Digital Commons Network^™

Community-Engaged Approach To Improve Food Access And Consumption Of Fruits And Vegetables In A Rural Appalachian Community, Courtney Luecking, Makenzie Barr, Dawn Brewer, Kathryn M. Cardarelli

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Community–academic partnerships offer unique opportunities to leverage expertise and resources to modify structural factors that address community priorities. However, few in-depth examples of successful partnerships in rural communities to improve food security are available. This manuscript describes the process of building a partnership to reduce food insecurity in a rural Kentucky community.

Methods: The research team worked with Cooperative Extension to form a community advisory board (CAB) representative of diverse sectors of the community who had interest in food security, agriculture, and/or nutrition. The CAB convened regularly, in-person or virtually, to review community assessment information and identify, select, and …

The Deaf Media Family, 1974-2012: List Of Persons Involved With Deaf Media, Susan D. Rutherford, Rick Clogher

Series 01: History of DEAF Media, Inc.

Compiled by Susan Rutherford and Rick Clogher, this document provides a comprehensive list of peope involved in DEAF Media, Inc. over the years, including listing which productions they were a part of.

Examining The Relationship Between Moral Injury, Belief In A Just World, And Substance Abuse In Military Veterans, Alyssa Mae Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Combat-exposed veterans and military service members are at high risk of experiencing mental health problems. Although moral injury is recognized as a unique contributor to mental health challenges in this population, the relationship between changes in world belief, PTSD, and substance use remains unexplored. This cross-sectional quantitative study investigated the relationship among moral injury symptoms, changes in belief in a just world (BJW) and belief in an unjust world (BUW), and substance use in a sample of 122 combat-exposed U.S. military Veterans and service members.

Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that changes in BUW following potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) significantly …

Writing The Border Between Socialist Self And State: Christa Wolf's East German Autofiction, Emma Dinkelspiel

Slavic Studies Honors Papers

This thesis considers the life and work of Christa Wolf in order to examine her role in East Germany as a “loyal dissident.” Wolf was born in the German Third Reich in 1929, and the German Democratic Republic was founded in 1949 just as she entered adulthood. Also in 1949, Wolf joined the East German socialist party and dedicated herself to the socialist project. Through an exploration of the publication, contents, and translations of four of her major works (Moscow Novella, Divided Heaven, The Quest for Christa T., and Patterns of Childhood), I examine how …

Green Dividends: A Case Study In Green Dividends And The Conditions For Private Ordering Solutions, Anne M. Tucker

Seattle University Law Review

This Essay introduces a novel private ordering solution to facilitate corporate investments in pro-social and environmental initiatives: Green dividends. Green dividends are an optional increase in shareholder dividends that are returned to the company to be reinvested in environmental initiatives or kept by a shareholder.

Green dividends pose an alternative to the current gridlocked debate that corporations can’t, won’t, shouldn’t, and shouldn’t even try to act in pro-social or environmental ways. Turning the common refrains on their head converts each narrative into an element for a successful private ordering solution: authority, accountability, shareholder buy-in, and government- backed enforcement. With Green …

Employment And Identity, Matthew T. Bodie

Articles

Work shapes our identities, and our identities shape our work. The tension between personal identity and work identity drives popular culture, as seen in shows like Severance and The Bear, and it frames our conceptions about who we are and what gives our lives meaning. In many respects the law has assumed a clear separation between work lives and personal lives, divvying up control and responsibility over these realms on that basis. But the divide, never absolute, has blurred considerably through technological change, legal developments, and social expectations, resulting in a more pervasive employer presence in both our workspaces and …

Christian Educational Ministry, Michael Knight, Lizette Knight

Academic Books

No abstract provided.

Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Generators For Direct-Drive Wind Turbines - Review And Optimal Design Studies, Matin Vatani, Ali Mohammadi, Donovin D. Lewis, John F. Eastham, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility, cost, and electromagnetic performance of five distinct types of axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) generators designed for direct-drive wind turbines. The generator configurations investigated include a single-sided AFPM generator with a surface-mounted PM rotor (AFPMG), a double-sided AFPM generator featuring PMs on the stator and a reluctance rotor (AFPMG-RR), a coreless stator AFPM generator with surface PMs (CAFPMG-SPM), and a coreless stator AFPM generator with a Halbach PM array rotor (CAFPMG-Hal). Each generator’s operating principles and configurations are thoroughly explained and compared. Large-scale multi-objective design optimizations were conducted on each type, …

Review Of Coreless Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Machines With Applications Including Electric Aircraft Propulsion, Matin Vatani, Donovin D. Lewis, John F. Eastham, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

Axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machines with entirely or stator coreless configurations offer significant advantages, including low rotational losses, the absence of cogging torque, minimal torque ripple, and the potential for high specific power density. Advances in permanent magnet (PM) technology and cooling techniques have enabled fully coreless AFPM machines to achieve high magnetic and current loadings without core saturation, making them suitable for high performance applications like electric aircraft propulsion. This paper reviews recent advancements in coreless AFPM machines, tracing their historical and chronological development. Various topologies, including single- and double-sided and multi-disk designs, are examined to identify the …

Speed Variation Based Power Regulation Concept For Dynamic Wireless Charging, Donovin D. Lewis, Sudarshan T. Harave, Omer Onar, Mostak Mohammad, Veda Prakash Galigekere, Gui-Jia Su, Dan Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

On-road wireless charging of electric vehicles (EVs) in-motion could potentially reduce range anxiety or battery size with wide-spread deployment. The planning and implementation of such systems are greatly complicated due to their susceptibility to load variation inherent to traffic flow. This paper proposes a method for derisking the potential for traffic slowdowns by compensating for reduced vehicle speed and investigates how implementation may affect system performance. A load modeling case study is presented at 200kW for a mile of high-speed roadway employing speed-based power regulation with results indicating average power usage and maximum car hosting capability can be reduced by …

Fault-Tolerant High-Power Two-Phase Coreless Afpm Motor-Drive System Concept, Yaser Chulaee, Ali Mohammadi, Matin Vatani, Aaron M. Cramer, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

This paper proposes a fault-tolerant, high-power two-phase coreless axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motor drive system concept. Initially, the performance of a two-phase variant of the coreless AFPM machine is compared with that of its three-phase counterpart using both 3D finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments. Thanks to the intrinsic unique features of coreless AFPM machines, the analysis of the results demonstrates that the two-phase configuration has comparable power density (kW/kg) and efficiency. In terms of fault tolerance, the two-phase configuration exhibits superior performance, as the mutual inductance between phases is zero, resulting in an electric machine with magnetically decoupled …

Two-Level Multi-Objective Design Optimization Including Torque Ripple Minimization For Stator Excited Synchronous And Flux Switching Machines, Ali Mohammadi, Oluwaseun A. Badewa, Yaser Chulaee, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

Electric machine performance can be enhanced through torque ripple mitigation, which reduces mechanical vibrations and improves system stability and operation. This paper proposes a novel two-level optimization method for synchronous flux-switching and hybrid excitation machines, featuring an innovative multi-point spline shaping approach for torque ripple minimization. The study employs experimentally validated models based on a prototype with a similar topology. The optimization process is implemented on two distinct designs: a 20-pole inner rotor PM-excited stator machine and a 28-pole outer rotor DC-excited stator machine. Analysis results demonstrate that the proposed innovative method significantly reduces torque ripple in both configurations. Force …

Electromagnetic Design Characterization Of Synchronous Machines With Flux Switching Effect Employing Reluctance Rotors And Stators With Pms And Ac Concentrated Coils, Oluwaseun A. Badewa, Ali Mohammadi, Donovin D. Lewis, Somasundaram Essakiappan, Madhav Manjrekar, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

This paper introduces an innovative design for a synchronous electric motor that has phase coils and permanent magnets (PM) embedded in the stator. The electric machine contains both concentrated winded phase coils in dedicated slots and spoke-type permanent magnets solely in the stator. The spoke-type magnet arrangement achieves a high flux intensity even with low remanence non-rare earth permanent magnets. As the rotor has no active electromagnetic components, the risk for demagnetization is reduced and advanced cooling applied to the stator can enable high-speed operation. The principle of operation and polarity of the motor are investigated with a unique approach …

Ai In Newsrooms: Assessing Perception, Challenges And Possibilities In Bangladesh’S Media Landscape, Nadia Rahman

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

With the relentless progression of technological advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force across various sectors, and newsrooms are no exception. Developed nations have already integrated AI into journalistic practices, showcasing its versatility in different news functions. However, the developing nations, including Bangladesh, a south Asian nation faces challenges in catching up, marked by technological and economic disparities. As an emerging economic force Bangladesh encounters different obstacles in the adoption of AI in its media landscape. Despite the expansiveness of its media industry, the country grapples with limited technological support and inadequate training opportunities. These challenges bring up …

Black Love, Media Portrayals, And Social Identity, Nigel M. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation explores how media stereotypes about Black relationships influence Black individuals' perceptions, shaping their understanding and expectations of love. Using social identity theory as a foundation, a mixed-methods approach integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the impact of media portrayals on self-concept and relationship expectations. The quantitative findings investigate connections between media exposure, self-esteem, and partner preferences, revealing how media shapes ideas about ideal relationships and internalized racial dynamics. The qualitative analysis identifies seven themes that define Black Love and seven themes that depict media stereotypes of Black relationships. The study shows that while media often reinforce …

Cybersecurity Training As Risk Communication: A Theory-Informed Model Of Employee Learning And Behavior Change, Daniel Chaney

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Cybersecurity threats like phishing remain a persistent and costly challenge for organizations. Despite widespread corporate cybersecurity training (CCT) programs, many fail to produce lasting behavior change. This dissertation introduces the Training Knowledge Flow (TKF) Model to assess why such efforts often fall short. Grounded in communication theory, risk messaging, and adult learning principles, the TKF Model conceptualizes cybersecurity training as a staged process of learning, application, and behavioral adaptation. The model includes three phases: (1) Employee as Learner, focusing on message clarity and cognitive engagement; (2) Employee as Practitioner, assessing workplace transfer and training relevance; and (3) Employee …

Going Inside A Church Staff Group: A Qualitative Case Analysis Of Team Characteristics, Decision-Making, And Identity, Hillary Rose Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Many organizations, including churches, rely on leadership groups to coordinate efforts and fulfill their mission. Guided by the characteristics of highly effective teams, the functional theory of group decision-making, and symbolic convergence theory, this study examines how one church staff group engages in decision-making and enacts identity through socioemotional and task-related communication. This group is unique in that its members each lead different areas necessary for the church’s functioning. Data for this qualitative case-study consists of semi-structured interviews with each group members and five meeting observations. Findings provide insight into the group’s dynamics, decision-making process, and identity. However, of most …

Addressing The "Hidden Crisis" In Doctoral Education: Identifying The (De)Motivating Effects Of Memorable Messages From A Self-Determination Theory Perspective, Alexis A. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Although PhD students are academically capable, they paradoxically produce alarmingly high attrition rates. For several years, retention rates in PhD programs have averaged between 40% and 70% (Ames et al., 2018; Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Cochran et al., 2014; Gardner & GoPaul, 2012; Lovitts, 2001; Rockinson-Szapkiw & Spaulding, 2012). Scholars have presented several potential reasons that PhD students discontinue their studies, none of which include academic ability (Lovitts, 2001; Tucker, 1964; Sverdlick et al., 2018). Framed by self-determination theory (SDT), this study explores the social and communicative components of the doctoral education system by the psychological impact of memorable messages …

Virtual Speeches, Real Fears: Public Speaking Anxiety In The Online Communication Classroom, Timothy J. Bill

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

While universities have explored online course offerings for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend. The foundational communication course—a course that continues to traditionally emphasize public speaking—has felt the pandemic influence to increase opportunities for students to learn public speaking via online instruction. While scholars have learned much about the student experience of public speaking anxiety (PSA) in face-to-face settings, less is known about their experience of PSA in online courses. This dissertation explored the fears students experience when presenting online and how they view the online presentation environment.

Using Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory as a guide, this dissertation employed …

"The Lgbtq Community, That's My New Church": An Examination Of Lgbtq+ Former Church Members' Experiences Of Religious Exit, Samantha N. Pfeiffer

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This study examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who previously attended Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) churches, considering their experiences of being in the church, leaving the church, and rebuilding outside of the church. It also examines sermons from IFB churches that addressed topics related to the LGBTQ+ community to examine the teachings these individuals received while in the church. My examination of this topic was based in scholarly literature addressing the rhetoric of church sermons, the process and experience of religious disaffiliation, and Weick’s (1995) theory of organizational sensemaking. I used multiple qualitative methods in this study, including qualitative content …

The Information Practices Of Undergraduates Encountering Material Objects As Information Resources In Classroom Learning Tasks, Christopher A. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Undergraduate students sometimes encounter material objects as information resources in small-group classroom learning activities. Examples include art, artifacts, specimens, and anatomical models. This dissertation sought to identify common features of the students’ information practices in such situations, regardless of the activity’s discipline or content, and to explore how making material information central shapes students’ information practices. The conceptual framework combined theorizations of materiality and information practices. Methods involved video recording students doing a variety of simulated classroom activities with objects, video elicitation, qualitative content analysis, and praxiographic interpretation. The praxiographic interpretive descriptions illustrated how all aspects of the site–material, bodily, …

Player 2 Has Entered The Culture War: Discourse, Ideology, And Narrative In Gamergate 2.0, Ashley C. Mccann

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

My thesis addresses the ever-evolving landscape of Gamergate 2.0. Once a reactionary misogynistic harassment movement dedicated to attacking women in video games, the new iteration of Gamergate has evolved into an entirely new community. In its new iteration, Gamergate is even less ostensibly concerned with video games and more with reactionary content, mixing together nerd media, general pop culture, and right-wing politics. To study this community, I approach the Gamergate 2.0 community as an anti-fandom and reactionary affinity space. I argue that GamerGate 2.0 exists as its own powerful reactionary community that creates a worldview consisting of the desired destruction …

Globally Cross-Examining Case Studies Of Refugee Resettlement: How Do These Help Us Understand “Successful” Refugee Integration? A Look At Refugees And How They Are Resettled In The Usa, Canada, And Italy., Elyssa Parker

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The world’s refugee crisis is ongoing and increasing in severity. By employing a thematic analysis this thesis seeks to center refugee perspectives to define success in resettlement. Through comparative analysis, commonalities and differences are found within the resettlement practices and policies of the USA, Italy, and Canada. The Integrated Threat and Cultural Adaptation theories are utilized to help understand the actions of both the receiving society and the refugees themselves. Canada remains a top destination for refugees; however, the worsening housing crisis is proving to put significant hardship on refugees. The US refugee resettlement program is contradictory in that it …

I Roll To Attack The King: An Examination Of Far-Right Dissent And Ttrpgs In The Contemporary Age, Jenna C. Johnston

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Far-right ideologies have become more prevalent, both in the political sphere as well as fictional and fantasy spaces. This project analyzes the rise of far-right ideology within tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and offers potential reasons as to why this shift is occurring. Through the analysis of three Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) campaigns from TTRPG show Dimension 20, combined with psychological and sociological research, this work highlights the importance of actions within TTRPGs and their impact on our actual reality. Many may act within the confines of fantastical worlds such as TTRPGs in a way that aligns with far-right ideology because …

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Kinley Mae Pope

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Exploring Comparative Media Analysis And Its Application To Ghana, Eric Asiedu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This paper analyzes how Ghana’s media system (newspapers, radio, TV, and online news)works and compares it to Hallin and Mancini’s 2004 influential model, “Comparing Media Systems”. Their study mainly focused on Western countries like the United States and Europe. This paper tests its applicability to Ghana, located in West Africa. The paper examines four main areas of Ghana’s media: how media industries are set up and run, journalistic professionalism, how closely media outlets are connected to political parties, and how much the government controls or influences the media. The research found that Ghana’s media system has unique characteristics that differs …

The Impact Of Teaching Students Stress And Trauma Alleviation Techniques For Coping With Distressing Materials In First-Year Composition, Faye Monique Scott

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Trauma can impact the way a student learns and focuses. In higher education, without instructors realizing it, classes may retraumatize or trigger students with the texts, media, or materials utilized. Research suggests that little attention is given to helping students deal with potentially traumatizing course materials and students inside the classrooms may be impacted by trauma whether the teacher is aware or not. This dissertation examined the effects of teaching students specific coping strategies—Trigger Warnings (TWs) and Stress and Trauma Alleviation Techniques (STATs) —while reading, writing, and reflecting on possibly distressing materials in First-Year Composition courses through a mixed methods …

Functional Characterization Of The Hdt5 Gene In Aspergillus Flavus Morphogenesis, Mycotoxin Production, And Fungal Phytopathogenicity, Brenda Omburo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present study aimed at elucidating the role of hdt5 in fungal morphology, mycotoxin production and in plant virulence in Aspergillus flavus. Currently, methodologies to prevent the negative impact of A. flavus are insufficient. It is known that expression of the hdt5 gene is dependent on hbx1, a master regulatory gene that affects expression of hundreds of genes in the A. flavus genome, controlling both development and secondary metabolism. However, while the aflatoxin gene cluster has been elucidated, the genetic regulatory mechanisms controlled by hdt5 are not fully understood. For this study, therefore, a complete strain set composed of a …

Ethnic Insurgency Of Myanmar: Resilience And Fragility, Lei Tong

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research studies insurgent resilience in the context of Myanmar’s civil conflicts. In the face of repression, some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) continued to mount significant resistance to the state and even grew their territorial control and capacities. Others merely survived, but lost their operational functionality, while others still were forcibly disarmed and disbanded. What explains this variation in the resilience of Myanmar’s EAOs? To answer this question, I build on conflict scholarship that highlights the importance of lootable resources to armed insurgent organizations. However, I extend this work by showing that access to resources alone is insufficient. To maintain …

Water Quality And Microplastic Contamination In An Urbanizing City Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, Boonyarak Chuanchit

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Microplastics (MPs) are synthetic polymer particles less than 5 mm in size that originate from both primary manufacturing and the breakdown of larger plastics. Extensive studies have examined their occurrence in other environments, while little is known about their presence and behavior in groundwater, especially in urbanizing regions in Southeast Asia. This study investigates the occurrence and abundance of microplastics within groundwater systems of Nakhon Pathom, an urbanizing province in central Thailand.

Groundwater was collected representing shallow and deep aquifers between May 2023 and May 2025. The analyses included physical-chemical parameters, major ions, heavy metals, and microplastic abundance and composition. …