Graduate Student Mothers Navigate Dual Roles, Jessica Seymour

ETDs from 2020-2029

Graduate student mothers represent a growing but often overlooked population within higher education. While research has examined the experiences of undergraduate student parents, significantly less attention has been given to graduate students who balance academic responsibilities with motherhood. This study explores the experiences of graduate student mothers enrolled at public four-year institutions, focusing on the institutional, financial, and social barriers that shape their academic success and participation in campus life. Using a phenomenological approach, this research seeks to understand how graduate student mothers navigate the dual roles of parenting and pursuing advanced degrees. The study employs a Borderland Theoretical Framework …

Exploring The Association Between Social Media Use Frequency And Violence-Related Behaviors Among U.S. High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Luma Hammoudi

ETDs from 2020-2029

Youth violence remains a major public health concern in the United States (U.S.), with firearm injuries now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. At the same time, social media use has become nearly universal among youth, raising concerns about how online interactions may influence violence-related behaviors. Social media platforms can facilitate peer conflict, electronic bullying, and public exposure to aggressive behaviors, which may extend into offline environments such as schools and communities. However, the relationship between social media use frequency and youth violence remains understudied. This study examined the relationship between frequency of social media use and …

Resisting The Neoliberal Postfeminist Sexual Objectification Matrix: A Critical Autoethnography Exploring Sexual Objectification, Mental Health, Relationship To Self, And Reclaiming Subjectivity, Ildiko Archer

ETDs from 2020-2029

Over the past two decades, women’s subjectivity and sexual experience have been dramatically reshaped by the rise of dating apps, the normalization of hookup culture, the popularization of BDSM, and the dominance of neoliberal postfeminist sexual discourses. In the South, this all unfolds in the lingering residues of purity culture, creating a perfect storm of sexual objectification. This autoethnographic dissertation examines a defining period of my life shaped by the mental health consequences of sexual objectification and self-objectification. During this time, I experienced two brief marriages, many sexual relationships, posed on social media, dating apps, sexted, and performed sexual ‘agency’, …

Electrophysiological Retinal Changes In Aging And Its Implication In Alzheimer’S Disease, Samuel Jacob Haskins

ETDs from 2020-2029

Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most expensive and fatal diseases facing medical practitioners to this day. According to the CDC, statistics show that it is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. In addition to fatalities, there is a tremendous financial and emotional cost of dementia to the patient and surrounding caregivers. Improved screening techniques and new treatments for this disease are a priority of several institutes within the NIH. Early detection and early intervention are critical to improve the outcomes of patients worldwide. Amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are two of the most important protein aggregates …

Comparative Evaluation Of Translucency, Fluorescence, And Structural Analysis Of 3d-Printed Vs. Conventionally Fabricated 3y, 4y And 5y Zirconia, Surabhi Chhabra

ETDs from 2020-2029

Statement of Problem: Additive manufacturing has emerged as an alternative to conventional milling for zirconia-based dental restorations because of its potential to reduce material waste and increase design flexibility. However, whether 3D-printed zirconia can provide optical and structural properties comparable with those of conventionally milled zirconia for esthetic applications remains unclear. Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the optical properties of 3D-printed zirconia and conventionally milled 3Y, 4Y, and 5Y zirconia, as measured by translucency and fluorescence, and to evaluate their structural characteristics, as measured by density, porosity, phase composition, and surface morphology. Materials and …

Bridging Gaps In Federally Qualified Health Centers: Examining Enabling Services And Their Role On Care Delivery, Shanequa Roscoe-Nelson

ETDs from 2020-2029

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are a vital provider of comprehensive healthcare for vulnerable and underserved communities. They serve populations that are disproportionately impacted by chronic health conditions and socioeconomic related barriers to healthcare. To provide adequate support and reduce barriers faced by patients, some FQHCs deliver not only primary and preventative care but also a range of enabling services. These enabling services range from providing transportation to health education and case management. This dissertation includes three studies that examine how environmental conditions are related to the use of enabling services in FQHCs, the relationship between enabling services and process …

How Did We Get Here? Mental Health Accessibility For Adults In Alabama, 1819-Present, Juliana Sea

ETDs from 2020-2029

Alabama remains one of the worst states in the nation for adult mental health access despite decades of reform and explicit commitments to improving care. Framing access as the ability to recognize need, locate services, reach them, enter care in a reasonable time, and continue or adjust care, this mixed-methods, three-paper dissertation examines how Alabama’s adult mental health system structures those pathways and how adults and providers navigate its constraints. It argues that inadequate access in Alabama contributes not only to suicide, psychiatric hospitalization, and disability, but also to shortened lifespan in the context of high burdens of chronic disease, …

Recognizing Patients In Places: A Multilevel Analysis Of Severe Heat-Related Illness Risk In Birmingham, Al, Andria Cimino

ETDs from 2020-2029

Socially marginalized people face a higher risk of adverse health outcomes from extreme heat—as many as 12,000 U.S. deaths a year are attributable to heat-related illness (HRI), a preventable but multifactorial condition. Where one lives plays a critical role in HRI incidence, with evidence linking historically segregated and disinvested urban environments to a higher risk. The literature also suggests that Black adults experience worse HRI outcomes than non-Hispanic White adults, and that men are often, though not always, at higher risk than women. Individuals with heat-sensitive conditions and socially isolated adults also face elevated risk. Yet the mechanisms by which …

Protein Glycosylation In Natural And Synthetic Minimal Genome Mycoplasmas, John Sanford

ETDs from 2020-2029

Mycoplasmas are cell wall-less bacterial symbionts with remarkably streamlined genomes. Mycoplasmas offer two intriguing model organisms for studying concepts of minimal life. Mycoplasma genitalium has streamlined its genome to 580-kbp while maintaining virulence to suit its niche of parasitizing the human urogenital tract. The J. Craig Venter Institute has synthesized and transplanted a 543-kbp genome into a recipient cell, resulting in a non-pathogenic organism termed JCVI-syn3A. The conservation of a biological process in M. genitalium and JCVI-syn3A strongly implies an essential function in mycoplasmas, and potentially all life. Despite common thought of mycoplasmas being the simplest cells, much of their …

An Examination Of Physical Activity And Arterial Stiffness Among Urban And Rural Older Adults, Michael J. Hankes

ETDs from 2020-2029

Rural populations in the United States experience a disproportionate burden of cardiovas-cular disease, yet how rural‑urban context shapes physical activity (PA) and vascular health is not fully understood. Because vascular dysfunction links PA to cardiovascular risk, rural‑urban differences in movement may help explain disparities in cardiovascular health. Rurality is often treated as a static, binary exposure, which may obscure meaning-ful geographic variation and accumulated life course influences. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to examine associations among rural‑urban exposure, objectively measured PA, and vascular health using national cohort data and a pilot study. This dissertation begins with a conceptual …

The Guardian The Month Of June 2026, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of June 2026. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Kinetic Sculpture For The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, Yotam Barr, Reynaldo Farias, Natalie Krueger, Priscilla Puei Ci Lam

General Engineering

Flower Power designed, fabricated, tested, and installed a wind-driven metal lavender and bee sculpture for the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Children's Garden. The project provides a colorful kinetic installation that complements the existing poppy sculpture while remaining child-safe, durable outdoors, manufacturable with campus resources, and low cost to the sponsor. The final sculpture consists of a steel main stem installed in a sleeve-style concrete foundation, three green branch clusters, independently rotating purple lavender bud assemblies, decorative leaves, and a bee. The sculpture was fabricated from steel tube, sheet metal, bearings, printed ASA components, paint, and foundation materials. The installed …

Science-Related Rhetoric And Action By United States Presidents From 1977-2017, Amanda E. Shea

Interdisciplinary Studies

Presidential rhetoric and executive action have played an important role in shaping how scientific issues are presented to the American public. This project examined how United States presidents from Jimmy Carter through Barack Obama (1977–2017) employed science-related rhetoric and policy regarding climate science and reproductive health. Findings suggest that reproductive health remained a partisan issue throughout the study period, while climate science shifted from a largely bipartisan concern to a more partisan one over time. The results also indicate that presidential rhetoric and executive action were not always aligned, with several administrations using science-related rhetoric more extensively than corresponding policy.

Sensory, Light, And Sound Box, Galilea Andrea Portillo, Hannah Elizabeth Henderson, Marcus Kiyoshi Kanenaga

Mechanical Engineering

The Sensory, Light, and Sound Box senior project outlined an adaptable, mobile sensory environment designed to improve cognitive and visual processing skills for students with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) at the Oceano Education Center. Currently, the market lacks accessible solutions tailored to these non-verbal, low-mobility students, making traditional classrooms overwhelming. This project outlines the modification of an existing static layout into a functional, three-sided wooden over-bed frame that accommodates a standard hospital bed. Our team manufactured a structurally stable verification prototype under a $500 budget, integrating slow-closing outward-hinged walls for safety, dual Bluetooth speakers, and a synchronized LED projector that …

Toro Cover For Bob Packer, Bailey Smolinski, Brandon Petty, Arturo Ramirez, Kathryn Proctor

Mechanical Engineering

Small pools, spas, and hot tubs are common in residential homes, yet small pool owners face persistent tradeoffs between critical features such as weight, ease of use, and appearance in pool covers currently available on the market. Most products optimize a single attribute at the expense of others. For example, solar covers are energy efficient but structurally weak, safety meshes are cost-saving but intensive to install, and retractable covers are automated but expensive. Beyond these tradeoffs, existing solutions often demand multiple people to install, take time and effort, occupy valuable deck space, and sacrifice the surrounding aesthetic. Therefore, small pool …

Foldable Transfer Platform, Toby Sagi, Ashton Heiati, Triton Johnson, Zachary Denis

Mechanical Engineering

The report details the design and results of a Hoyer lift to transfer patients between wheelchairs and our sponsor's, Beacon VTC Santa Maria, vans. The lift disassembles into 3 main pieces, allowing the lift to be stored in the back of the van. The lift uses a hydraulic actuator to rotate the boom. We handed over our project to Beacon VTC Santa Maria for use in their facility!

Package Access Platform, Tyler Connor Moyers, Austin Sien, Brooke Almaraz, Aiden Montano

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review (FDR) presents the completed package access platform project following fabrication, assembly, and verification testing of the final prototype. The project focused on the development of an adjustable and modular access platform capable of adapting to varying workspace requirements while maintaining operator safety and structural stability. The finalized design incorporates adjustable platform dimensions, modular frame expansion, integrated OSHA-compliant handrailing, and adjustable support legs to accommodate uneven surfaces and changing operational needs.

Water Turbine Dynamometer For Low-Power Turbomachinery Testing, Carmen Alaichamy, Yosef Huynh Torres, Michael Duperly, Michael Thomas Duff

Mechanical Engineering

Students in ME 443: Introduction to Turbomachinery compete to design and build efficient small impulse turbines. The course lacks a standardized method to experimentally calculate turbine power output and mechanical efficiency from accurate measurements of torque and speed, for example. To support the learning goals of ME 443, a dedicated water-turbine dynamometer is needed to provide controlled hydraulic power, accurate mechanical and electrical measurements, and clear data for performance evaluation.

Our proposed system delivers a safe, repeatable, and educational testing environment that can be integrated into the Fluids Lab or used as a standalone instructional tool. Key stakeholders include Professor …

Social Relationships, Mental Health, And Stigma: A Qualitative Study Of Social Networks And Hiv Disclosure In Western Kenya, Sarah Obatsa, Adel Mburia-Mwalili, Salvador Jauregui, Karla Wagner, Lukoye Atwoli, Francesca Odhiambo, Jayne Lewis-Kulzer, Suzanne Goodrich, Kara Wools-Kaloustian, Jennifer Syvertsen

Internal Medicine, East Africa

The disclosure of one’s HIV-positive status is a personal decision that can play an important role in engagement in HIV treatment and care. Social network approaches situate individuals within broader webs of social connections that influence health and wellbeing and thus hold the potential to elucidate key social factors shaping the process of disclosure. As part of a larger clinical study examining how substance use and mental health shape HIV outcomes, we recruited 61 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV at two clinics in Western Kenya to participate in an egocentric social networks study. We conducted a survey that generated a …

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Phenotypes And Circadian Blood Pressure Patterns Among Adults Referred For Diagnostic Evaluation At Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study, Nadeem Kassam, Mzee Ngunga, James Orwa, Alisa Bhojani, Mohamed Varwani, Swaffiya Salim, Yvonne Oketch, Salim Surani, Anthony Ochola, Barbara Karau, Jeilan Mohamed, Etienne Amendezo

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Introduction: hypertension represents the primary modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and poses a public health challenge in sub-Saharan regions, with Kenya experiencing particularly low detection and control rates. Traditional office-based blood pressure measurements often fail to detect key phenotypes, such as white-coat and masked hypertension. Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) offers a comprehensive 24-hour profile that excludes white-coat hypertension and allows for the evaluation of circadian patterns, including nocturnal hypertension and non-dipping status, both of which are recognized as high-risk phenotypes strongly linked to adverse cardiovascular events. This study evaluated ABPM data from Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi …

The Putative Role Of Oral Microbiome In Premature Aging During Hiv Infection: What Do We Know?, Carlos Solá-Morlá, Daphne Alcalá-Zúñiga, Juan Araujo, Maria Da Gloria Bonecini-Almeida, Upal Roy, Josué Pérez-Santiago

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite improvements in life expectancy, people with HIV (PWH) are at risk of developing HIV-associated comorbidities at a younger age when compared to HIV-uninfected individuals. This premature aging process can be attributed to various factors, such as the prolonged exposure to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), inflammation, microbial perturbances and oxidative stress. Similarly to the gut, oral dysbiosis occurs in HIV-1 infection, with cART and inflammation playing a crucial role. This gives rise to an enrichment of pathogenic microorganisms that in turn, elicit an immune response tied to chronic inflammation. Consequently, cART exposure, dysbiosis and persistent inflammation in HIV-1 infection have …

Actg 498.60: Internship, Michelle Schwartz

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2026-2030

No abstract provided.

Bfin 498.50: Internship, Michelle Schwartz

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2026-2030

No abstract provided.

Exploring Racial And Ethnic Diversity Trajectories And Diabetes Prevalence In The United States, Jiue-An Yang, Calvin P Tribby, Anna Dmowska, Qian Xiao, Marta M Jankowska

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates whether long-term changes in neighborhood racial and ethnic diversity are associated with adult diabetes prevalence across the contiguous United States. We calculated diversity indexes for US census tracts (n = 72,033) using decennial census data from 1990 to 2020. Five diversity trajectory clusters were identified using K-means clustering. Diabetes prevalence in 2019 was obtained from the CDC's PLACES dataset. Linear mixed models (LMMs) assessed global associations between diversity trajectories and diabetes prevalence, adjusting for age, sex, poverty, marital status, and public insurance. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) examined local variations in these associations. Compared to the reference group …

Bridging The Diagnostic Gap: Expanding Dementia Care Navigation For Timely Diagnosis, Lucille Carriere, Morgan Minyo, David Bass, Katherine L Possin, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Joel Salinas, Nicole Deaner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Over half of dementia cases remain undiagnosed, with persistent disparities across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Dementia care navigation (DCN) has demonstrated value in post-diagnosis settings. If implemented earlier, DCN could address diagnostic delays and care gaps. We define the diagnostic window as the period from initial symptom awareness through diagnosis and early care planning. Drawing on deliberations from the Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable, we present a pre-diagnosis DCN framework organized across six domains and describe navigator roles across three phases: pre-evaluation, diagnostic assessment, and immediate post-diagnosis and transition. We address special considerations, including people without a care …

Barriers And Facilitators To The Implementation Of The Diabetes Prevention Program (Dpp) In Health Settings: Protocol For A Mixed Methods Systematic Review, Miquel Colom-Rosselló, Manuela Abbate, Laura Capitán-Moyano, Elena Pastor-Ramon, Maria E Fernández, Aina M Yañez, Miquel Bennasar-Veny

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This is the protocol of a Campbell Systematic Review. The objectives are as follows: to identify implementation determinants from the perspectives of both participants and implementers, and to assess their influence on specific implementation outcomes, thereby clarifying why certain aspects of the implementation process succeed or fail. If sufficient data is available, variations in perceived barriers or facilitators related to individuals and program characteristics will also be explored.

Evaluation Of A Novel Antegrade-To-Retrograde Femoral Sheath Conversion System: A Preclinical, Cadaveric Study, Ramakrishnan Ranganath, Kerry K Gilbert, Randy Hickle, Anuva Iyer, Ryan Um, Rex Johnson, Randall Torrence, Daniel I Sessler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Peripheral arterial disease often affects the lower extremities, is frequently bilateral, and typically involves multiple leg segments. Symptomatic disease is usually treated endovascularly. Antegrade access may be necessary in some cases and can be challenging compared with retrograde common femoral artery access. The ability to convert a conventional retrograde access to antegrade access would thus be valuable. We developed and tested a novel system, named as antegrade-to-retrograde converter. Our aim was to establish antegrade superficial femoral artery access from initial retrograde entry and reconvert to retrograde access.

Methods: We tested the antegrade-to-retrograde converter bilaterally in 15 fresh (unembalmed) human …

Legends, Lies, & Rewritten Lives: After The Little Bighorn: Forgotten Struggles Of Those Who Walked Away, 2nd Edition, Thomas B. Davidson

DU Textbooks

This Story surrounds an event that occurred one summer on June 25, 1876, along the banks of the Little Bighorn River in what is now the state of Montana. Seen from a 21st century perch, it is a story of a collision between two very different civilizations or empires. Both empire’s military fought in the manner of their society. This narrative will attempt to balance the believable truth of what happened in that contest between the military representatives of both societies while also trying to tell an engaging story, without drifting into naked partisanship, purple prose, or sensationalism. The narrative …

Disability Experiences Of University Students: An Interview Study, Cece Austin

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the experiences of college/university students with disabilities within the educational system. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with students who identify as disabled or having disabilities in order to explore impacts of disability on their lives, with a focus on experiences navigating academic environments and accessing accommodations. Findings revealed two recurring themes: 1) the importance of both registered accommodations and accessibility efforts from faculty, and 2) difficulties with accommodations, internalized ableism, and disclosure. This research contributes to broader discussions on disability, inclusion, and educational equity by highlighting the lived experiences of students with disabilities …

Dental Care Utilization Among Sexual And Gender Minority Individuals, Ishita Singh, Oladipo Afolayan, Sarah S Jackson, Irene Tamí-Maury

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals can experience notable health disparities, including higher HIV prevalence, social isolation, substance abuse, lack of culturally competent providers, and poorer health outcomes compared to heterosexuals due to stigma and discrimination. This study aims to identify predictors of dental care utilization across sexual minorities using the 2023 TEXAS PRIDE Survey.

Methods: We analyzed data from 517 SGM individuals, assessing sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and recent medical and dental visits. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of dental care utilization (i.e., a dental visit in the past year).

Results: Among sexual orientation groups, reported dental care …