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Senior Day 2026, University Of Michigan Law School

Commencement and Honors Materials

Program for the May 11, 2026 University of Michigan Law School Senior Day.

A Practical Leadership Guide For Student Organization President And Officers, Adrian Hernandez

Honors Capstones

This capstone project focuses on the development of a leadership playbook designed to support student organization leaders through practical guidance, organizational strategies, and leadership systems grounded in real experiences. The project was inspired by my experience serving as President of Pi Sigma Epsilon and the leadership challenges commonly faced within student organizations. Throughout my time in leadership, I observed how communication, structure, accountability, and organizational culture directly impacted the success and sustainability of organizations. These experiences motivated the creation of a resource that could help future student leaders navigate leadership responsibilities more effectively while building stronger and more sustainable organizations. …

Valorization Of Ductile Cast Iron Solid Waste As A High-Performance Adsorbent For Crystal Violet Removal: Characterization, Optimization, And Mechanistic Insights, Ibrahim Ibrahim Mr., Abdel Mohsen Turky Dr., Nasser Mostafa Prof., Mai H. Roushdy

Chemical Engineering

Industrial textile wastewater containing synthetic dyes cause serious environmental and health risk, whereas ductile cast iron (DCI) foundries generate over 500 000 tons of waste annually. This study utilizes DCI solid waste as an adsorbent to remove the crystal violet (CV) dye from wastewater. Techniques (XRF, XRD, BET, SEM-EDX, FTIR, TGA-DTG, zeta potential) proved that the waste contains 88.0 wt% periclase (MgO) with nanoscale, high surface area, and abundant surface hydroxyl groups. Response surface methodology showed that the most significant parameters were the adsorbent dose and time contact. The optimal conditions give 93.7% removal efficiency at initial concentration: 38.7 mg …

Bringing Music To Life: An Autoethnographic Music Therapy Method For Performance Anxiety, Gabrielle Kwang-Jiin Ger

Expressive Therapies Theses

Music performance anxiety (MPA) can be defined as manifestations of stress when faced with the task of performing in front of an audience and it impacts musicians of all ages and degrees of experience. MPA is a complex issue influenced by psychological, physiological, behavioral, environmental, and social factors and can affect one’s confidence, self-esteem, enjoyment of music, and career choices. This study investigated the development of methods in music therapy to reduce MPA and strengthen a musician’s relationship with performance. Through my own experiences in autoethnographic, mixed methods research, I explored the use of music and imagery and improvisation to …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Dna Repair Kits In The Restoration Of Str Profiles, Katya Sandoval

Honors Theses

DNA analysis is heavily relied upon in forensic analyses. It can be expected that certain forensically relevant samples — i.e. those recovered from a crime scene, and which have been outside of the body and exposed to environmental conditions— will have undergone some form of damage or degradation. This causes the loss of important information. The purpose of this research was to compare how effectively two commercial DNA repair kits, PreCR® Repair Mix and Restorase® DNA Polymerase, were able to restore STR profiles in damaged samples. The experiments in this study were conducted using DNA extracted from human blood. Samples …

Clinical Practice Guideline To Reduce Lgbtq+ Disparities In Health Care, Angel Lb Ambrose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Establishing The Division Interprofessional Council By Using Magnet Principles, Warisara Manuel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Correctional Staff Regarding Coping Strategies Used By Juvenile Female Offenders, Angela Pagano Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Educating Staff On The Use Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Screening Tool, Adetayo Adebayo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Filipino High School Teachers’ Use Of Technology To Teach Science Online, Bongbong Lalata Fernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Diverse Characters In Children's Literature For Identity Development, Gabrielle Revaitis

English and Creative Writing Independent Study Projects

This paper aims to explore and examine the function of diverse and realistic representation in children's literature and its effect on their identity development. It asserts that literature is one of the main tools by which children develop their understanding of themselves and their place in the world. Reading about various kinds of diversity and realistic representation of different kinds of identities, whether based on race, gender, and disability, helps them to see diversity and commonality in human experiences. However, this paper will also examine how children's literature has been problematic in representing stereotypes and misrepresenting marginalized groups. It emphasizes …

Educational Formation In A Fragmented Modern Age, Ana Lucía Fernández Del Castillo

College Honors Program

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are on the rise. No wonder considering all the issues that world faces today, from rising authoritarianism to a loneliness epidemic. 

This thesis studies how Catholic higher education, specifically the Jesuit theory of education, St. John Henry Newman's theory of education, and St. Edith Stein's theory of education, can prepare students for such a world. It looks at educational as formational and with a purpose beyond simply acquiring the necessary skills for a job.

4-H Exhibit Hall Packet For The 2026 North Haverhill Fair, Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Burns: Severity, First Aid, And When To Refer, Mike Smith, Pablo Aguayo

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

This episode explains burn depth, TBSA estimation, and practical first aid that reduces complications—essential for pediatricians and ER providers who triage children with burns. Pablo Aguayo, MD (Children’s Mercy) walks through burn classification (superficial to fourth-degree), scald burns, and American Burn Association referral criteria. Keywords: pediatric burns, burn severity, burn first aid, scald injuries, TBSA, burn center referral. For more resources and show notes, visit the Pediatrics in Practice CME Podcast page and subscribe for updates.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

The Role Of Ceo Biases And Heuristics For Large Firms’ Innovation, Cristina O. Vlas, Radu E. Vlas

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Do different CEO biases affect large firms’ innovation differently, and to what extent are these effects bounded by CEOs’ heuristics? In this article, we highlight overlooked antecedents, such as the biases imposed by CEO narcissism and self-monitoring and the heuristics driven by CEOs’ motivation (regulatory foci) for certain courses of action. We found that narcissistic CEOs differ from self-monitoring CEOs when it comes to innovation. We found that, for self-monitoring CEOs, these effects are conditioned by the individuals’ underlying promotion and prevention motivation, but this is not the case for narcissistic CEOs. These findings contour our understanding of the immutability …

Intouch Week Of May 11, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Brian J. Nickerson, Ph.D., J.D., M.P.A., FACHE, Leads SHSP
• Welcoming the Next Generation of Humanistic Physicians
• Kaley Lectureship Examines Vascular Pathways in Alzheimer’s Disease
• Annual Louis Del Guercio Research Day Highlights Surgical Research Advances
• Teaching and Learning Symposium Highlights Innovation, Honors Academy of Medical Educators
• Understanding Women’s Health Through Systems, Policy, and Experience NYMC Community Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month
• Neurology Alumni Gather at ANA Annual Meeting
• A Night of Music, Memories, and Celebration
• Student Spotlight: Lillian Huang, M.S. ‘21, SOM Class of 2026, Finds Purpose Through Patient Care and Research
• Student Spotlight: Antonia Schonwald, M.S., Looks Ahead to a …

Virtual Matter: Architecture As A Critical Turning Point, Aden Sterchi

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The materialization of AI infrastructure has outpaced all regulatory frameworks, allowing data centers to proliferate with limited oversight despite their growing environmental and social impacts. Through a review of artificial intelligence’s technological development, the rise of big tech, and contemporary data center expansion, this thesis situates AI infrastructure within a broader pattern of deregulation, delayed accountability, and market-driven governance. Using a qualitative mixed-method approach combining historical analysis, policy critique, regional case studies, and research-through-design, the study examines how existing land use, utility, and environmental frameworks have failed to keep pace with the scale of data center sprawl; The study also …

The Lived Experiences Of Clinical Mental Health Counselors Returning To Clinical Work After Becoming A New Mom: A Phenomenological Study, Kathryn Bohn

Dissertations

The experience of transitioning back to work postpartum can be an emotional rollercoaster for women. One that is often filled with identity tensions and sweeping emotions that range from guilt to relief, anxiety to confidence (Dod, 2025; Franzoi et al., 2023; Garcia-Lorenzo et al., 2023). Postpartum can be an emotionally raw and vulnerable time for new mothers as they navigate physical and emotional changes, maternal stress, and the pressures and demands of new motherhood (LeBlanc, 2023; Maylott, 2023). Professional counselors in a clinical setting, also known as clinical mental health counselors, encounter occupationally specific responsibilities that create unique experiences for …

Virtualizing Practical Science Education: A Sociological Analysis Of Undergraduate Teaching And Learning, Sina J. Fakoyede, Femi E. Babalola, Oluwatoyin T. Obateru, Oluwayemisi D. Akomolafe, Deborah O. Alabi, Stella K. Ekundayo

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The study aims to investigate the perspectives of university teachers and students on integrating practical science teaching with virtual learning in a multicultural and diverse society, specifically within the context of southwestern Nigeria.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving data collection from 100 university lecturers and 400 undergraduate students across 10 universities. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with lecturers and focus group discussions with students. Quantitative data were obtained via structured questionnaires, allowing for triangulation and comprehensive analysis.

Results: Findings revealed that certain lecturers showed preferential support influenced by students’ cultural backgrounds or academic behavior during …

They Don’T Care About Us Here! The Intersectionality Of Implicit Bias, Stereotype Threat, And The Need For Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Louis D. Blair

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how teachers engage in critical self-reflection of implicit bias and how that process influences their pedagogical awareness and classroom practices. Grounded in the Implicit Bias Theory, Adult Learning Theory, Transformative Learning Theory, and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, the study utilized the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT), reflective journaling, and engagement with the book Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools, to explore shifts in three participants’ beliefs and instructional approaches. Data sources included pre- and post-survey responses, IAT reflections, and ongoing journal entries, and semi-structured post-study interviews which were analyzed thematically. Findings …

The Echo: May 11, 2026, Taylor University

2025-2026 (Volume 113)

No abstract provided.

Discipline Or Damage? How Corporal Punishment Affects The Psychological Wellbeing Of Children In The School Setting, Umulkheir Mahamud Sharif Ali

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Corporal punishment continues to be used in many homes and schools despite research linking it to negative psychological outcomes in children. Previous studies, primarily focused on home settings, have associated corporal punishment with increased anxiety, depression, aggression, and emotional distress. However, less research has examined how these outcomes appear within school environments, where discipline occurs in more structured institutional settings. This thesis investigates how corporal punishment in schools affects students psychologically, emotionally, and academically through a literature review of peer-reviewed studies from psychology, education, and public health. The findings show that many of the mental health outcomes associated with corporal …

Is Health Deserved? Personal Autonomy, Framing, Ethical Intimidation, And The Politicization Of Healthcare In The United States V. Japan, Ava C. Azucenas

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Is health deserved? Is your health owed to you? What does this mean, and whose responsibility is it? I argue that American culture’s use of  personal autonomy, “framing”, and ethical intimidation has stunted the improvement of both political and legal structures. This is evident in the politicization of the ‘for-profit’ healthcare system in the United States. American policymakers frequently weaponize moral foundations in order to coerce voters into supporting or opposing certain healthcare policies derived from the principle that some people are more "deserving" of health than others. This calculated “framing” of health concepts has deeply politicized such an ethical …

Impact Of Land-Use Disturbances On The Composition Of Wetland Plant Communities Across The Conterminous United States, Maya Merchant

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to the threat of invasive species on wetland biodiversity, it is critical to assess factors driving their proliferation in wetlands. To address this growing need, this project analyzes relationships between non-native species and known anthropogenic disturbance types associated with increased biological invasions. Using the U.S. EPA’s 2021 National Wetland Condition Assessment, the relationship between non-native species (diversity, richness, and coverage) and surrounding land-use within 500, 1,000, and 3,000-meter buffers was evaluated. To explore patterns across larger spatial scales, mean non-native species diversity, richness, and coverage was calculated at the watershed level and compared to associated percentages of agricultural land …

The Supreme Court And Climate Law: A Qualitative Analysis, Tanner Blackington

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper seeks to explore the Supreme Court’s understanding of climate justice and its evolution over time. I begin with an explanation of the context on climate law, climate change, and the Supreme Court as an institution. I situate the study in the literature on judicial restraint, institutional barriers, and the powers of the Supreme Court as focal points. Then, drawing on a sample of 20 Supreme Court opinions issued between 2007 and 2025, I offer an empirical analysis which reveals the Supreme Court’s feelings of confinement within the boundaries of federalism and balancing power with the Legislative and Executive …

Technology’S Historical Impact On The Wealth Management Business And How Advisors Plan To Evolve Around Career Challenges Posed By Artificial Intelligence, Nick George

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The past few decades have molded our contemporary financial experiences and have forced financial advisors to plan for a career-altering pivot in the near future. Over the last fifty years, wealth advisors have seen dozens of incidents known as “extinction-level events”, described as the two-way path a consultant faces when new technological advancements occur. We used data collected from real-world financial advisors, client service associates, and academic publications to assess the next big turning point of the industry, Artificial Intelligence, and how it both differs and relates to other developments of this caliber within the industry, such as the rise …

A Comparative Study Of Haiti And The Dominican Republic, Hannah Merritt

Program in Community Action (PICA)

Situated on the same Caribbean island, Haiti is currently the poorest country in the western hemisphere with a negative GDP growth rate, while the Dominican Republic boasts one of the fastest rates of GDP growth in Latin America. Currently, the Haitian capital Port-Au-Prince is controlled by local gangs, with civilians being forced out of their homes and massacred. The Dominican government has voiced that it feels as though cries for help to the international community have been ignored, and Dominican taxpayers are left to bear the brunt of a failing state next door. Back in 2024, the Dominican government was …

Ethical Participation In An Unethical System: Partnering With The New London Homeless Hospitality Center, Lucy Koester

Program in Community Action (PICA)

How can volunteers engage meaningfully and ethically within a system that does not always center the voices of the people it serves? This Senior Integrative Project (SIP) explores the College’s long-term partnership with the New London Homeless Hospitality Center (NLHHC), and how campus-community partnerships (CCPs) can build resilient and civically minded societies. Drawing on experiences volunteering and developing collaborative projects with the NLHHC, it reflects on the challenges and possibilities for improving the guests’ experiences. Using a sociological approach, this paper analyzes how organizations like the NLHHC are products of bureaucratic systems, and emphasize the importance of centering community voices …

Physics-Informed Diffusion Models For Left Ventricular Blood Flow Reconstruction, Yuxuan Xu

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and timely diagnosis depends on imaging tools that can reveal the mechanical state of the heart in real time. Echocardiography is the primary bedside imaging modality for cardiac assessment, but it only provides sparse, one-dimensional Doppler velocity measurements whose accuracy is highly sensitive to probe position and beam angle. Reconstructing full three-dimensional blood flow fields for the left ventricle from sparse 1D velocity measurements is an ill-posed problem, where current traditional clinical methods are insufficient.

This report documents contributions made during the Spring 2026 semester in the Kong Lab at Washington …

Energy-Efficiency Optimization And Comparison For Irs-Assisted Bidirectional Relay And Direct Transmissions, Caixia Cai, Jiayao Zhang, Fuli Zhong, Han Hai, Yayu Yang, Sunil Chinnadurai, Anwer Al-Dulaimi

All Works

Intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) has emerged as a promising technique for achieving high-transmission rate and low-power consumption transmission to meet the requirements of future beyond 5G and 6G communication. In this paper, we optimize and compare the energy-efficiency (EE) of IRS-assisted bidirectional relay transmission (BRT) and bidirectional direct transmission (BDT). In specific, we firstly consider and give the IRS-assisted BRT and BDT models. Then, we give the analyses of signal transmission models and EE for both IRS-assisted BRT and BDT. In addition, to optimize the EE, we give the joint optimization problems for both IRS-assisted BRT and BDT, which incorporate …