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The Relationship Between Academic Stress And Sleep Quality Among University Students, Braden C. Baker

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research explores the significance of the question of whether academic stress affects the quality of sleep among university students across the globe. The following research will explore what can cause university students to experience high levels of academic stress, as well as explore ways that universities as a whole can assist with this stress. The research will also dive deeper into what actually causes these students to experience different qualities of sleep and whether high levels of academic stress are actually what causes low quality of sleep.

Throughout this research, a wide variety of studies and data from these …

Phase Equilibria Modeling Constraints On Seismic Velocity And Density For Mafic Granulites In The Athabasca Granulite Terrane, Western Canadian Shield, Olivia Wyllie

Geosciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Samples of mafic granulite and eclogite from the Athabasca granulite terrane, thought to be representative of the lower continental crust, were analyzed via bulk geochemistry analysis and seismically modelled with Perple_X v.7.1.6. Modeled P-wave speeds, S-wave speeds, and densities for the samples were graphed by region and calculated for wet (1.00 wt.% H2O) versus dry (0.01 wt.% H2O) conditions at 460 °C and 648 °C. The samples were found to have higher median P-wave values than those determined by Rudnick and Fountain (1995; 7.4 km/s to 7.8 km/s, as compared to 6.9 km/s to 7.2 km/s). This indicates both a …

Dfend: A Nutrition Education Intervention To Improve Food Budgeting, Shopping, And Meal Preparation Skills Among Adults In Arkansas, Samantha K. Edwards

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Preventive strategies targeting modifiable lifestyle factors related to food, nutrition, and health are needed as chronic health conditions continue to rise. Nutrition literacy refers to having the knowledge and skills needed to obtain, understand, and apply nutrition information to make informed dietary decisions. Without adequate nutrition education and food security, vulnerable populations are at risk of malnutrition and poor dietary behaviors. Educational interventions that increase food literacy can help improve dietary choices and food selection skills.

The purpose of this creative project was to develop a nutrition education toolkit for Extension agents to implement among rural populations with low health …

Precision To Protein: Comparative Characterization Of Printability, Physicochemical, And Nutritional Properties Of Cricket, Pea, And Whey Proteins In 3d-Printed Nutrition Bars, Sophia Hinkebein

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Protein is a priority nutrient in the American diet, being fueled by the demands of weight loss drugs, diet culture, and new dietary guidelines. However, meeting these elevated protein goals sustainably requires diversifying beyond standard sources like whey protein isolate. 3D printing offers an opportunity to present a variety of protein sources in a palatable, customized, and consumer-acceptable format. In this study, 3 protein sources (cricket, whey, and pea), were optimized within food inks for 3D printing. Optimization involved different hydration levels, with whey requiring 7 grams of added water, cricket 22 grams, and pea the most at 47 grams. …

Exploring The Effects Of Protein Intake On Mood And Sleep Quality In Post-Menopausal Women, Deborah Crouch

General Human Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

 Background: Menopause is a phase of life that roughly half of the world’s population will go through. Although research looking into how the body changes and is impacted by menopause, studies relating to how diet can affect the aging body of post-menopausal women is limited. The objective of this study was to gain insight into how mood and sleep are affected by increasing protein intake in the diet.

Methods: 29 participants were assigned to either a control group (n=20) or a treatment group (n=9). The treatment group was assigned to consume 1.6 g/kg/day of protein, including 7 servings of beef …

Exploring Mental Health Counseling Programs For Student-Athletes: A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Stigma Preventing Treatment-Seeking Behaviors., Conner Haggerty

Leadership Education Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the mental health counseling treatment-seeking behaviors of male football player student-athletes and the effects of stigma on those behaviors. Despite growing awareness of mental health challenges in collegiate athletics, male student-athletes continue to underutilize available mental health services at alarming rates. This study sought to address two research questions: what methods of mental health counseling most positively impact football player student-athletes, and what are the effects of stigma towards mental health counseling for football player student-athletes. A quantitative designed survey with supplementary qualitative questions was utilized, collecting data from 44 male football …

Balancing Books And Bases: Performance And Burnout Among College Softball Athletes, Mckinzey M. Johnson

Leadership Education Capstones

This mixed-methods study explored the impact of academic demands and athletic participation on academic performance, time management, study habits, burnout among NCAA Division II women’s softball athletes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conferences (NSIC). The study was guided by three questions: (1) how participation in collegiate softball influences academic performance as measured by GPA, (2) how student athletes manage time and study habits during the. Competitive season, and (3) what factors contribute to burnout and how burnout affects emotional well-being and academic engagement. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey distributed to NSIC softball coaches who then shared the …

Population Structure And Connectivity Of Atlantic Nurse Sharks (Ginglymostoma Cirratum) In The Bahamas And Outlying Areas, Baylie A. Fadool

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding animal ecosystem dynamics and behavior at the individual and population levels is essential for identifying life-history patterns and important areas for management and conservation. Marine fish species often face minimal geographic barriers to movement, but environmental (temperature, salinity, current) or intrinsic barriers (philopatry, site fidelity) can dictate gene flow. Atlantic nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) are an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed ‘vulnerable’ species and present a unique opportunity to investigate patterns of population structure and connectivity in large-bodied sharks. They are benthic and display reproductive philopatry, with recent work suggesting they have the capacity …

Examining Extremes: A Comparison Between Machine Learning Based Southwestern Conus Seasonal Drought And High Fire Risk Event Synoptic Climatologies, Ethan M. Greenberg

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Southwestern United States (SW CONUS), comprised of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, is a vast region that tens of millions of people call home. Hosting ecosystems ranging from grasslands and shrublands to temperate forests and climate zones ranging from Mediterranean climates to arid deserts, the region is nearly unanimously prone to intense droughts and devastating wildfires. While fire weather conditions and drought are often studied separately or mentioned as background conditions for the other, there are relatively few studies that compare the typical meteorological conditions between the two. This study aims to more closely understand the meteorological relationship between …

Gaining Mussel: Evaluating Reintroduction Success Of Native Freshwater Mussels In Nebraska And Eastern Wyoming, Travis A. Moore

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups of organisms in North America, with over two-thirds of species considered threatened, endangered, or of special concern. These long-lived bivalves are essential to stream ecosystems, acting as filter feeders that improve water quality and as indicators of aquatic health. In Nebraska and Wyoming, native mussel populations have declined sharply due to habitat modification, pollution, and reduced connectivity. Two species of particular concern are the Plain Pocketbook Lampsilis cardium, listed as Tier I at-risk in Nebraska, and the Fatmucket Lampsilis siliquoidea, a Tier II at-risk species. In response, state agencies …

An Examination Of Single Mothers' Psychological Capital In Seeking Higher Education, Jennifer L. Stuart

Theses & Dissertations

AN EXAMINATION OF SINGLE MOTHER’S PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL IN SEEKING HIGHER EDUCATION

Jennifer Stuart

University of the Incarnate Word, 2025

Research Focus. In the United States, single mothers head nearly 80 percent of single-parent households, representing one of the most educationally vulnerable yet motivated populations. Despite increased visibility of single-parent families, limited research has examined the internal psychological factors that influence single mothers’ determination to pursue higher education. Much of the literature has emphasized external barriers—financial hardship, childcare demands, and social stigma—while overlooking internal strengths such as self-efficacy, resilience, optimism, and hope. These traits, conceptualized collectively as psychological capital (Luthans et …

If It’S A Fit, Perhaps They’Ll Stick: An Examination Of Black Women Teachers, Perceptions Of Fit With Their Schools, And Their Retention In American Public Schools, Taylor M. Young

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This dissertation examines how perceived person-organization (PO) fit between Black women teachers (BWTs) and characteristics of their respective schools influence their intention to remain at their current school. Using quantitative methods, this study explores how these characteristics predict the likelihood of retention. The study centered (n = 85) BWTs within a full sample of women teachers (N = 125). The findings revealed that perceived PO fit with colleagues, teaching assignment, and student population predicted a higher likelihood of remaining at their current school for both BWTs and the full sample. The study intends to inform recruitment and retention efforts for …

Honeybee Colony Response To Probiotic Supplementation And Grazing Practices, Katya M. Busenitz

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Honeybee health is a complicated issue. Studies were conducted to scale honeybee (Apis mellifera) health from the microbiome to the landscape. Colony health parameters were measured in response to probiotic administration. Colony capped brood production, colony summer weight gain, and Varroa mite incidence were measured. I found that applications of over-the-counter probiotics did not improve the measured parameters of honeybee health compared to a control group. Results suggest that probiotic application was not beneficial but positive benefits may depend on application method, brand, or strain of probiotics used. I also examined how colony health metrics responded to different …

Charting The Course: The Influence Of Mentorship On Women's Careers In Outdoor Education, Jessica M. Callahan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Mentorship is a significant contributor to women’s experiences working in outdoor education, yet it remains underresearched in a formal capacity. This study aims to answer the central research question of “What meanings do women give to mentorship experiences in relation to their career development, retention, and professional identity?” A qualitative, phenomenological approach was chosen to be most appropriate, and both synchronous interviews and an online survey were used to collect data. In total, data was collected from 24 participants, which was analyzed using thematic analysis. Identified themes were categorized by the topics of mentor qualities and impact on self, mentorship …

Spatiotemporal Variability Of Differential Reflectivity (Zdr) Columns Due To Environment In Tornadic And Nontornadic Supercells, Adrianne J. Engel

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Polarimetric signatures have been of interest to researchers and operational forecasters since the completion of the WSR-88D network upgrade in 2013. Differential reflectivity (Z_DR) columns, which are collocated with supercell updrafts, are the focus of this study. Microphysical distributions within these signatures can be used to infer updraft strength and elucidate the processes responsible for updraft intensity and evolution. Z_DR column depth, areal extent, and variability of these metrics through space and time are assessed in a dataset of 114 nontornadic and tornadic supercells. Means of column metrics in nontornadic, non-tornado-producing, and tornado-producing analysis times are evaluated …

Educational Placemaking: The Radical Power Of Play, Hillary René Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Too often, play is dismissed as a simple childhood pastime, but what if it were understood as a radical tool for transformation? This research examines how play-based learning (PBL) interventions can serve as a framework for systemic change. Grounded in Edward Soja’s theory of spatial justice, which holds that socially valued resources and opportunities are unevenly distributed across geographic spaces (Soja, 2010), the study investigates how public spaces can serve as culturally reflective sites of learning and, when co-created with children and their communities, help address historical structural inequities. This research establishes educational placemaking as a framework for understanding play-based, …

Listening To Those Who Stay: Support Systems Influencing Special Education Teacher Retention, Carol Jean Dawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retention among special education teachers is a constant challenge across the country. Educators in these positions often have heavy workloads, emotionally demanding responsibilities, and complex caseloads leading to burnout and high turnover rates. Despite these challenges, most of them persevere in the field for extended periods, which indicate that robust and effective support systems are essential to aiding their commitment. In examining this phenomenon, this qualitative study focused on the lived experiences of six special education teachers who worked in the same school setting for a minimum of five years with the aim of identifying support structures that affect motivation, …

Shared And Unique Neural Correlates Of Sign And Spoken Language Production: An Ale Meta-Analysis, Grace Robertson

Master's Theses and Capstones

This coordinate-based meta-analysis aimed to identify brain areas that are uniquely active in sign language production during single word/sign production tasks using Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE). Evidence from a pooled ALE of all studies revealed a shared network between sign and spoken language for language, specifically lexical, syntactic, and semantic selection and retrieval, motor planning and execution, sensorimotor integration, phonological working memory, and visual and multimodal processing. The ALE subtraction (sign language > spoken language) did not reveal any significant clusters above the corrected threshold. However, visual inspection of an uncorrected map revealed that regions responsible for language, spatial attention and …

Bio 24 Human Anatomy And Physiology Ii, Rujin Tian

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for BIO 24 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and a link to an OER textbook.

Unconstitutional Cruelty, Michael R. Ulrich

William & Mary Law Review

Despite the long history of transgender people and transgender care, state legislatures suddenly rushed to pass a wave of bans on gender-affirming medical care for trans youth over a three-year period beginning in 2021—an alarming surge within a flurry of legal attacks on the transgender community. In analyzing the constitutionality of these bans, courts and scholars have focused their attention on how to characterize the nature of the rights implicated, and therefore the level of scrutiny warranted. This focus reacts to, and often follows, the current Supreme Court majority’s approach to questions about the rights of historically oppressed and marginalized …

Impact Of Biomass Type On Hydrocarbon Yield And Chain Length Distribution Produced Via Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, Nicholas R. Hawe

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper investigates the relationship between biomass composition and hydrocarbon yield as well as chain length distribution produced by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Through an Aspen Plus model, the conversion of three different biomasses – digestate, sawdust, and corn stover – into hydrocarbon fuel was simulated. The model converts biomass into gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons via various unit operations and reactions. Simulation results highlight the product distribution and hydrocarbon output, allowing for an analysis of hydrocarbon yield and comparison of chain length distributions amongst the three biomasses. Overall, the simulation showed biomass composition had no significant impact on hydrocarbon yield or chain …

Awareness Of Green Infrastructure Projects Near Johnson Creek Restoration Sites In Portland, Oregon, Kate R. Cullinan, Anita T. Morzillo

Honors Scholar Theses

Green infrastructure plays an increasingly important role in managing stormwater and improving human connection to nature in urban areas. My objective was to examine resident awareness of green infrastructure (GI) projects near Johnson Creek restoration sites in the City of Portland, Oregon. Using a mail survey, residents reported their awareness of local water features undergoing restoration. Geographic Information Systems analysis was used to measure the distance, by both street network and Euclidian distance, from each respondent’s residence to the closest active green infrastructure water feature project. Linear regression was used to determine the relationships between the three dependent variables and …

Ai In Wonderland, Bodj Oliver Alngohuro

Honors Scholar Theses

Studies in sound symbolism have revealed a baseline preference for people to associate certain sounds with certain concepts. The Bouba/Kiki effect, for instance, reveals a preference for individuals to associate “Bouba” with a round shape and “Kiki” with a sharp shape (Köhler 1929). Other studies have revealed other associations with certain sounds and names with concepts, such as “Mil” referring to something small and “Mal” referring to something big (Sidhu and Pexman, 2017). This study looks at LLMs and how they compare to humans concerning intuitions for certain names based on sound symbolism.

Multiplexing Reductive Alkylation Of Peptides For Quantitative Proteomics, Kevin C. Souza

Honors Scholar Theses

Reductive alkylation is a robust and commonly used labeling technique for quantifying proteins and peptides in complex samples using mass spectrometry. This technique involves the attachment of alkyl groups to an amino group at the N-terminus and lysine residues of a peptide, causing a mass shift that is detectable using mass spectrometry. This work aims to explore the application of reductive alkyl labeling in multiplexed quantitative proteomics. The first part of the study investigates the effectiveness of the labeling of peptides using a variety of aldehydes via reductive alkylation. The aldehydes were chosen, such that they provided various degrees of …

When Mac Shouldn’T Smile Back: Anthropomorphic Logo And Effect On Consumer Perceptions Of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Ainsley E. Ballard

Honors Scholar Theses

Drawing on prior research suggesting that anthropomorphic design can increase trust, liking, and perceived competence, this research investigates whether these effects extend to generative artificial intelligence logos. A three-group between-subjects study was conducted to examine how varying levels of logo anthropomorphization influenced consumer perceptions of an artificial intelligence brand. In being assigned to one of three logo conditions, humanoid (high anthropomorphism), animalistic (moderate anthropomorphism), or nature/geometric (low anthropomorphism), participants evaluated the new logo across multiple dimensions, including liking, brand fit, trustworthiness, and willingness to buy. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the low anthropomorphism condition consistently received the most positive ratings, …

Factors Affecting Pedestrian-Vehicle Conflicts: An Empirical Analysis, Christo D. Jamo

Honors Scholar Theses

The number of pedestrian deaths increased by 78% between 2009 and 2023, while other motor vehicle crash deaths increased by 13% in the same period [1]. To identify potential pedestrian safety measures, this study analyzed the effects of location-based demographics, pedestrian phasing type, and other physical infrastructure and behavior variables on the probability of pedestrian-vehicle conflicts at signalized intersections, which is a surrogate measure of crash risk. Data were collected from 55 intersections in Connecticut, and the pedestrian-vehicle interactions were classified by severity based on the Swedish Traffic Conflict Technique: undisturbed passage, potential conflict, minor conflict, or serious conflict. Because …

Gender-Neutral Insurance Reform In The United States: Actuarial Challenges In Pricing And Reserving, Matthew O'Connor

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper examines whether gender remains an appropriate rating variable in the U.S. insurance industry. Gender has historically been used across several lines of insurance because it has demonstrated predictive value in areas such as mortality, claim frequency, and health utilization. However, the continued use of gender creates challenges as insurance systems attempt to accommodate individuals who do not fall within traditional male/female binary classifications.

The paper first reviews the current state of gender use in U.S. insurance, including examples from auto, health, life, and annuity markets. It then considers equity and ethical concerns, particularly the tension between actuarial fairness …

The Germinal Center Blueprint For Spatial Immune Mapping And Antibody Discovery In Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph Nodes, Angel Shah

Honors Scholar Theses

Sentinel lymph nodes are the first nodes that receive drainage from a tumor and are commonly used to evaluate whether cancer has begun to spread, but they also provide an important window into how a patient’s immune system is reacting to tumor-derived antigens. This project examines immune activity within SLNs, with particular attention to germinal centers, where B cells mature, undergo clonal expansion and somatic hypermutation, and generate improved antibody responses. Using a combination of spatially mapped immune marker staining, rapid sampling of reactive germinal centers, cytokine profiling, and single-cell/single-nucleus RNA sequencing, the study aims to characterize the localization, activation …

From Prescription To Plate: Redefining The Pharmacist’S Role In Food Is Medicine Initiatives, Aleena R. Thomas

Honors Scholar Theses

Produce prescription (PRx) programs are an emerging Food is Medicine intervention designed to address diet-related chronic diseases and food insecurity by integrating healthcare delivery with access to fruits and vegetables. Diet-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease represent a major public health burden in the United States, particularly among populations with limited access to nutritious food. Despite growing evidence supporting PRx programs, pharmacists -- who routinely manage these conditions and monitor outcomes -- are underutilized in program implementation. The objective of this project is to translate the public health aspects of PRx programs into an accessible, …

Diagnostic Ability Of Rate Of Torque Development For Patellofemoral Pain, Arun Loganathan, Neal R. Glaviano Phd, Sungwan Kim Phd

Honors Scholar Theses

Context: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a highly prevalent condition (22.7% in general population) that significantly impacts the quality of life of those who suffer from it. However, there is no gold standard test to diagnose it yet, leading to inconsistencies with treatment as well as delayed intervention. Rate of torque development (RTD) is a neuromuscular measure that has shown strong connections to PFP.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic ability of RTD for PFP.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Laboratory.

Participants: Thirty-five individuals with PFP (24 males and 11 females, 22.7 ± 3.7 years, 1.67 ± 0.1 …