Digital Commons Network^™

When Faith Becomes A House Of Cards: C.S. Lewis’ Lament, Sadie Sudbrock

Liberty University Research Week

More than three million individuals die annually in the United States (Ahmad et al., 2024). If each of these individuals leaves behind just three people who mourn their loss, that results in over nine million individuals enduring the torment of grief each year. In A Grief Observed, C. S. Lewis offers an excruciatingly candid reflection on loss, capturing the raw thrashings of his mind and heart in the grip of sorrow. This study utilizes a rhetorical criticism employing Burkean cluster analysis, to examine how Lewis rhetorically constructs his evolving perspective on grief, suffering, and faith. Drawing on Kenneth Burke, this …

"I Guess It Was My Turn": German Public Perception Of The Sterilization Program From 1933 - 1939, Dylan Cumbo

Liberty University Research Week

Adolf Hitler's accension to power opened new pathways for anti-disability sentiment. Quickly after his rise to power, they passed the Law for the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases in 1933, allowing the sterilization of people with select disabilities, disorders, and asocial characteristics. This was supported by an additional marriage law the and the establishment of the Office of Racial Policy. Through the use of health courts, around 400,000 were sterilized during the program's operation. The RPA published numerous propaganda pieces to try to coerce the population to completely support the program. Many within Germany resisted the order and pushed …

Implementing The Abcdef Bundle In A Rural Critical Care, Kayla Hubbard

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Patients admitted to the critical care unit are at risk of debilitating adverse outcomes including Delirium, Post intensive care syndrome (PICS), debility, wounds, depression, and both mental and physical impairments. Complications related to ICU care can easily be combatted by using a multidisciplinary approach. The ABCDEF bundle serves to incorporate all aspects of a critically ill patients care in a simple, easy to follow bundle focusing on assessment of pain (A), both spontaneous awakening ang breathing trials (B), choice of sedation/analgesic (C), delirium (D), early mobility (E), and family involvement (F). A quality improvement project was designed and piloted in …

2026 Acssc Program, Acssc Planning Committee

Annual Celebration for Student Scholarship and Creativity

No abstract provided.

Frankincense (Boswellia Spp.) Essential Oils: Chemistry-Driven Authentication, Chemotype Discovery, And Sustainability Insights Across My Published Studies, Prabodh Satyal

Oxford ICSB

Frankincense, which comes from the oleo-gum resins of Boswellia species, is one of the most important botanicals in global trade. However, its essential oils often face issues like variations in chemical makeup, mislabeling, and adulteration. This presentation summarizes findings from ten peer-reviewed studies conducted between 2016 and 2023. These studies create a chemistry-based framework for authenticating frankincense and ensuring sustainable sourcing.  Research on various Boswellia species, including B. sacra, B. carteri, B. papyrifera, B. frereana, B. occulta, B. ogadensis, and B. rivae, shows strong patterns in volatile profiles at both the species and tree levels. This supports distinguishing between species …

Using Path Analysis To Examine The Psychological Well-Being Model For U.S. College Students, Pi-Ming Yeh, Cheng-Huei Chiao, Gavin Waters

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Background: College students’ psychological well-being and mental health issues are very important in this society. Little is known about a comprehensive psychological well-being model for college students.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was using Path Analysis to examine the Development of Personality and Psychological Well-Being Model among US college students.

Methods: This was a cross sectional, descriptive design. The 481 participants were recruited from nursing and business college students in the United States. After IRB approval, the trained researchers explained this study to college students. After agreeing to participate, they signed an informed consent form. Upon completion of a …

Amplifying The Issues Of Colorism: How Literature Challenges Colorist Beauty Standards, Wytinsea Jones

Liberty University Research Week

Colorism is a major concern in our society, including literature. Colorism excludes darker-complexioned people and perceives lighter complexion as more desired, favorable, and acceptable. In Alice Walker’s book, In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens, she defined colorism as, “preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on the color of their skin” (Myers, n.d.). This research presentation aims to explore how damaging colorism has been to ethnic communities and its impact on literature. Analyzing data on colorism found in Hispanic, Asian, Black, and Native American families will help provide context on the global phenomenon. Additionally, examining the correlation colorism has in …

All The Glory, Mother Nature, Steph Kotropolous

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

Submission for the Earth Day Creative Writing Competition. Poetry by a Bryant University student.

Beyond Memorization: Ai Chatbots For Smarter Retrieval Practice, Marcy A. Faircloth, Patrick G. Paulson, Lawrence Schrenk

Essays in Education

This paper explores the integration of artificial intelligence chatbots as tools for implementing retrieval practice – an evidence-based learning technique that significantly enhances long-term memory retention – in business education contexts. We present four distinct implementation strategies that vary in sophistication and resource requirements: the standard AI model approach, which allows students to upload materials and use custom prompts for flexible, self-directed practice; the course-specific chatbot, which provides immediate access to preloaded curriculum content; the dedicated retrieval practice chatbot, which incorporates systematic algorithms for spaced repetition and interleaved practice; and the course-specific chatbot with integrated retrieval practice module, which combines …

Teacher Reflections On Media And Information Literacy In Vietnamese K-12 Schools: Current Practices, Challenges, And Pathways For Improvement, Tinh T.T Le, Minh Tran, Anh Dương, Huong T. Pham, Vy Tran, Daniel Jackson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) education is widely recognized as essential, yet its adoption in Vietnamese K-12 schools is still at the early stages. This study examines the current state of MIL education in Vietnam from the perspective of teachers. Drawing on insights from a trial online MIL teacher training program, which includes teachers’ learning journals, lesson plans, and an open survey using SWOT forms, we explore the approaches they use, the challenges they face, and the opportunities in promoting MIL education in their school setting. Additionally, the findings highlight specific professional development needs to enhance teachers’ MIL instruction quality. …

The Creative Participation Pedagogical Approach To Media Literacy Education, Amanda Levido

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Approaches to media literacy education have developed over time in response to cultural understandings and the development of new media digital technologies. One approach that extends on current Media Arts approaches to media literacy is the Creative Participation approach. Underpinning this approach is an emphasis on how young people work together to make meaning through the process of production. The Creative Participation approach draws on the theory of Communities of Practice (Wenger, 1998) and the concept of participatory culture (Jenkins, 2006) to support the assertion that young people, through shared practices, the generation of meaning through media artworks, and through …

Productive Disruptions: An Equityoriented Framework For Civic Media Literacy In The Digital Era, Carlos Jimenez, Lynn Schofield Clark, Johnny Ramirez

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article introduces Productive Disruptions as a framework for civic media literacy that centers equity and social justice. Past scholarship has emphasized understanding media content and gaining competence in media production. To center equity as a structural concern beyond individual behaviors, we argue for media literacy interventions that support disrupting racism in content, production, and digital media distribution systems themselves. Drawing on an ethnographic case study with young people experiencing marginalization, we examine how youth productively disrupted instances of systemic racism via TikTok and Instagram. We identify three distinct modes of intervention: creating counter-narratives that disrupt racist discourses, subverting adult-led …

Smart Wearable Plasma Healing Patch With Adaptive Electronic Control And Integrated Biosensors, Zainab Hussam Al-Araji

Engineering and Technology Journal

Traditional healthcare for chronic wounds and Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) treatments relies on passive dressings and large-volume stationary equipment operating with open-loop systems, which severely limits their use and confines it to specialized clinical environments. To address the lack of active thermal safety mechanisms in mobile devices, this research proposes a wearable smart plasma patch equipped with a closed-loop adaptive electronic control system to ensure safe patient care and treatment at home. The smart patch integrates real-time analog biosensors to continuously monitor skin temperature and relative humidity. An algorithm running on a microcontroller dynamically adjusts the high-voltage plasma parameters using …

Technical Disclosure: Macroscopic Torsion Void For Dark Matter Capture And Energy Harvesting, Daniel Schramm

Defensive Publications Series

This document discloses a novel instrument design—the Decagon Torsion Trap—capable of generating a localized, macroscopic region of suppressed electromagnetic noise (a "void") while amplifying metric-affine torsion potentials. We present a mechanism for the stabilization, deceleration, and kinetic energy harvesting of non-electromagnetic particles (dark matter/axions). This system utilizes counter-wound golden-ratio (phi = 1.618) coils arranged in a radially symmetric decagon to create a constructive interference node for vector potentials.

Occupational Therapy For Maternal Pelvic Floor And Mental Health: A Holistic Approach To Recovery, Diana S. Theodore

Student Capstone Papers

Maternal pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is highly prevalent yet often underrecognized in occupational therapy practice, despite its significant impact on mental health, daily function, and quality of life. Many postpartum women experience symptoms such as urinary incontinence, pain with intimacy, and pelvic organ prolapse, which are frequently normalized or left untreated. Occupational therapy practitioners often have limited training in addressing the complex relationship between pelvic floor function and maternal mental health, contributing to gaps in care. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop a comprehensive handbook for occupational therapy students and practitioners integrating pelvic floor function and maternal …

Looking For Loopholes: Are Suicide Notes Really Admissible As Dying Declarations?, Marc D. Ginsberg, Hugh M. Mundy

Cleveland State Law Review

The “classic” dying declaration under Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b)(2) is made by a person near death from fatal wounds or illness who makes a statement to a third party about who inflicted the wounds or caused the illness. The rule is based on the belief that persons making such statements are unlikely to lie as the sense of impending death removes “all temptation to falsehood.” Thus, in theory, the dying declaration bears an imprimatur of trustworthiness justifying its admission as a hearsay exception.

Still, the exception for dying declarations has been described as “the most mystical in its theory …

From Cowboys To Corner Crossers: Reviving The Unlawful Inclosures Act To Protect Public Land Access, Brittany Kjerstad Mcknight, Ryan Mcknight

Cleveland State Law Review

As disputes over public land access intensify, “corner crossing” (the act of stepping from one parcel of public land to another at a shared corner with private property) has ignited legal and political battles across the West. At stake is not just the meaning of trespass, but the public’s right to enjoy land it lawfully owns. This Article argues that corner crossing is lawful and should be recognized as such under existing property law principles. It situates the modern corner-crossing controversy within a broader historical and doctrinal framework, tracing its roots to the Unlawful Inclosures Act of 1885 and the …

The Transformation Of Autonomous Faculties: From The Enlightenment Era To Present-Day, Amber Ready

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the historical transformation of autonomous faculties from the Enlightenment to the present, arguing that the material and technological conditions necessary for autonomous judgment have been progressively eroded through capitalism. Beginning with Kant’s account of enlightenment as the emergence from a self‑incurred minority, this paper shows that autonomy has always depended on social and economic structures that determine who can exercise independent reasoning. Through Marx and Lukács, the analysis traces how commodity production, alienation, and reification reorganize subjectivity and render social relations increasingly opaque. Adorno’s account of recognition, self‑preservation, and the culture industry further illustrates how individuals are …

A Harmonious Legal System: True Justice Through Modernized Platonic Marxism, Cian R. Batarla

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Marxist theory of the law is underdeveloped compared to the rest of Marx and Engels works. This can be chalked up to legal systems merely being part of the superstructure, by which the ruling class use to maintain power. In this essay I push back on this notion that the rule of law can be dismissed, arguing that if Marx's true community is to be as such then the addition of a just legal system is not an issue. However, Marx's true community on its own is not enough to satisfy the inclusion of a legal system. Thus necessitating …

Redefining Inclusion: The Lived Experience Of Physically Disabled Nurses In The United States, Vanessa Cameron

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of inclusion among physically disabled nurses actively working in the United States, including how those experiences differ based on disability timing—before or after licensure. Current literature largely centers on sensory or learning disabilities within academic settings; thus, this study addresses a critical gap by focusing on inclusion within professional nursing practice.

Significance: Physically disabled nurses remain underrepresented and underexamined in nursing research and workforce discussions. Applying Critical Disability Theory (CDT)—a framework never before used in nursing—this study explores how ableism and inclusion shape workplace experiences and opportunities …

Reimagining Hwe: Preparing Graduate Nurses For Cultural And Safety Transformation, Shanna D. Chapman, Rose Nieves

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The healthcare landscape has undergone profound transformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing critical vulnerabilities in workforce well-being and safety. Recent data indicate that 65% of nurses report high levels of stress and burnout, with 40% reconsidering their career choice, and 67% expressing concern over workload management. These challenges are compounded by staffing shortages, compensation concerns, limited organizational support, and a troubling rise in workplace violence—75% of nurses are likely to experience violence during their careers, with 77% reporting verbal abuse and 25% physical assault, contributing to 10,000 injuries annually and costing the industry $2 billion (Cross Country …

Improving Novice Nurses’ Assessment Proficiency With The Global Minded Three-Minute Assessment Tool, Anita G. Fennessey

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Physical assessment is a core nursing competency, yet new graduates frequently struggle to apply these skills consistently in practice, contributing to missed care, documentation errors, and preventable adverse outcomes. This study evaluated whether structured education, coaching, and reinforcement of the Global Minded Three-Minute Assessment Tool (GM-3MAT) within a nurse residency program improved novice nurses’ assessment performance.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design compared intervention (n=21) and control (n=22) groups of residency nurses at an academic medical center. The intervention included live Zoom education with expert demonstration, reference materials, a pocket guide, individualized coaching, a 30-day practice challenge, and performance scorecards. Assessment …

An Injury Prevention Program For Musculoskeletal Injuries, Kima Esters, Rebecca King

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Musculoskeletal injuries pose a significant risk to occupational performance, participation, and overall well-being due to resulting functional deficits. Occupational therapists play a crucial role in managing these impairments and promoting independence to reduce the risk of reinjury, psychological symptoms, and long-term physical limitations while supporting re-engagement in activities of daily living and meaningful occupations. This injury prevention program focused on educating and training healthcare professionals in prevention and management strategies, including postural awareness, work simplification, ergonomics, adaptive equipment, mental health strategies for stress and anxiety management, and sleep preparation to improve patient outcomes and overall quality of life.

Advancing Athletic Recovery: The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Sports Medicine, Hannah E. Oakerson, Rebecca King, Rebecca Caudrillier

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project aimed to assess whether an occupation-based educational program could improve recovery engagement, self-efficacy, and quality of life in athletes following sports-related injuries. An Athlete Recovery Guidebook was designed, implemented, and evaluated within an outpatient sports medicine setting. The guidebook provided structured education on recovery routines, symptom management, and health habits, while supporting integration into daily life. Findings from pre- and post-surveys and qualitative feedback suggest improvements in recovery knowledge, confidence, body awareness, and overall quality of life following program implementation.

Vamos A Chismear: The Intersection Of Social Media And Chisme Fostering Belonging Among Middle School Girls, Juana Yumeida Chavez Kawasaki

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Social media engagement among Latinx middle school girls has been increasingly associated with harmful trends, including declining mental health, negative body image, and engagement in risky behaviors. Latinx middle school girls, along with gender minority youth, have often represented a high percentage of users vulnerable to the seductive spell of digital platforms and the subsequent rewiring of childhood. The current study used a qualitative (Creswell et al., 2007) research design featuring pláticas, a method rooted in Chicana/Latina feminist (Delgado Bernal et al., 2023) epistemologies that prioritizes embodied knowledge and resistance. Drawing upon the building blocks of social media engagement framework, …

Maximizing Uinta Basin Oil Well Yield Through Geochemical Fingerprinting Of Produced Water, Troy W. Day

Theses and Dissertations

The Uinta Basin is an unconventional oil play that has, since 2017, annually increased hydrocarbon extraction through modern drilling and fracing techniques with increased frac loading. The primary production target is the Uteland Butte Member of the Green River Formation, which consists of interbedded limestones, dolostones, and thick, organic-rich mudstones. Along with increased hydrocarbon production, volumes of produced water from the Uteland Butte Member have also risen. Water is co-produced with hydrocarbons and is an undesirable byproduct of hydrocarbon extraction. Large frac operations now consistently have highly variable percentages of recovered water volume relative to oil. This increase in water …

Improving Electrochemical Measurements And Informing Future Reprocessing Of Advanced Nuclear Fuels, J. Marvin Torrie

Theses and Dissertations

This research promotes the application of molten salts through developing analytical tools in electroanalytical studies and in the data analysis of vapor pressure data. The electrochemical community lacks standardized, stable, and repeatable reference electrode designs which threaten the reliability of measured thermophysical properties and repeatability of published studies. This work confirms the application of a saturated reference electrode design for molten chlorides systems that outperforms traditional Ag+/Ag reference electrodes. In the field of thermal physical property measurements, vapor pressure data for chloride salts are diffused throughout the literature, uncertainty quantification is absent or limited, and all previous studies rely on …

These Wretched Waters: A New Perspective On The Myth Texts And Visual Adaptations Of The Danaids, Tessa Haney

Theses and Dissertations

Both Greek and Latin texts regarding the Danaids are rife with gestational imagery and vocabulary. This textual focus on chthonic, symbolic aparturience coheres with both Greek and Roman perceptions of femininity. Women in both cultures were socially mandated to marry, have children, and confine themselves to the domestic sphere. The Danaids’ refusal to participate in this system would have been viewed as a breach of cosmic order, and a punishment that grounded the sisters in their 'traditional’ femaleness would have been viewed as a solution to such a breach. While early modern visual adaptations of the Danaid myth lack gestational …

Stitched Together: Mourning And Memory In Latter-Day Saint Embroidery, Elizabeth Finlayson

Theses and Dissertations

As the Church entered into a period of mourning, confusion, and uncertainty following the 1844 imprisonment of religious leaders Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail in Illinois, artists turned to their canvases to grapple with and depict these events. Ashlee Whitaker calls attention to this shift in Mormon art, noting how Latter-day Saint artists painted portraits, landscapes, and commemorative scenes to promote Church authorities and “covenant kinship” as the organization experienced both a leadership crisis and abrupt relocation. Whitaker’s analysis, however, focuses almost completely on paintings done on canvas by men in America such as Danquart Weggeland, C.C.A. Christensen, …

Spring 2026 Student Showcase For Research & Creative Inquiry Program, Office Of Student Research, Longwood University

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

No abstract provided.