Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Microbiome Communities Of Two Belize Coral Species Five Years After Reciprocal Transplant, Lily E. Kratz

Biology Honors Papers

Coral holobionts, which include the coral animal host, dinoflagellate algae, bacteria, etc., support coral reef biodiversity by providing habitat to many marine species. In the face of global change, identifying and understanding the microbial diversity of corals is extremely important because their survival indicates overall ocean health. Coral-associated bacterial and algal communities contribute to the health and survival of a coral species through creating resistance to stressors and supplying essential nutrients. As coral reef environments continue to change, microbial communities must respond to ensure the survival of reef-building corals. To investigate if coral microbiomes possess the ability to acclimatize to …

Bats In A Modified Suburban Landscape, Brittany Morgera

Biology Honors Papers

This research assesses bat species richness and activity across a gradient of suburban habitat modification surrounding Ursinus College and Green Lane Park in Montgomery County, located in southeastern Pennsylvania. Habitat modification was quantified using GIS-based land-cover metrics (e.g. impervious surfaces and canopy cover), and bat activity and species richness were measured though acoustic surveys conducted at 15 sites during the summers of 2024 and 2025. The project tests the hypothesis that increasing habitat modification has a negative correlation with bat species richness and activity.

Differences In Gendered Educational Experiences Through A Hegemonic Lens: Cultural Influences On Schooling Norms, Camille M. Hubbs

Educational Studies Honors Papers

Recent research literature has found boys to be failing in school compared to girls; because of this a wave of awareness and furthered research on boys has followed. However, girls’ struggles in education must not be ignored as a result of boys’ issues. This project aims to describe and analyze the differences in educational experiences that both sexes have, and it operates under the understanding that culture is a primary influence on these different experiences. Experiences are divided into three broad sections: academic outcomes, confidence, and behaviors. In short, boys generally have worse academic outcomes, girls have poor confidence, and …

2026 Knight Of Honor Awards & Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, Lynn University

Knight of Honor Award Programs

Program for the annual Knight of Honor Awards, held in the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center on May 4, 2026. Additionally, the Donald E. and Helen L. Ross College of Education hooding ceremony for doctoral candidates is held.

Occupational Therapy Program Development In Unhoused Communities, Abbigayle Jackson, Emma Pacheco, Mariko Turley, Jennifer Wickham, Tina M. Deangelis, Edd, Ms, Otr/L, Faota

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program Capstone Presentations

Objectives

- Outline the Modified Delphi process and its purpose for manual development

- Describe foundational elements of occupational therapy (OT) program development for unhoused populations

- Illustrate a program's community and societal impact

Julie And Julia 2.0 Emergent Themes Of “One Year” Food Blogging Challenge, Anna Hollrah

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This study analyzed the thematic patterns that emerge in year-end posts by food bloggers who undertook a one-year blogging challenge. Using rhetorical criticism and an open coding process, 25 reflective blog posts were analyzed to identify recurring themes and motivations from the legacies of Julia Child and Julie Powell. The analysis identified seven primary themes, which were then grouped into two categories: advice and response. The themes included authenticity, inspiration, hard work, learning, enjoyment, gratitude, and community building.

Several of these themes reflected the influence and advice of Child and Powell, and they also highlighted the blogger’s personal growth, creativity, …

From Crops To Kilowatts: The Growing Energy Potential Of Modern Agriculture, Karlee M. Crowe

Honors Theses

Agriculture has traditionally been defined as merely the production of food, fiber, and raw materials. Growing global challenges such as rising energy demand, resource depletion, and environmental degradation are reshaping the agricultural industry. This paper argues that modern agriculture has the potential to expand beyond its conventional roles by integrating renewable energy production—specifically through agrivoltaics and biomass generation—into existing agricultural practices. By focusing on these two main systems, this study highlights how the agriculture industry can implement energy production into already existing practices. Drawing on scientific literature and government sources, this study analyzes the environmental, economic, and social implications of …

Unbottling The Truth: A Study Of Alcohol Rehabilitation Access And Outcomes In Kentucky, Kendall Pierce

Honors Theses

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a significant public health concern in the United States, with disproportionately higher rates in Kentucky. Despite the availability of various treatment modalities, barriers to access and perceptions of treatment effectiveness continue to influence recovery outcomes. This study examines the accessibility and perceived success of alcohol rehabilitation programs in Kentucky through qualitative focus groups with individuals with lived experience of AUD (n = 9). Using an inductive thematic analysis approach, four major themes were identified: individual readiness for recovery, social support and resource navigation, structural barriers within the treatment system, and perceived characteristics of …

Evaluation In Applied Ai: Predictive Modeling, Agent Safety, And Model Validation, Tanmay Sah

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation focuses on three applied challenges in machine learning and artificial intelligence: predicting social media content virality, evaluating safety in tool using large language model agents, and standardizing model validation in regulated settings. Across these domains, the dissertation argues that evaluation in applied AI must be matched to context, combining predictive performance with the relevant evidence needed for interpretability, safety, reproducibility, and governance readiness. First, Decoding Reddit Memes Virality extracts and analyzes 16,968 posts using computer vision, natural language processing, and gradient boosting to identify visual, textual, and temporal signals associated with virality. Second, The Verifier Tax designs and …

Airborne Fungal Monitoring In Healthcare Environments: A Systematic Review, Dana L. Surwill, Patricia Cruz, Mark P. Buttner, Jennifer R. Pharr, Nancy Lough, Theresa T. Roehr

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background: Fungal infections pose a significant threat to public health, with over 6.55 million cases and 2.55 million deaths annually. Exposure to fungal spores in indoor environments primarily occurs through inhalation or direct contact with surfaces. Monitoring is critical for early detection and prevention of outbreaks, yet routine airborne fungal testing is not universally mandated across healthcare settings. Methods: A systematic review of peer-reviewed articles from four databases was conducted to identify current airborne fungal monitoring guidelines and best practices for sample collection, culture media, incubation conditions, and results interpretation. Results: Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria, and four studies …

Invisible Fallout: Economic Health, Environmental Injustice, And The Social Legacy Of The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Isabella G. Bailey-Sims

Honors Theses

This paper examines the long-term impacts of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in western Kentucky, framing its legacy as a form of “invisible fallout” in which economic growth was accompanied by delayed environmental and public health consequences. Established in the early 1950s, the plant served as a major economic driver, providing stable employment and transforming the regional economy. However, its operation involved the handling of radioactive materials and hazardous chemicals, leading to environmental contamination and occupational exposure risks that were not fully disclosed during its active years.

Drawing on epidemiological studies, environmental reports, and socioeconomic analyses, this study identifies …

Why Did Pikeville Blow Up That Mountain? Post-Evaluation On Public Projects In The United States, Gavin Cantrell

Honors Theses

Public project evaluation in the United States follows that projects are developed with constant checks and measurements to ensure that budgetary expectations, efficiency expectations, and output expectations are being met consistent with what was approved for the project. However, post-evaluation (also known as ex-evaluation) is not mandatory for constructing a project. Post-evaluation is a systematic approach of assessing and evaluating a project after its completion. Evidence suggests that there is no standardized system of post-evaluation across the branches of government, nor is there one that measures success. The logic model can fill this gap in post-evaluation. The logic model is …

Eastern Kentucky Drowning: Floods And Relief Efforts, Lynsey Joseph

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impacts of repeated flash floods in Eastern Kentucky, focusing on the flood events of 2022 and 2025, to understand how environmental conditions, disaster policy, and socioeconomic factors have shaped the community vulnerability and recovery in the region. This research is relevant due to the increased frequency of extreme weather events that have had disproportionate effects on rural and low-income regions. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of federal disaster response programs like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and to analyze these systems compared to community-based recovery efforts. This was done using a …

Pfas Drinking Water Contamination In Madison County, Ky Association With Reproductive Health Outcomes., Jessica L. Stone

Honors Theses

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent, manmade chemicals used since the 1950s in a wide variety of consumer products. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as PFAS, have been linked to an increase in hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast and prostate, decreased fertility, decreased sperm count, genital malformations, and early puberty. This study utilized a mixed methods approach, including a literature review, a survey consisting of surface water and drinking water analysis, and a spatial analysis of public cancer data. Analyzed cancer data stratified by Kentucky River lower subbasin versus the remainder of the sectors, resulted in three significant p-values, …

"Sirens, Safety, And Superheroes": A Children's Guide To Handling An Emergency Crisis, Madison B. Cassity

Honors Theses

A children’s book was created highlighting the roles and responsibilities of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workers in the prehospital setting. The book addresses the concerns and hesitancies that children may have when approached by EMS in the event of an emergency. This includes strategies about how children should manage and react in a situation if they must call 9-1-1 themselves. In addition to EMS related research, a literature review was conducted to analyze sources on how to effectively write a children’s book (what makes a child most interested, how to keep them engaged, etc.). This thesis will also articulate the …

Cancer Risk Perceptions And Nicotine Use Behaviors Among Eastern Kentucky University Students, Kassidy Burke

Honors Theses

The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including vaping devices and oral nicotine pouches, has increased among adolescents and young adults. Although often marketed as safer alternatives to cigarettes, emerging evidence suggests these products may still pose significant health risks, including potential contributions to cancer. Despite this, many college students perceive them as low risk. This study examines cancer risk perceptions and nicotine use behaviors among students at Eastern Kentucky University, focusing on perceptions of cigarettes, vaping devices, and oral nicotine pouches, as well as how these perceptions influence behavior. It also explores sources of health information and the …

Jtc 26: From Military Service To Social Work, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2026 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate

Jtc 26: Teaching With Empathy, Erin Garrett

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2026 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

First Amendment Forum Classification: Special Use Permits, Limited Public Forums, And The “Heckler’S Veto”, Elizabeth Price Foley

University of Miami Law Review

Pride Month is an important event in many communities because it celebrates and enhances the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. Pridefest events occurring during Pride Month are well-attended but often mired by threats of violence. Such threats are often targeted at Pridefest drag shows, which exhibit gender-bending performances by drag queens and drag kings of one biological sex, who wear extravagant costumes that exaggerate gender stereotypes of the opposite biological sex. In Naples Pride, Inc. v. City of Naples, the Eleventh Circuit addressed whether a government may impose conditions on such drag shows when threats have been levied against …

Prefatory Matter And Table Of Contents

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Circuit Court Interim Docket, Jeffrey Paul Desousa, Casey Witte, Jacob Eisler

University of Miami Law Review

While there has been increased interest in the Supreme Court’s use of emergency applications to decide substantive legal questions on an interim basis (sometimes called, controversially, the “shadow docket,” or sometimes the “emergency docket,” though more aptly labeled the “interim docket”), equivalent practices at the appellate level have largely been overlooked. Yet these practices—the use of stays, injunctions, and similar urgent interventions against trial court rulings—have significant parallels to their Supreme Court counterparts. This Article sheds light on the courts of appeals’ interim practice, with a focus on the Eleventh Circuit. It first reviews the procedures that govern interim practice …

Harness The Darkness! Blackout Poetry And Drama Therapy For Systemic Existential Dread: A Proposed Methodology, Kerry Sullivan

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the intersection of drama therapy and blackout poetry as a therapeutic intervention to address systemic existential dread (SED) among emerging adults. The proposed methodology is titled "Bringing Blackout Poetry to Life" and consists of five sessions designed to explore the participants’ SED and generate poetry, culminating in a public performance. By integrating elements from psychodrama and drama therapy with the therapeutic process of blackout poetry, the intervention intends to aid processing on all levels of the expressive therapies continuum (ETC), strengthen tolerance for uncertainty, and facilitate sustainable community action. This theoretical framework is supported by a wide-ranging …

Body And Size Acceptance In Dance/Movement Therapy, Kathryn Pedersen

Expressive Therapies Theses

The pervasiveness of anti-fat bias within American culture is growing due to the rise in popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) and the current United States administration’s discriminatory views towards minority groups. With Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) being a body-based modality, it is necessary to examine the available literature to discover the theoretical orientations that are being used when working with fat populations. Quantitative and qualitative studies from both international and United States-based sources were reviewed, and findings indicated that while both the medicalized view of fatness and the body acceptance-based view of fatness were employed, United States-based research most …

How Art Therapy Can Be Used To Support Children Experiencing Homelessness: A Literature Review, Lila N. Murray

Expressive Therapies Theses

Art therapy and art-based programming have increasingly been introduced in a variety of service settings to children experiencing homelessness, with the belief that artmaking can promote recovery and resilience, and support mental wellbeing. Despite the presence of such programs, there is very limited research on the impact of art therapy and arts-based intervention on the lives of children experiencing homelessness. This literature review is focused on the role of art therapy in working with children who have experienced or are currently experiencing homelessness, which is defined as a form of complex trauma. This research aimed to address the following question: …

Reclaiming The Narrative: Integrating Narrative Therapy And Songwriting For Children And Adolescents Living Through Adverse Childhood Experiences, Emma Smith

Expressive Therapies Theses

Children and adolescents tend to lack agency and power in their lives with their status as minors. Lack of agency can be exacerbated if they are experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Narrative songwriting is an approach with emerging methods that may support liberation, agency, and ownership for this population. Although there is a plethora of trauma-informed songwriting methods in music therapy literature focusing on young populations, there is sparse research about using narrative songwriting with this population. In this thesis, literature from both music therapy and narrative therapy with young populations experiencing ACEs was located and analyzed using a qualitative …

Corporate Personhood And The Scope Of Constitutional Rights, Jadyn Cooper

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses

In 2010, the Supreme Court, in Citizens United v. FEC, held that corporations have a First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Soon after, privately held corporations were effectively granted the First Amendment right to exercise religion, in Burwell v Hobby Lobby. Should corporations have these rights, or are rights reserved for “persons”? I argue that for-profit corporations, as artificial entities, lack the capacities for personhood and moral agency, including the capacity to express speech or exercise religion, without the use of a human agent. Since corporations are not moral agents, they don’t possess rights inherently and shouldn’t be granted …

Companionships, Transportation, And Health Among Members Of A Hispanic Senior Center: A Sociometric Social Network Dataset, Rebecca Mauldin Phd, Msw, Vismaya Prakasan Msis, Akshay Thakare Msis, Rupal Parekh Phd

Social Networks for Social Good Collection-Archive

This dataset contains survey and social network data from 42 members of a predominantly Puerto Rican senior center in Hartford, Connecticut. It includes two linked components (1) participant-level information on demographics, health, mobility, and transportation, and (2) a sociometric network of companionship ties among members. The data are designed for use in social network analysis and research on aging, mobility, and social relationships. These data can be used to explore questions such as how companionship ties are structured among older adults in a community setting; whether individuals with similar characteristics (e.g., age, gender, health status) are more likely to form …

The Value Of Difficulty In Engineering Education To Professional Work Experience Of Early Career Engineers: A Multiple Case Study, Nosakhare Iyobosa Idiaghe

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Engineering education has long been characterized by rigor, intensity, and selective sorting, conditions often justified as necessary for producing capable engineers. Yet, despite the widespread assumption that academic hardship prepares students for professional practice, relatively little empirical work has examined how graduates themselves interpret the value of these difficult experiences once they enter the workforce. This dissertation addresses that gap by investigating how early-career engineers make sense of the difficulty encountered in their undergraduate education and how those experiences compare to the challenges of engineering practice.

Using a qualitative multiple‑case study design, the research draws on semi‑structured interviews with eight …

Leading While Black: An Examination Of The Black Supervisor Experience Overseeing White Subordinates In Higher Education, Colette Marie Tobias

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This study examines how systemic racism and social capital hierarchies shape the supervisory experiences of Black supervisors. While existing literature has explored leadership and race, it has not fully examined how systemic racism shape Black supervisors’ experiences or how social capital hierarchies play into the behavioral responses of white subordinates. This study addresses that gap by centering the lived experiences of Black supervisors within higher education.

Grounded in narrative inquiry, this research focuses on how participants make meaning of their experiences through their stories. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals with 19 Black supervisors who had at …

Long-Time Ud Marianist Leader, Dayton Children's Ceo To Receive Honorary Degrees, University Of Dayton

News Releases

Former University of Dayton vice president the Rev. James Fitz, S.M., and Deborah Feldman, president and CEO of Dayton Children’s Hospital, will receive honorary degrees during the University of Dayton's graduation ceremony May 10 in UD Arena.