Digital Commons Network^™

10 Years Of The Hive: Successes, Challenges, And Lessons For Designing Creative Learning Hubs In Higher Education, Celine Bernhardt-Lanier

CMC Senior Theses

College students are often told to be “innovative” and to prepare themselves for a rapidly changing job market. Yet, most institutional learning environments are built for everything but that, focusing on efficiency, mastery, and content delivery. The Hive, formerly known as the Rick and Susan Sontag Center for Collaborative Creativity, pushes against this reality in higher ed. Founded ten years ago and nestled in a corner of East 7th Street in Claremont, California, the Hive brings together students, faculty, and staff through workshops, classes, skillshares, and events that are centered around making, reflecting, and collaborating. Drawing on eight semi-structured …

Politics Of A Silent Pandemic: Antimicrobial Resistance And State Capacity In India And Nigeria, Mia Kelly

CMC Senior Theses

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has emerged as one of the most pressing yet widely underestimated health threats of the 21st century; this thesis explores the potentially devastating global impact of this “silent pandemic”, exposing how deeply health outcomes depend on political choices, regulatory capacity, and economic constraints. Although the danger of spreading drug-resistant pathogens is now widely acknowledged in both the scientific and political communities, states differ in their abilities to contain the issue, with low- and middle-income countries facing the greatest obstacles to national action plan implementation. This thesis investigates these disparities through a comparison of India and Nigeria, two …

Macroeconomic Resilience And Sentiment Dynamics In The Global Luxury Fashion Industry, Mehr Gupta

CMC Senior Theses

The global luxury fashion industry is often viewed as a sector where broad economic conditions intersect with individual spending behavior. Yet despite this common assumption, it remains unclear whether macroeconomic fluctuations meaningfully shape luxury firms’ financial performance. This thesis examines the relationship between four key macroeconomic indicators - consumer sentiment, disposable income, unemployment, and exchange rates - and firm-level quarterly revenue for twelve publicly listed luxury companies from the early 2000s through 2024. Firm financial data from S&P Capital IQ are matched with macroeconomic measures from the Federal Reserve (FRED), and the analysis employs a two-way fixed-effects framework with firm …

Keeping America Ahead: The Global Chip Conundrum, Ethan Chen

CMC Senior Theses

Semiconductors underpin nearly every aspect of modern economic, military, and technological power. Yet while the United States pioneered chip innovation and design, it now heavily depends on foreign manufacturing, particularly Taiwan and the Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company who produce more than 90% of the world’s leading edge chips. This thesis investigates how the U.S. lost its fabrication leadership, what risks its current dependence creates, and what strategies can most effectively restore domestic capacity and resilience in both the short term and long term. By going through historical analysis of industrial development, recent policy evaluation such as export controls and the …

An Examination Of Sycophantic Llms: The Case For Withholding Judgement, Josephine C. Albrecht

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis investigates sycophancy in large language models (LLMs) and argues that although agreement can be socially appealing, it introduces serious epistemic and moral risks. Through Mrinank Sharma’s experiments, I show that sycophancy emerges reliably across major AI assistants, which adjust their responses to match users’ beliefs; even when those beliefs are incorrect. I explain how deep learning and reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) shape these behaviors, and why models learn to prioritize user satisfaction over truth. While agreement can build trust, mimic expert testimony, and satisfy human preferences, it also produces epistemic bubbles and misplaced confidence. These risks …

The Lipstick Effect Across Economic Crises: An Empirical Study Of Cosmetics And Luxury Spending From 2004 – 2023, Richard M. Sweeney Iii

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines whether consumers shift toward lower-cost beauty products during periods of economic uncertainty and whether this behavior moves with financial market volatility. Using household-level microdata and aggregate monthly expenditure data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Surveys (2004–2023), the study evaluates how cosmetics spending changes relative to jewelry across two major economic crises: the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Across both datasets, cosmetics consistently become a larger share of discretionary spending when economic conditions deteriorate, supporting the presence of a lipstick-effect pattern. At the macro level, cosmetics spending is generally inversely related to market …

Criminalizing Motherhood: Abortion, Obstetric Emergencies, And State Power In Post-1998 El Salvador, Valery M. Reyes

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines how a series of regressive legal reforms in El Salvador–the 1997 Penal Code’s expansion of abortion-related punishments and the 1999 constitutional amendment defining life as beginning at conception–eliminated all exceptions to abortion and transformed a woman’s reproductive body into a site of surveillance. Rather than expanding rights, these reforms rolled back on existing protections by not recognizing obstetric emergencies, miscarriages, or cases of rape as legitimate grounds for abortion. Prosecutors and judges could treat such medical emergencies as convictions for “fetal homicide,” carrying sentences of 30-50 years in prison.

Court documents, reports from non-government organizations …

Estimating Risk In Early-Stage Venture Capital: A Real Options Approach, Luke H. Jacobson

CMC Senior Theses

This study uses a Real Options analysis model to measure the implied volatility of early-stage startup firms in the United States since 2005. This model is used to examine the effect of Venture Capital firms’ investments in the early stages of startup life, along with the effects of startup-specific characteristics on implied volatility. While previous research has created a foundation for Real Options theory in Venture Capital investing, there have only been case studies on applying Real Options analysis to startup firms. Existing research has also provided evidence that Venture Capital firms “de-risk” startups when they invest in early stages …

Digital Docent: An Analysis Of Accessibility In The Digital Music Space, Erin L. Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

The world is constantly changing and growing, most often seen through advances in technology. When it comes to the world of music, the same can be said, and digitization of musical material is moving at a faster rate than ever before. With the influence that music has on society and considering new ways of making music more accessible to the general public through the public-facing museum format, I wanted to examine how digital music museum exhibits and experiences can be made accessible and if it is possible to fully represent what an in-person exhibit can offer. In 2010, Smithsonian created …

The Impact Of Teachers’ Roles As Boundary Crossers And Boundary Objects In Post- Covid Composition Instruction, Tammie Marie Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers’ perceptions of rapid technology integration and its influence on composition instruction and cognitive load in physical, digital, and hybrid spaces. Grounded in theories of boundary crossing and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the study conceptualized teachers as both boundary crossers, navigating instructional spaces, and boundary objects, serving as the support tools for their students’ transitions into digital composition. Data were collected from five ELA teachers in a rural school district through surveys, individual interviews, and questionnaires, and analyzed using a two-phase coding process. Findings indicate that teachers perceived …

Determining Knowledge Gaps In Natural Disaster Preparedness: An Exploratory Analysis Of Socioeconomic Variables And Response Quality, Michelle S. Repass

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines potential knowledge gaps in natural disaster preparedness across socioeconomic groups in Lee County, Alabama and identifies communication barriers affecting response behavior through the lens of the knowledge gap hypothesis. Survey data from 20 residents were analyzed using an objective socioeconomic status (OSES) score based on household income and highest level of education. Results indicate that while most respondents reported access to weather alerts and favorable behavioral responses that align with current guidelines from the National Weather Service, gaps are present in comprehension, response timing, and engagement in risky behavior that could delay protective action. Findings suggest …

Representation In Black Media And How It Affects Generational Mental Health, Amiya Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This article examines how negative media portrayals of Black Americans have harmed their mental health. It traces the impact of persistent stereotypes and the lack of recognition for Black achievements in the media. Each chapter explores how media—from social media to movies—reinforces outdated stereotypes originating in the antebellum era and discusses how Black Americans have challenged these narratives to assert their identity. The article also highlights positive shifts in representation within the media industry, as well as research on how racial discrimination and media depictions influence the mental health and self-esteem of Black adolescents.

Writing Against The War Machine: Wiflred Owen's Poetic Challenge To World War I Pro-War Rhetoric, Elizabeth Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Wilfred Owen, a soldier-poet who fought in World War I, is often labeled an anti-war poet, with some claiming that he was against the war in its entirety. This thesis explores the opinion that Owen is not an anti-war poet but rather that he wrote against anti-pro-war rhetoric. This includes all types of pro-war rhetoric influential in England for recruitment purposes but mainly focuses on poetry that would be published in newspapers for everyday readers to see. Owen seems to specifically resist two types of pro-war rhetoric, the myth of the German barbarian and what he called the old lie. …

Affects Of Ai In The Arts, Carolina D. Maldonado Faria

Theses and Dissertations

Art is an essential part of society, shaping culture, communication, and the digital world through forms such as music, writing, film, and animation. However, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created conflict in the creative industry. Many AI systems are trained using artists’ works without consent, raising concerns about copyright infringement, intellectual property theft, and the loss of artistic value. While AI was originally intended as a tool for innovation, it now threatens artists’ careers and profits by imitating human creativity. This issue highlights the need for ethical regulations, stronger copyright protections, and fair compensation systems so AI and …

Unmasked And Unprotected: An Autistic Poet's Journey Of Imperfect Confession, Cynthia Short

Theses and Dissertations

Cynthia Short’s thesis analyzes the consumption and contortion of neurodivergent experience across the clinical, personal, and artistic stages. Combining intersectional memoir with clinical research, traditional poetics, and spoken word experience, she weaves a first-person narrative of consumption and redefinition by systems that did not understand her. Yet, she argues that imperfect confession -done without self-knowledge, resources, or proper self-worth to resist consumption – still has its place. Her collection of twenty-nine self-authored poems serves as a testament to the growth her imperfect confession allowed, outlining her struggles with identity, clinical experimentation and economic survival in a world not meant for …

Confidence In Action: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers' Perceived Abilities In Implementing Instructional Technology, Latorri West

Theses and Dissertations

Education is evolving through the integration of academic content and technology to support student success. Despite significant investments in educational technology, challenges persist in effective implementation, particularly in rural contexts where resources and support may be limited. Using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, the researcher investigated teachers’ perceptions of implementing the i-Ready adaptive learning platform in a rural Georgia school district. i-Ready, an adaptive diagnostic and instructional tool for reading and mathematics used by more than 25% of U.S. schools, represents a widely adopted educational technology that requires specific technical, pedagogical, and content knowledge for successful implementation.

The …

Determinants Of Routine Childhood And Adolescent Vaccine Hesitancy And Uptake Among Parents In The United States: A Scoping Review, Precious Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Routine childhood and adolescent vaccination is an essential public health strategy for preventing disease and protecting communities. However, parental vaccine hesitancy and barriers to vaccine uptake continue to affect vaccination decisions in the United States. This scoping review examined factors associated with routine childhood and adolescent vaccine hesitancy and uptake among U.S. parents. A comprehensive literature search of PubMed and EBSCO identified peer-reviewed studies published in English between 2016 and 2026. Studies focusing on parents, guardians, or caregivers of children and adolescents in the United States were screened according to predefined eligibility criteria. Of 69 records identified, 52 remained after …

On Saying Goodbye: Interactional Role Liminality & Post-Death Symbolic Interaction, Deborah Cobb

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Grief is often understood as a process that culminates in detachment, with "saying goodbye" positioned as both an emotional and social necessity. Yet many bereaved individuals describe a different experience, one in which supernatural post-death contact allows them to receive messages from their deceased loved one. Drawing on 22 in-depth interviews and 47 anonymous open-ended surveys, this study explores how individuals who experience unsolicited post-death communication interpret these encounters and integrate them into everyday life. Analysis revealed three interconnected themes: resistance to saying goodbye, interpretation of encounters as specific messages from the deceased, and emotional stabilization following continued contact. These …

Understanding Phishing Susceptibility Through Expert Consensus Using Digital Marketing Parallels And A Machine Learning-Based Implementation, Mansoor Ahmad

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Phishing remains one of the most effective attack vectors for gaining unauthorized access to organizational systems, yet defenders often lack systematic methods to assess their exposure before an attack. This study develops a framework that uses machine learning to encode the collective expertise of cybersecurity practitioners into a portable phishing susceptibility assessment tool, with the goal to help security teams proactively identify patterns, prioritize awareness training, and strengthen detection controls. The study surveyed 27 practitioners with extensive experience in social engineering, red teaming, penetration testing, and threat analysis to identify which factors most influence phishing susceptibility. Practitioners provided quantitative ratings …

Watching Over Cold Waves: The Influence Of Social And Technology Surveillance On Independent Older Adults’ Safety, S M Ashfaqur Rahman

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Cold waves pose a recurring and serious hazard for independently living older adults, yet the monitoring arrangements that shape their protective responses remain understudied. This study examined how social surveillance, defined as check-ins and support from family, neighbors, and community contacts, and technological surveillance, defined as weather applications, smart devices, and emergency alert platforms, jointly and independently predicted cold-wave safety behavior. A cross-sectional, exploratory mixed-methods design was employed. One hundred independently living adults aged 65 and older, residing in cold-prone U.S. states, completed a survey measuring monitoring frequency, source trust, perceived autonomy, concern across six cold-wave hazard types, and a …

Stories That Wound, Stories That Heal: Navigating The Effects Of Performing Traumatic Experiences In Collegiate Forensics, Manuel Reyes

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis explores the student's motivation for performing traumatic experiences in forensics and what considerations come with the performance of choice. The literature review highlights the intricate nature of trauma, emphasizing benefits of storytelling in recovery, and the current state of forensics when it comes to performing traumatic experiences on judges and spectators. The research examines the motivation on students for performing traumatic experiences and how the students navigate the tensions before, during, and after performance. Through semistructured interviews with current and former competitors, the research delves into the justification and the impacts of performing traumatic experiences. The thesis shows …

Town Of Merrimack, Nh Annual Report 2025, Merrimack Town Representatives

Merrimack, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

The Future Of U.S. Higher Education: Equity Implications Of Shifting Immigration Policies, Research Institute For Social Equity Rise

Research Institute for Social Equity

This report examines the impact of U.S. immigration policies on higher education and international students from 2000 to 2025. It traces five major policy eras, from the post- 9/11 security overhaul and Obama-era expansion to the restrictive turns of 2017–2020 and 2025, and analyzes how shifting regulations have influenced enrollment patterns, economic contributions, and student well-being. Despite hosting more than 1.1 million international students in 2023–2024, the U.S. share of the global student market has fallen from 20% to 16%, underscoring how policy volatility and restrictive measures weaken national competitiveness. Drawing on federal data, scholarly research, and institutional reports, this …

Evaluating The Burnout Mitigating Effects Of A Structured Mentorship Program In Newly Hired Advanced Practice Providers, Melissa Soper

DNP Projects

Importance: Burnout is a leading driver of clinician intent to leave, lower productivity, increased medical errors, and increased resource use.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effects of an evidence-based mentorship program on newly hired advanced practice providers’ (APPs’) level of stress, burnout, and professional fulfillment.

Results: At baseline, APPs demonstrated higher stress levels, moderate professional fulfillment, and low burnout. Outcomes showed improvement at the end of a mentorship program.

Conclusion: Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine the true effect of a 6-month mentorship intervention on APP burnout, stress, and professional fulfillment.

Establishing An Advanced Practice Provider-Led Transient Ischemic Attack Clinic: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Brittany A. Young

DNP Projects

Background: Due to lack of subspecialized neurological care in many rural community settings, care in tertiary hospitals is in demand. Insufficient care pathways can lead to lack of bed and provider availability. Advanced Practice Provider Transient Ischemic Attack clinics have been shown to be safe alternatives to hospital admission, for patients who meet criteria. This study targeted practice change at a 1000 bed tertiary academic hospital.

Methods: The quasi-experimental study sample inclusion criteria included Transient Ischemic Attack patients presenting to the emergency department with an ABCD2 < 4, complete symptom resolution, and no new cardiac changes on monitoring. A pre and post survey with educational PowerPoint intervention was provided to all emergency department and Neurology providers and nurses. A Transient Ischemic Attack clinic was established with a corresponding order set to be utilized for streamlined outpatient work up.

Results: During the pilot period, 29 admissions were deferred with 69% …

Sepsis In Sight: Immersive Vr Simulation For Pediatric Training, Kelsey Wagler

DNP Projects

Abstract

Objectives: This project aimed to decrease the time required to administer antibiotics and fluid boluses to pediatric patients with sepsis by implementing a virtual reality (VR) simulation program. The initiative sought to enhance bedside nurses’ and pediatric residents’ knowledge, clinical reasoning, and confidence in sepsis assessment, early recognition, and evidence-based management. A secondary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of VR simulation as an educational strategy for nurses in a high-acuity pediatric setting.

Design: This quality improvement project used a quasi-experimental design that incorporated a VR simulation intervention followed by a structured debriefing and targeted education session. Participants completed …

Stronger Together: Exploring The Impact Of Peer Support Meetings On Stress And Burnout In Ambulatory Nurse Managers, Sara Wellman

DNP Projects

Background

Nurse manager (NM) burnout is common and leads to decreased staff productivity, departmental effectiveness, and leadership capacity. This results in decreased staff morale, poor conflict management, and ineffective communication. Stress reduction and resilience programs have been shown to reduce burnout and enhance resilience in NMs, but more focus needs to be directed toward NMs who work in ambulatory settings.

Purpose

The aim of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-to-peer resilience intervention in reducing stress and burnout among ambulatory nurse managers.

Methods

This project used a pre-test/post-test survey design and a convenience sample of ambulatory NMs. …

Computed Tomography: Contrast Induced Acute Kidney Injury, Keileen E. Trochez Tome

Student Research Poster Presentations 2026

Abstract

Computed tomography is a widely used imaging modality in clinical practice due to its ability to produce detailed cross-sectional images of the body. The administration of iodinated contrast agents enhances the visualization of internal structures and diagnostic accuracy. While pre-contrast scans provide important baseline information, contrast enhanced imaging can further aid in the detection of various pathologies. However, the use of contrast media has raised concerns regarding its potential to contribute to acute kidney injury (AKI), a sudden decline in renal function typically identified in changes in creatinine levels and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This research reviews current evidence …

The Dead Hand And Frozen Lives: Embryonic Personhood And The Disruption Of Property Interests, Emma Miloglav

Fordham Law Review

Advances in assisted reproductive technology and the expansion of fetal personhood laws are colliding with a body of property doctrine built on assumptions about reproduction that no longer hold. In LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine, P.C., the Supreme Court of Alabama held that extrauterine embryos—fertilized and frozen in a laboratory—are “children” under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. LePage represents a dramatic extension of fetal personhood.

This shift carries profound consequences for trusts and estates. If frozen embryos are treated as legal persons, they may qualify as heirs under intestacy statutes and as beneficiaries of wills, …

The Art Of Giving Good Feedback: How Principals And Other Factors Build Or Break Teacher Efficacy Through Evaluations And Feedback In The Public Elementary School Setting, Kayla Davidson

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The aim of this study was to explore how public elementary school teachers experience and interpret principal feedback in relation to their sense of self-efficacy, including how their lived experiences align with Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) ratings. Understanding how feedback shapes teacher confidence may help school leaders design evaluation systems that better support professional growth and retention. In this study, feedback was most influential when it was grounded in direct observation, specific, and delivered within trusting professional relationships, while formal evaluation feedback was often perceived as compliance-oriented and less impactful on teacher confidence. Findings indicated that self-efficacy was …