Digital Commons Network^™

Gamification As A Strategy For Interprofessional Learning, Chisom S. Enebechi, Aislinn M. Dorko

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Background: A Community-based, student-led clinic provides free health services to underserved areas, bringing together students from allied health disciplines to promote interprofessional collaboration and health promotion. Previous orientation sessions were lecture-based with a team-building activity providing limited opportunities for active learning. To address this, a gamified orientation activity was developed using realistic, scenario-based cases designed to exemplify common community health situations. Purpose: This quality improvement project aims to evaluate whether gamification improves students' perceived ability to communicate, collaborate, and understand roles and responsibilities when delivering team-based care. Methods: The project was guided by Bandura's Social Learning Theory and implemented using …

The Relationship Between Emotional Dysregulation, Self-Esteem, And Body Dissatisfaction, Daisy D. Trader

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The research literature suggests that body dissatisfaction may have a relationship with eating disorders (Costantini et al., 2026). Thus, an examination of factors related to body dissatisfaction (BD) could be a helpful avenue for better understanding eating disorders. Research suggests that low self-esteem (SE) and emotional dysregulation (ED) may be relevant factors in this relationship (Brytek-Matera et al., 2021). The current study aimed to examine these relationships to better understand disordered eating in adults. Research suggests that low self-esteem is correlated with body dissatisfaction (Abdoli et al., 2025). For example, Stapleton et al. (2017) found that self-esteem significantly predicted body …

Does Positive Or Negative Informal Social Media Impact Internalized Stigma Around Mental Health In College Aged Adults, Katrina G. Wicker

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The purpose of this research study was to look at how positive and negative informal social media impacts internalized stigma towards mental health in college aged adults. I hope to find some relation showing that the more positive a social media video is the less it negatively impacts someone's internalized stigma around mental health. Internalized stigma is how someone thinks and feels about mental health that ends up influencing how they behave when it comes to mental health. I want this research to show that social media is having an impact on those internalized stigmas, and that if we want …

The Evolution Of Accounting: Historical Bookkeeping And Double Entry, Linda N. Moua

Research & Creative Achievement Day

In present-day accounting, technology  has transformed the efficiency and effectiveness of transaction recording.  Microsoft Excel has become a standard tool since its launch in the 1980s and has  quickly replaced handwritten work. This research aims to analyze the origins  of accounting, specifically in bookkeeping and double-entry, and how it has  proven to be the language of business from the beginning. This research will  initially look at stone tablets from the Mesopotamian Era and into the  development of double entry, with how its evolved origins are still similar  and different today. Other than the history of bookkeeping and double entry,  there …

Forgotten Heroes: The Legacy Of World War Ii Nurses, Emma M. Boots, Anna M. Kunau, Rachel B. Smith, Ella G. Stewart

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Our research project honors Gudrun Stenoien. Stenoien was a nurse in the 26th General Hospital Unit of the United States during World War II. During the war, Stenoien, affectionately known as "Goodie," documented her experiences through photographs and letters home. From North Africa to Italy, Goodie served as a Second Lieutenant nurse for the Army from 1942 to 1944. By reading her letters and analyzing documents, we have learned about the legacy Gudrun Stenoien left in her nursing career. Goodie's detailed collection of photographs and letters was generously donated to Winona State University, inspiring research into her journey. Her story …

Self-Esteem, Self-Control, And Self-Acceptance As Predictors Of Grit And Resilience, Ava N. Krolnik

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Introduction: The debate between whether grit and resilience are the same thing or different concepts has long been discussed. While they may have different definitions, many claim that they measure the same thing while others claim that they are indeed separate ideas. During this debate, many studies have found that self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance are all positively correlated with both grit and resilience. Despite these positive correlations, it is unclear which of these self-factors is the strongest predictor of grit and resilience and if they are the same for both. The current study aims to delve deeper into these connections …

Psychology Internship 2026; Rise Family And Children's Center, Star D. Brown

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This will be a posterboard presentation on a completed internship though Winona State University. The internship was with the RISE program at The Family and Children's Center in Winona. The posterboard will cover curriculum made and lessons taught. The lessons will be there for guests to view and ask questions about. The posterboard will also cover changes brought to the program and the impact those changes had.

Limited Access To Reproductive Health Care And Maternal Health Outcomes In Lynchburg, Virginia, Akuchinyere Titus-Okpanachi, Oyebolu Aderinola Akinkugbe, Wuraola Awosan

Liberty University Research Week

Introduction/Background

In 2022, the Virginia Maternal Mortality Review Team reported an increase in pregnancy-associated deaths, rising from 64 to 67, with a death rate of 70.1 per 100,000 live births, surpassing the U.S. rate of 18.6. Black women experienced a notably high death rate of 50.3, highlighting significant racial disparities, including a much higher infant mortality rate among Black infants compared to White infants. In the Central Virginia Health District, disparities are observed, although data availability is limited by small populations in surrounding counties. Lynchburg has recorded higher rates of late or no prenatal care, low birth weights, and preterm …

Social Connectedness In The Age Of Ai: Chatbot Use And Loneliness Among University Students, Pamela Mcilrath

Liberty University Research Week

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are rapidly becoming integrated into everyday life, with recent data indicating that approximately 29% of U.S. adults have used AI in the past year (Google & Ipsos, 2025). While AI tools are often utilized for productivity purposes (e.g., drafting emails, taking meeting minutes, etc.), younger populations are beginning to use them for personal conversations, companionship, and emotional/mental support. Recent research suggests that OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform might be the largest provider of mental health services in the United States of America (Rousmaniere et al., 2025). This development presents a unique opportunity to examine how use of AI …

Hybrid Rans-Les Modeling Of Airflow In A Bronchial Flow Simulation Of A Human Lung, Sunday Joseph

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Reframing Alpha-Gal Syndrome As A One Health Oral Health Risk: A Theoretical Model For Dental Safety And Policy Reform, Oyebolu Aderinola Akinkugbe, Akuchinyere Titus-Okpanachi, Oluwatosin Marylyn Oduneye

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas)Exposure And Its Influence On Fetal And Early Childhood Development, Tahirou Diallo

Liberty University Research Week

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic chemicals ubiquitous in environmental and biological matrices, with growing evidence implicating prenatal exposure in adverse developmental outcomes. This systematic review synthesizes cohort-based evidence published between 2016 and 2026 to evaluate the effects of maternal PFAS exposure on fetal growth and early childhood development. Studies were identified through PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus, and were included if they assessed prenatal PFAS concentrations in relation to birth weight, gestational age, fetal growth trajectories, or childhood anthropometric outcomes. Findings across multiple cohorts consistently link higher prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) …

Manual Tissue Slicer Designed For Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation, Levon Shukrian, Caleb Anene, Daniel Archer, Derek Works, Jack Durham, Joby Anthony, Jumana Rizk, Maria Mendoza Lopez, Shanice Rerrie

Liberty University Research Week

Fertility preservation techniques such as ovarian tissue cryopreservation and autotransplantation provide important options for patients at risk of primary ovarian insufficiency due to medical treatments or disease. A critical step in this process is the preparation of uniform ovarian cortical slices (0.5–1.5 mm thick) that preserve follicular architecture prior to cryopreservation. However, the discontinuation of the Stadie-Riggs tissue slicer, previously used for fresh tissue slicing, has created a significant gap in both translational research and clinical practice. To address this need, a compact manual ovarian tissue slicer was designed and constructed using biocompatible 316L stainless steel and borosilicate glass. The …

Statistical Ghosts: The People Our Health System Can’T See, Claire Rau, Alexandra Mixan, Shaira Neupane

Liberty University Research Week

Health equity depends on accurate representation, yet vulnerable populations are often undercounted in community health assessments. In Lynchburg, Virginia, reliance on voluntary survey data in the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) obscures the true scale of transportation barriers to care. This study examines how transportation access intersects with socioeconomic disadvantage to shape health outcomes.

Using census-based data from the American Community Survey and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PLACES dataset, we analyzed the overlap of low income, lack of insurance, and limited vehicle access. Data were processed in SAS and standardized using Z-scores to create a Vulnerability Index identifying …

Bridging The Gap In Adolescent And Young Adult Sexual Health Education, Michael Ago Tetteh, Anjali Jacob, Cassidy Harris, Claire Rau

Liberty University Research Week

Background: Risky sexual behavior among adolescents is a significant public health concern in the United States and locally in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 2024, Virginia reported elevated rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including 851 new HIV cases (21.4% occurring in ages 15–24), as well as high rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, which heavily burden youth. In Lynchburg specifically, 43.5% of high school seniors report having had sexual intercourse, and the teen birth rate is 12 per 1,000 for females aged 15–19. Beyond physical health, these behaviors reflect poor spiritual health and a departure from a biblical sexual ethic, as …

Gospel Reception And Response In Students With Profound Cognitive Disabilities, Reagan Lewis

Liberty University Research Week

This study attempts to build a bridge over a gap in research regarding how to measure children with cognitive disabilities’ understanding of the gospel, also incorporating information about ministry structure, caregiver responsibility, and methods for presenting the gospel. While there is a plethora of research surrounding the design of disability ministries, very little research has been done in the area of gospel reception, particularly in children with cognitive disabilities. This study utilized a qualitative research design to collect data for analysis and discussion. Specifically, this study included individual interviews, one focus group discussion with all participants at the conclusion of …

Artificial Meaning?, Thomas R. Lee, Jesse Egbert

Florida Law Review

The textualist turn is increasingly an empirical one—an inquiry into ordinary meaning in the sense of what is commonly or typically ascribed to a given word or phrase. Such an inquiry is inherently empirical. And empirical questions call for replicable evidence produced by transparent methods—not bare human intuition or an arbitrary preference for one dictionary definition over another. Both scholars and judges have begun to make this turn. They have started to adopt the tools used in the field of corpus linguistics—a field that studies language usage by examining large databases (corpora) of naturally occurring language.

This turn is now …

Migration, Culture, And Healthcare In Chicago’S Pakistani Community, Sultan Cheema

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

How does Chicago’s Pakistani community understand and access the US healthcare system? This ethnographic study will draw on 10 semi-structured interviews and five in-depth interviews to investigate how first and second-generation Pakistanis interact with healthcare in the United States. By exploring factors such as religion, length of stay, socioeconomic status, non-Western medical practices, household configuration, and education, this study will examine the relationship between cultural adaptation and healthcare decision-making among Pakistani immigrant communities.

Pathways To Compassion: Mapping Gender-Affirming Healthcare Experiences, Ashley Gotlib

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals face significant obstacles accessing gender-affirming care, particularly within religious healthcare organizations. This mixed-methods study (n=59) found that 94% of participants reported barriers and 86% experienced misgendering. Key impediments include financial and insurance constraints, limited regional availability, and restrictive policies. The primary barrier remains provider knowledge gaps, with 98% of respondents citing a critical need for specialized education and training. Socioeconomic and geographic factors also influence access, alongside a noted avoidance of faith-based systems. These systemic issues highlight the urgent need for provider training, better care navigation, and policy reform.

Language Style Matching (Lsm) And Group Cohesion: Exploring Mechanisms Behind Psychological Wellbeing In Interpersonal Psychotherapy For College Students (Ipt-Cs), Bradley Orzada, Kirby Knapp, Ellie Malone, Colleen Conley

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has been found to be effective for improving the anxiety and depression symptoms of college students, but little is known about the therapeutic mechanisms behind IPT nor for whom IPT does not work. Language style matching (LSM), given its associations with interpersonal relationships and psychological wellbeing, may further inform IPT mechanisms and serve as a tool to predict intervention outcomes. Using data from an IPT group for college students, the present study explored how participant LSM relates to anxiety, depression, and group cohesion. Group psychotherapy transcripts of participants (N = 9) were analyzed using Linguistic Inquiry and …

Microbial Responses To Pharmaceutical Pollution In Streams, Darian Bolden

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Pharmaceuticals, which include prescription and non-prescription drugs, have been detected in human-impacted streams throughout the world, raising concerns about the potential ecological effects of these drugs. The goal of my project was to assess the potential effects of pharmaceutical pollution on leaf litter decomposition by microorganisms as an indicator of stream health. We added a mixture of eight antibiotics to four artificial stream channels, with four control channels receiving no antibiotics, and used cotton strips as a surrogate for leaves. Addition of antibiotics stimulated leaf litter decomposition, increased bacterial community diversity and altered bacterial community composition after 14 days, but …

Investigating The Quantity & Composition Of “Nurdles” At Micro & Macro Levels, Andrew Conover, Maya Worek, Olivia Schaul

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Plastic pollution is a pressing global concern. Plastic pre-production pellets, or “nurdles” are widespread in the environment, but not yet well documented in rivers. In particular, nurdles are well documented along coastlines; additional efforts are needed to report the presence and concentration of these pollutants in freshwater habitats to fully understand the scope of the problem. This project had 2 objectives: 1) use community science (i.e., volunteer-generated) data to quantify nurdle abundance in rivers at a continental scale, and 2) measure the magnitude of the distribution of nurdles in a single tributary of the Chicago River.

Identification Of An Unknown Bacterial Species From A Sink Handle, Angelo Ricarte, Ahman Dye

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This project aims to identify an unknown bacterial species isolated from a sink handle. Using a series of tests, the bacterium’s physical appearance, growth conditions, and metabolic characteristics will be examined. Its shape, colony appearance, and responses to different biochemical tests will help narrow down its identity. By comparing these results with the profiles of known bacteria, this project aims to determine which species is present and better understand the types of microbes commonly found on everyday objects.

Evaluating Mental Health Providers’ Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Stigma Among Teenagers Aged 13 To 19 Years With Mental Illness, Fredrica Murray Johnson

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Limited knowledge and poor attitudes among mental health providers contribute to stigma towards individuals with mental illness, adversely affecting treatment experience and outcomes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving mental health providers’ knowledge and attitudes toward stigma-based practices. The clinical question stated: Among mental health providers, does an educational intervention, compared to standard practice, improve knowledge and attitudes of stigma and promote evidence-based care delivery to adolescents aged 13 to 19 with mental illness within six weeks? The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) was the framework used to implement the quasi-experimental study. The two …

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Diet And Contributing Factors: A Narrative Literature Review, Rachel Joseph, Ashley Tharpe, Sherri Ann Walker

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Objectives: The purpose of this narrative literature review is to explore the relationship between Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dietary habits, and identify factors that contribute to the development, progression, and potential management of NAFLD.

Methods: Search terms such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diet, and nutrition, including plant-based and vegetarian diets, were used to identify 45 peer-reviewed publications published within the last five years.

Results: Dietary factors, biological, environmental, obesity, mental health, and genetic factors can contribute to the development of NAFLD. This multisystem problem can have economic, social, and psychological consequences that affect a person’s quality …

Resilience In Nursing Education: A Literature Review Examining The Experiences Of Ukrainian Nursing Students In The United States, Katherine Ferrell, Rachel Joseph

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the experiences of international students who originate from war-torn areas, who live in the United States (US). Drawing from peer-reviewed sources, the review examines the academic, psychological, and social challenges these students face, including trauma, cultural adjustment, and gaps in institutional support. It highlights the resilience and coping strategies employed by students, as well as the role of universities in fostering inclusive environments. The review also identifies critical gaps in current research, particularly regarding long-term mental health outcomes and culturally responsive support services. This paper aims to synthesize existing literature on …

Navigating Life And Death: A Moral Critique Of Euthanasia Practices Worldwide, Brooke Fuzie, Rachel Joseph

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Euthanasia and physician-assisted death remain deeply debated ethical issues shaped by history, law, and cultural values. This narrative review explores how diverse ethical frameworks, shifting global legislation, and cultural perspectives inform current discourse, with special attention to the role of nurses guided by the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics. Drawing on peer-reviewed studies, legal documents, and recent case analyses published between 2013 and 2025, the review identifies three key insights. Ethical frameworks influence whether society accepts or opposes euthanasia; robust legal safeguards are needed to protect autonomy and prevent misuse; and palliative care and advance care planning, including …

Perceived Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, And Barriers Of Jordanian Nursing Faculty To Integrate Genomic Concepts In The Curriculum: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study, Rachel Joseph

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Background: Rapid advances in genomics knowledge and the expansion of precision medicine have amplified expectations for nurses to integrate genomic concepts into education and clinical practice. Evidence regarding genomic knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers among nursing faculty in the Middle East is limited. To equip practicing and emerging nurses, faculty must be equipped. Faculty preparedness is critical to successful curriculum integration and to preparing future nurses for genomic-informed care.

Purpose: This study examined the perceived knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers related to integrating genomic concepts in the nursing curriculum among nursing faculty in Jordan.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was …

More Than Machines: Our Identity In Christ, Jerrod A. Boggs

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

No abstract provided.

From The Leadership Desk, Elizabeth Whorley

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

No abstract provided.