Digital Commons Network^™

Interplay Between Phase Instability And Deformation Mechanisms In Beta Titanium Alloys In Aggressive Environments, Benjamin Elbrecht

All Dissertations

Modern designs, such as commercial jet turbines, are reliant on the high temperature performance of their constituent materials. Improvements to the strength-at-temperature of materials are critical to the continued advancement of efficiency and payload capacity in these advanced applications. This dissertation presents studies that progress towards this goal through the construction of a new experimental setup for complex temperature and force profiles that also accurately captures deformation behavior through non-contact measurements. Using this setup, studies into two specialty titanium alloys were executed: discovering the microscopic mechanisms responsible for the macroscale behavior and testing in conditions closely replicating aircraft turbine operating …

Refining Treatment Thresholds Of Insect Pests In South Carolina Soybeans Using Simulated Injury And Natural Populations, Adam Whitfield

All Dissertations

Insect pests are a major limiting factor to profitable soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., production in South Carolina, yet current economic thresholds are largely based on historical data and may not reflect modern cultivars, production practices, or input costs. Key insect pests in South Carolina can be categorized into three major feeding groups: defoliators, stem feeders, and pod feeders. Defoliating insects include, but are not limited to, soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker); velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hubner); green cloverworm, Hypena scabra (Fabricius); grasshoppers; and numerous species of beetles. Stem feeders include, but are not limited to, kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria …

Virtual Reality In Informal Education: Trends, Frameworks, And Implementation Strategies, Allison Maynard

All Dissertations

The rapid evolution of immersive technologies presents informal education settings with a complex dual challenge: while virtual reality (VR) offers compelling opportunities for engagement and experiential learning, its adoption demands significant institutional resources and may require a meaningful departure from established interpretive practice. As informal education institutions face decisions about whether to adopt emerging technologies, a critical gap remains in understanding how VR should be designed and integrated to serve both organizational missions and the needs of frontline interpreters and audiences. This dissertation moves beyond the technical novelty of VR to empirically examine its purposeful positioning within informal education settings, …

Baseline Cervical Intervertebral Disc Biomechanics And Implications For Allograft Preservation, Nathan F. Buchweitz

All Dissertations

Neck pain has become an increasingly common orthopaedic healthcare issue. Evidence shows that degeneration of cervical intervertebral discs (the cartilage between the spinal vertebrae in the neck) may be associated. While disc degeneration in the lumbar spine has been extensively studied in relation to low back pain, it has received less attention in the cervical spine. Biomechanically, the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) regions of the spine differ in function. Lumbar discs resist a greater burden of body weight, whereas cervical discs are adapted for mobility to aid flexible head orientation. Despite these key differences, disc injury and degeneration …

Neurobiological Mechanisms Of Attention In Adolescents, Virginia Clark

All Dissertations

Adolescence is a transformative developmental period characterized by profound biological, neurological, and behavioral changes. This dissertation investigates the neurobiological underpinnings of attention in adolescents, emphasizing how internal mechanisms influence and individually shape cognitive development through the endosystem. Rooted in the intersection of human development, learning sciences, and cognitive neuroscience, this work argues for a more integrated understanding of attention as a fundamental cognitive function for learning, one that is behaviorally seen but also biologically and neurologically driven. While developmental science has often emphasized external influences such as family, culture, and environment, this work centers on the adolescent’s internal biological systems …

"Because You Speak Two Languages": Latino Immigrant Families Negotiating Language Ideology, Liminality, And Education In Arkansas, Cindy Rauth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a critical ethnographic study of lower socio-economic status, multilingual Latino immigrant families in one region of Arkansas, which has undergone rapid demographic changes in the last four decades. As the Latino population has grown, schools have struggled to accommodate the needs of their diverse students and families, which has contributed to below-grade-level literacy skills and significant student disengagement. This study examines students’ schooling experiences from the perspective of the family. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this study explores three interconnected themes: family experiences of schooling, language ideology, and liminality. A comprehensive examination of family educational experiences includes the …

Cultivating Digital Belonging: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Male Students’ Experiences In A Title Three Online Student Support Hub, June Paulette Rogers

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how Black male students at a public community college experienced digital belonging through a Title Three–funded Online Student Support Hub. Instead of focusing on broad institutional outcomes, the study centered on students' personal experiences. It investigated how students felt seen by staff, how relevant cultural references were integrated, and how quickly and thoughtfully the institution responded. Data came from nine participants through semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and review of key documents. Through analysis, the study identified four key themes: building personal relationships, obstacles and feelings of separation, efforts to make digital support more personal, and …

How Academic Pressure Is Declining The Mental Health Of South Korean Students, Lilyanne Boyland

East Asian Studies

South Korea’s education system is widely recognized for its academic excellence; however, this may highly impact students’ mental health and overall well-being, which can hinder their academic performance. Students are known to dedicate long hours of their day to their education, in addition to their daily academic schedules. This study focuses on how academic pressure, that is mostly driven by parents and educators, as well as traditional cultural values on education, affects the mental health of South Korean students. This thesis is divided into three sections: Historical and Cultural Contexts, South Korea’s Current Educational Environment, and Next Steps for South …

Intersectionality And Belonging: Higher Education Mathematics, Ashley Natalie

Mathematics and Statistics

Students with intersecting marginalized identities (such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, or first-generation background) often face unique challenges in advanced mathematics that affect confidence, participation, amounting to a sense of belonging. These experiences remain underrepresented in mathematics education research. This qualitative, narrative-based study examines how these students experience classroom dynamics and belonging in upper-level mathematics courses. Semi-structured interviews will be analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to identity, classroom culture, instructor behavior, and peer interactions. Findings aim to highlight barriers and supportive practices, informing more inclusive teaching strategies and equitable learning environments in advanced mathematics.

Intersectionality And Belonging: Higher Education Mathematics, Ashley Williams

Mathematics and Statistics

Students with intersecting marginalized identities (such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, or first-generation background) often face unique challenges in advanced mathematics that affect confidence, participation, amounting to a sense of belonging. These experiences remain underrepresented in mathematics education research. This qualitative, narrative-based study examines how these students experience classroom dynamics and belonging in upper-level mathematics courses. Semi-structured interviews will be analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to identity, classroom culture, instructor behavior, and peer interactions. Findings aim to highlight barriers and supportive practices, informing more inclusive teaching strategies and equitable learning environments in advanced mathematics.

Youth In Leadership Positions: A Mediation Program Proposal, Abigail Horn

Sociology

Encountering the justice system can have harmful impacts on a child’s well-being and can lead to negative outcomes in the future, such as missing school and reoffending. This paper proposes a program to combat these impacts by creating infrastructure for schools to handle low level offenses within schools through a mentoring program. After a review of the literature on the current justice system in the United States, rehabilitative and restorative justice practices, and the effects of youth leadership positions, the “Re-Mentoring Program” is proposed. A play on the words "restorative" and "rehabilitative," this program involves youth who have offended, victims, …

Rethinking The Scope Of State Power: Territorial Jurisdiction, Popular Sovereignty, And Extraterritorial Legislation, Jeffrey Schmitt

William & Mary Law Review

The Supreme Court applies the territorial framework of international law to resolve disputes over the reach of state power. Under this framework, a state’s power is coterminous with its borders, such that a state’s regulatory power within its territory is limited only by federal law. The Court recently used this framework to overrule an obscure line of Dormant Commerce Clause cases that held that a state regulation of local conduct could have impermissible extraterritorial effects.

This Article argues that the territorial model of state power from international law does not account for the division of sovereignty within our federal system. …

Too Cruel For School: How Parental Rights Doctrine Can Help Protect Against Book Bans, Tessa K. Wild

William & Mary Law Review

This Note argues that parents’ rights protections are crucial to protecting against broad censorship in public schools, and that if states want to effectively regulate book removals, they should preemptively adopt laws similar to Minnesota’s section 134.51.

[...]

Part I of this Note will provide background information about book removals as a freedom of speech issue, as well as a history of how parents’ rights rhetoric is tied to book-removal issues. Part II will address both the history and legal standards of parents’ rights protections. Finally, Part III, using Minnesota and Utah as case studies, will apply parents’ rights law …

Belonging, Ver Ikeseh

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis explores belonging as the core of my artistic practice, developed through public murals and participatory installations in shared spaces. Grounded in a studio practice that engages directly with communities, the work positions art within everyday environments rather than separate from them. Through murals created across James Madison University and within surrounding communities, I examine how public art can generate moments of connection, visibility, and reflection. The thesis culminates in the participatory mural Belonging, created in the Duke Hall Gallery at James Madison University, where these ideas are brought together through direct public engagement. Developed through collaboration, the …

Meritocracy And Equal Access To The Public Sector: A Comparative Analysis Of Accessibility To Public Sector Jobs And Public Services, Beomgeun Cho, Heasun Choi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This study investigates the impact of meritocracy on equal access to the public sector, focusing on public sector employment and services. While meritocratic principles promote impartiality and fairness in administrative processes, their effectiveness in improving equal accessibility remains understudied and contested. Drawing on the literature linking meritocracy to democratic stability, we argue that strong meritocratic systems enhance equal access to the public sector regardless of social groups and gender by fostering professional stewardship in the bureaucracy and strengthening checks and balances between bureaucrats and politicians. Our findings, drawn from a panel dataset consisting of 161 countries over 49 years, suggest …

Digital Grief Technology To Support Bereavement: A Systematic Review Of Potential Benefits And Risks, Xun Ci Soh, Adalia Yin Hui Goh, Paye Shin Koh, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Grief is a universal and inevitable experience. However, the way we support the bereaved is changing, especially in the digital era. This systematic review examines the potential benefits and risks associated with various digital grief technologies, including online grief support groups, generative AI chatbots, online memorials, online therapy interventions, virtual reality, and digitally reproduced visuals or audio of the deceased. A systematic search was conducted in seven databases, and 30 articles were included in the final review. Findings indicate that digital grief technologies offer several benefits, such as reductions in grief and depressive symptoms, enhanced social support, greater accessibility, and …

Massachusetts' Unseen Contributors: The Economic Contribution Of Its Latino Population With Irregular Immigration Status, Phillip Granberry, Mariana Dutra

Gastón Institute Publications

This report shows that so-called “irregular” Latinos are an essential part of the

workforce. Beyond community spending, consumer activity, and taxes paid

(including tax benefits that many will never benefit from), it is important to

remember that we are talking about people— human beings with stories, families,

difficult choices, and dreams. I hope that in the near future, when we are able to

dream big again, this analysis will sustain our advocacy for systems that truly reflect

our (Latino) contributions to the Commonwealth and beyond.

A Global Prospective Harmonization Framework For Suicidality, Anhedonia, And Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms In Psychiatric Genetic Studies: A Cross-Continental Study Within The Ancestral Population Network, Ana Diaz-Zuluaga, Jacey Anderberg, Ana Ramirez-Diaz, Andrea Marques, Catherine Rast, Daniel Bustamante, Deborah Jonker, Johanna Valencia-Echeverry, Stella Gichuru, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

This study aims to prospectively collect harmonized, quantitative, and dimensional psychiatric phenotypes (suicidality, anhedonia, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) and information on discrimination, stigma, and unfair treatment in up to 27,500 individuals across diverse ancestries and clinical populations for genetic analysis within the NIMH Ancestral Population Network (APN). Five APN projects are participating in the current study (PUMAS-Paisa, PUMAS-NeuroGAP, KOMOGEN-D, LATINO, and SAX-II), spanning recruitment over 15 countries across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Participants are being enrolled via the recruitment protocols specific to each participating project. The harmonized clinical battery includes the Columbia-Suicide Severity Scale, Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and Florida Obsessive-Compulsive …

Decomposition And Spectral Characterization Of Unsteady Loads In Pulse-Jet Propulsion Testing, Cesar Benitez

Theses and Dissertations

Pulsed jet propulsion systems produce inherently unsteady forces whose time-resolved characterization is essential for performance assessment, yet the measured load signal conflates aerodynamic forcing with the dynamic response of the measurement balance itself. This thesis develops a load centered framework for the dynamic characterization of a pulsed jet system, treating the measured load fluctuation as the primary physical observable rather than attempting full true-thrust reconstruction. A single-degree-of-freedom balance model identified through ringdown testing provides the structural reference scale, yielding a natural frequency of 8.5 Hz and damping ratio of 18%. Power spectral density, phase-averaging, and synchronous–residual decomposition is applied uniformly …

Developing An Independent Shallow-Water Survey For The Western Rock Lobster Fishery: Tracking Pre-Recruitment Abundance And Habitat Change, Lucy Rudd, Simon De Lestang, Owen Young, Benjamin Hebiton

Fisheries Research Reports

Background

Puerulus settlement has proven to be a good forecaster of legal recruitment of Western Rock Lobster entering into the commercial and recreational fisheries. However, in 2011, this relationship broke down, with average puerulus settlement levels not being reflected in commercial catch rates four years later. Some northern areas showed unexpectedly low catch rates, while other southern areas showed unexpectedly high catch rates. Since this change followed the 2011 marine heatwave, it was assumed that this event changed some component(s) which were important to the growth and survival of juvenile lobsters. It was determined that a better understanding of this …

Exploring Clinical Reasoning In Occupational Therapy Students Using Think Aloud During Computerized Patient Simulation, Candra Selene Talylor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The objective of this research was to explore the effects of the think aloud (TA) method on the development of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy students completing an online simulation assignment. The study aimed to determine if thinking aloud develops clinical reasoning in occupational therapy students as evidenced by a change in clinical reasoning skill scores and investigates the relationship between students' overall clinical simulation competency scores.

This study used a mixed methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative data to explore and measure the use of the TA strategy on the development of clinical reasoning skills. The sample from this …

Manufacturing Systems: Characteristics And Dynamics, Alan J. Fitzmorris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This research answers three basic questions. First, what are the behaviors (dynamics) of a manufacturing system in the context of system performance? Are these dynamics best described as linear deterministic, periodic, nonlinear deterministic, or stochastic? Second, what are the complexity (chaotic) characteristics of a manufacturing system, namely the maximal Lyapunov exponent, correlation dimension, and Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy? Third, is there a relationship between complexity characteristics and manufacturing system performance? This research involves four high level steps: data analysis, system dynamics analysis, system complexity analysis, and correlation analysis. The data analyzed consists of concrete plant and shipbuilding shop time series performance data. …

Advertising The Noble Savage: Blackfeet Exploitation And Erasure Through Glacier National Park, The Great Northern Railway, And The Bureau Of Indian Affairs From 1900-1920, Edward D'Angelo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Blackfeet Native Americans have lived in and around Glacier National Park and their current reservation boundaries for thousands of years. They previously lived a nomadic lifestyle, but were forced onto a reservation by the American government in the nineteenth century. At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the Blackfeet sold more land to the federal government at the same time the Great Northern Railway was building its railroad through the Rocky Mountains. In order to increase travel demands on its railway in the area, the Great Northern Railway lobbied the federal government …

Retrospective Analysis Of Implemented Project Management Within A Small-Scale Student Engineering Project: Beng Fountain Wars Team Case Study, Holli E. Jenkins

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis provides a retrospective analysis of how the 2025 inaugural University of Arkansas’s ASABE Fountain Wars Student Team could be improved through project management. Project commitment, early stakeholder influence, rich communication, and a detailed project plan are all attributes of successful projects, and the team’s strengths and weaknesses within these categories were determined through a team poll. After the poll was conducted, three methodologies, Agile, Hybrid, and Waterfall, were assessed to determine how they would effectively address the team’s weaknesses. A weighted objectives table was created to compare each methodology’s effectiveness across the management categories. The analysis revealed …

Table Of Contents

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Global And Regional Human Rights Standards On Gender-Based Violence, Tamar Ezer, R. Denisse Córdova Montes

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

A Concerted Effort: How The Roberts Court Demolished Anti-Gerrymandering Protections, Samuel Ogden

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

A Mass Disabling Event: Why California Courts Must Protect Workers’ Families From Take-Home Covid, Ellery Armstrong

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

The Zoom Dock Is Worse Than A Cage: Remote Appearances From Jail Are Unconstitutional In Washington, Michael Mactaggert, Jeremiah Noonan

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Welcome To The Dollhouse: New Ai Technology Poses Ethical Issues In Prison Systems, Bailey Mccoy

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.