Digital Commons Network^™

Occupational Therapy Program Development In Unhoused Communities, Abbigayle Jackson, Emma Pacheco, Mariko Turley, Jennifer Wickham, Tina M. Deangelis, Edd, Ms, Otr/L, Faota

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program Capstone Presentations

Objectives

- Outline the Modified Delphi process and its purpose for manual development

- Describe foundational elements of occupational therapy (OT) program development for unhoused populations

- Illustrate a program's community and societal impact

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?: Evaluating The Role Of Climate And Weather Stressors On Moving Decisions In Southeast Florida, Arielle Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

As climate and weather hazards intensify, Southeast Florida communities face mounting pressures that increasingly influence patterns of migration and immobility. This research examines evidence of climate migration in high flood-risk neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale by exploring why some populations choose to stay, while others leave, in the context of a changing climate. Using focus group discussions, I investigate how climate and non-climate related factors shape mobility outcomes among residents in the city. Migration outcomes were primarily influenced by negative climate and weather hazard experiences, discontent with existing public in-situ adaptations, and non-climate disamenities, which eroded participants’ sense of place. Voluntary …

Menstruation Mediating Mental Health: Premenstrual Exacerbation Of Borderline Personality Disorder Symptomatology, Autumn Abbas

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) affects up to 6.2% of women, with symptoms predominantly affecting mood and affect, interpersonal relationships, and risk of self-harming behaviors. Like many other psychiatric conditions, interaction of BPD with the menstrual cycle, called premenstrual exacerbation (PME) can occur. Similarly, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects up to 8% of women, and shares many of the same symptoms. This paper seeks to distinguish between the characteristics of PME of BPD and those of PMDD and explore the effects that BPD can have during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Proposed methods of research to further explore this …

Comparative Analysis Of Circadian Rhythms In Humans And Other Mammals, Aashni Atkinson

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Circadian rhythms are biological process that regulate physiological functions on a twenty-four-hour cycle and are conserved across mammalian species. Environmental cues such as light, and behavioral patterns such as sleep schedules and social obligations, play a key role in maintain circadian alignment. This thesis examines how molecular, environmental, behavioral, and medical factors influence circadian regulation and contribute to differences between humans and other mammals. While the core molecular clocks, which are driven by transcription-translation feedback loops, remain consistent across species, humans’ circadian rhythms are frequently disrupted. In humans, technology and irregular routines lead to circadian misalignment. This disruption is associated …

Corporate Personhood And The Scope Of Constitutional Rights, Jadyn Cooper

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

In 2010, the Supreme Court, in Citizens United v. FEC, held that corporations have a First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Soon after, privately held corporations were effectively granted the First Amendment right to exercise religion, in Burwell v Hobby Lobby. Should corporations have these rights, or are rights reserved for “persons”? I argue that for-profit corporations, as artificial entities, lack the capacities for personhood and moral agency, including the capacity to express speech or exercise religion, without the use of a human agent. Since corporations are not moral agents, they don’t possess rights inherently and shouldn’t be granted …

Re: Conditional Approval Letter For Draft Final Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area Materials Management Plan Revision 1 (Dated March 24, 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Nurturing The Nurturers: Caritas Literacy Wellness Program, Pakeeza Ali

Doctoral Projects

Burnout, compassion fatigue, and emotional exhaustion remain significant concerns among oncology staff in high-demand ambulatory settings. This quality improvement project implemented the Caritas Literacy and Resilience Training Program (CLARITY), a microlearning-based intervention grounded in Watson’s Caring Science Theory, to support self-caring behaviors and emotional resilience among oncology staff in an ambulatory cancer center. A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design was used, incorporating pre- and post-intervention survey data and qualitative focus group feedback. Quantitative outcomes were assessed using the Watson Caritas Self-Rating Score (WCSR) and post-intervention ratings of perceived effectiveness of the microlearning format. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine pre-post change …

Unbottling The Truth: A Study Of Alcohol Rehabilitation Access And Outcomes In Kentucky, Kendall Pierce

Honors Theses

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a significant public health concern in the United States, with disproportionately higher rates in Kentucky. Despite the availability of various treatment modalities, barriers to access and perceptions of treatment effectiveness continue to influence recovery outcomes. This study examines the accessibility and perceived success of alcohol rehabilitation programs in Kentucky through qualitative focus groups with individuals with lived experience of AUD (n = 9). Using an inductive thematic analysis approach, four major themes were identified: individual readiness for recovery, social support and resource navigation, structural barriers within the treatment system, and perceived characteristics of …

Bridging The Literacy Achievement Gap With Diverse Children's Literature, Sammy Siemon

Masters Projects

Classrooms across the globe contain immensely diverse populations of students, many of which are not well represented in the texts that they interact with inside of the classroom. This becomes especially noticeable in the intervention setting, when students are already reading below the proficiency level for their grade and may already have doubts about their ability to fit in within the learning space. Read-alouds and repeated rereading are often heralded for their impact on literacy development, they can be utilized in the intervention setting using texts that help to foster student identity, empathy and belonging. This project is grounded heavily …

Invisible Fallout: Economic Health, Environmental Injustice, And The Social Legacy Of The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Isabella G. Bailey-Sims

Honors Theses

This paper examines the long-term impacts of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in western Kentucky, framing its legacy as a form of “invisible fallout” in which economic growth was accompanied by delayed environmental and public health consequences. Established in the early 1950s, the plant served as a major economic driver, providing stable employment and transforming the regional economy. However, its operation involved the handling of radioactive materials and hazardous chemicals, leading to environmental contamination and occupational exposure risks that were not fully disclosed during its active years.

Drawing on epidemiological studies, environmental reports, and socioeconomic analyses, this study identifies …

Eastern Kentucky Drowning: Floods And Relief Efforts, Lynsey Joseph

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impacts of repeated flash floods in Eastern Kentucky, focusing on the flood events of 2022 and 2025, to understand how environmental conditions, disaster policy, and socioeconomic factors have shaped the community vulnerability and recovery in the region. This research is relevant due to the increased frequency of extreme weather events that have had disproportionate effects on rural and low-income regions. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of federal disaster response programs like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and to analyze these systems compared to community-based recovery efforts. This was done using a …

"Sirens, Safety, And Superheroes": A Children's Guide To Handling An Emergency Crisis, Madison B. Cassity

Honors Theses

A children’s book was created highlighting the roles and responsibilities of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workers in the prehospital setting. The book addresses the concerns and hesitancies that children may have when approached by EMS in the event of an emergency. This includes strategies about how children should manage and react in a situation if they must call 9-1-1 themselves. In addition to EMS related research, a literature review was conducted to analyze sources on how to effectively write a children’s book (what makes a child most interested, how to keep them engaged, etc.). This thesis will also articulate the …

Cancer Risk Perceptions And Nicotine Use Behaviors Among Eastern Kentucky University Students, Kassidy Burke

Honors Theses

The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including vaping devices and oral nicotine pouches, has increased among adolescents and young adults. Although often marketed as safer alternatives to cigarettes, emerging evidence suggests these products may still pose significant health risks, including potential contributions to cancer. Despite this, many college students perceive them as low risk. This study examines cancer risk perceptions and nicotine use behaviors among students at Eastern Kentucky University, focusing on perceptions of cigarettes, vaping devices, and oral nicotine pouches, as well as how these perceptions influence behavior. It also explores sources of health information and the …

Harness The Darkness! Blackout Poetry And Drama Therapy For Systemic Existential Dread: A Proposed Methodology, Kerry Sullivan

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the intersection of drama therapy and blackout poetry as a therapeutic intervention to address systemic existential dread (SED) among emerging adults. The proposed methodology is titled "Bringing Blackout Poetry to Life" and consists of five sessions designed to explore the participants’ SED and generate poetry, culminating in a public performance. By integrating elements from psychodrama and drama therapy with the therapeutic process of blackout poetry, the intervention intends to aid processing on all levels of the expressive therapies continuum (ETC), strengthen tolerance for uncertainty, and facilitate sustainable community action. This theoretical framework is supported by a wide-ranging …

Body And Size Acceptance In Dance/Movement Therapy, Kathryn Pedersen

Expressive Therapies Theses

The pervasiveness of anti-fat bias within American culture is growing due to the rise in popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) and the current United States administration’s discriminatory views towards minority groups. With Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) being a body-based modality, it is necessary to examine the available literature to discover the theoretical orientations that are being used when working with fat populations. Quantitative and qualitative studies from both international and United States-based sources were reviewed, and findings indicated that while both the medicalized view of fatness and the body acceptance-based view of fatness were employed, United States-based research most …

How Art Therapy Can Be Used To Support Children Experiencing Homelessness: A Literature Review, Lila N. Murray

Expressive Therapies Theses

Art therapy and art-based programming have increasingly been introduced in a variety of service settings to children experiencing homelessness, with the belief that artmaking can promote recovery and resilience, and support mental wellbeing. Despite the presence of such programs, there is very limited research on the impact of art therapy and arts-based intervention on the lives of children experiencing homelessness. This literature review is focused on the role of art therapy in working with children who have experienced or are currently experiencing homelessness, which is defined as a form of complex trauma. This research aimed to address the following question: …

Reclaiming The Narrative: Integrating Narrative Therapy And Songwriting For Children And Adolescents Living Through Adverse Childhood Experiences, Emma Smith

Expressive Therapies Theses

Children and adolescents tend to lack agency and power in their lives with their status as minors. Lack of agency can be exacerbated if they are experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Narrative songwriting is an approach with emerging methods that may support liberation, agency, and ownership for this population. Although there is a plethora of trauma-informed songwriting methods in music therapy literature focusing on young populations, there is sparse research about using narrative songwriting with this population. In this thesis, literature from both music therapy and narrative therapy with young populations experiencing ACEs was located and analyzed using a qualitative …

Multicultural Marketing: Rebranding Chick-Fil-A For Chinese Audiences, Christina Pan

Senior Honors Theses

China is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, and consumption is its main cause of growth. With a population of 1.4 billion people, many companies want to establish themselves in China. However, China and the United States markets are vastly different, and China’s post-COVID economy makes success increasingly difficult. Factors such as domestic competition, weakening US-China relations, and increased suspicion in foreign products calls for a new marketing and branding approach for United States companies. Fast-food giants such as McDonald’s and KFC have managed success in the past, but one company that also has potential is Chick-Fil-A. This …

Aerodynamic Performance Of Grid Fins As High Lift Devices, Luke Jeffrey Krick

Senior Honors Theses

Flaps are used in almost all aircraft to increase the amount of lift the wings can produce at low speeds. However, the flaps also increase the amount of drag experienced by the aircraft. The drag induced by the flaps causes energy loss and is unfavorable for aircraft effectiveness. In recent years, grid fins have become a popular choice for aircraft and armaments to control their orientation. First developed for launch escape towers, grid fins are made up of lines that cut the fin into many quadrants, leaving the fin with multiple rectangular shaped open areas. The aim of this study …

Connected Pastors: The Importance Of Having Safe Support Systems In Ministry, Karin A. Hines

Senior Honors Theses

Pastors minister to broken people, but sometimes they need help themselves. Many pastors do not seek help or do not have anyone safe to go to, often for fear of losing their influence or job. This thesis argues that sharing one’s life with safe people is essential, especially for those who are in high-stress professions. It explores pastoral support systems, examines comparable stigmas against seeking help in other fields, analyzes the science of sharing and isolation and their effects on the brain and body, and considers the Bible’s instructions on living in community for one’s personal well-being. Pastors require intentional, …

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

Senior Honors Theses

This study attempts to build a bridge over a gap in research regarding how to observe children with profound cognitive disabilities’ understanding of the gospel, also incorporating information about ministry structure, caregiver responsibility, and methods for presenting the gospel. This qualitative study was interview-based: four ministry leaders representing three disability ministries were interviewed, and then a focus group was conducted to discuss further. Field observations also took place at each ministry site. Key findings included importance of flexibility in ministry environments, shared spiritual responsibility of caregivers and ministry leaders, necessity of repetition and concrete examples in gospel presentation, emphasis on …

Nietzsche And Socrates: Reflections Of Redefined Virtue In Greek Tragedy, Kyle M. Lowry

Senior Honors Theses

The works of Friedrich Nietzsche were used to study how Greek Tragedy was “born” and “died,” particularly in relation to the rise of Socratic philosophy in Ancient Greece. The intoxicated “Dionysian” and disciplinary, artistic “Apollinian,” are the elements Nietzsche claims encompass and catalyze human experience; the former containing the primal nature of the Being, and the latter containing the ordering through which identity is formed and art is created. Tragedy, the art form perfectly balancing these two elements was “born” within the conditions of a Dionysian Pessimism, by which the inevitable life of suffering was redeemed aesthetically. Socrates introduced rationality …

The Brain And Becoming: Integrating Play And Performance-Based Learning In The Community College Classroom, Hannah M. Green

English

Instruction in the community college classroom is in need of a shift, according to neuroscientific, pedagogical, and demographic data. Primarily, students in today’s community college classrooms are instructed in the form of lectures (Nilson 106), but research has shown that game-based learning would be the way to enhance learning experiences for these adult learners. Game-based learning specifically takes form in student learning through games, interactive reading activities such as performance pedagogy, discussions, and small group work. While research shows that play-based learning at the community college level is neurologically beneficial for students, there is a gap in implementing play-based learning …

Lightweight Attestation Techniques For The Industrial Internet Of Things, Syed Owais Athar

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has transformed critical infrastructure by integrating programmable logic controllers (PLCs) with connected sensors, actuators, and supervisory systems. While these advancements enhance operational efficiency, they also increase exposure to sophisticated cyber-physical threats, particularly through malicious modifications of PLC programs. Existing attestation methods either impose significant computational burdens by performing continuous verification or rely on detailed physical models that are often impractical to maintain across heterogeneous environments.

The first part of this thesis focuses on DuAtt, a dual-layer attestation scheme that integrates a physical process–based anomaly detection mechanism with a targeted attestation of the PLC program. …

The Value Of Difficulty In Engineering Education To Professional Work Experience Of Early Career Engineers: A Multiple Case Study, Nosakhare Iyobosa Idiaghe

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Engineering education has long been characterized by rigor, intensity, and selective sorting, conditions often justified as necessary for producing capable engineers. Yet, despite the widespread assumption that academic hardship prepares students for professional practice, relatively little empirical work has examined how graduates themselves interpret the value of these difficult experiences once they enter the workforce. This dissertation addresses that gap by investigating how early-career engineers make sense of the difficulty encountered in their undergraduate education and how those experiences compare to the challenges of engineering practice.

Using a qualitative multiple‑case study design, the research draws on semi‑structured interviews with eight …

Leading While Black: An Examination Of The Black Supervisor Experience Overseeing White Subordinates In Higher Education, Colette Marie Tobias

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This study examines how systemic racism and social capital hierarchies shape the supervisory experiences of Black supervisors. While existing literature has explored leadership and race, it has not fully examined how systemic racism shape Black supervisors’ experiences or how social capital hierarchies play into the behavioral responses of white subordinates. This study addresses that gap by centering the lived experiences of Black supervisors within higher education.

Grounded in narrative inquiry, this research focuses on how participants make meaning of their experiences through their stories. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals with 19 Black supervisors who had at …

Faculty Senate Xxx 2025-2026 - May 4, 2026 Agenda, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

University Announces Strategic Restructuring Of Research Institute To Accelerate Growth, Innovation And National Impact, University Of Dayton

News Releases

The University of Dayton announced the launch of a strategic restructuring of the University of Dayton Research Institute, which has seen externally sponsored research more than triple over the last decade. The plan will transition UDRI into a nonprofit, wholly owned subsidiary of the University.

Effective Resilience Of African American Adolescent Mothers In Urban Communities, Charlene Spicer-Harmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Elevation, Demographic Composition, And Suicide Rates: A Municipality-Level Analysis In Colorado And Wyoming, Steven Loader

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.