Digital Commons Network^™

Take A Hike On The Wildside, Adam Drapcho

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Dementia De-Escalation Staff Education Program, Gretchan Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), including agitation and aggression, present significant challenges in acute care settings and contribute to increased staff injury risk and inconsistent patient care. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to evaluate the impact of a structured dementia de-escalation education program on staff knowledge, confidence, and perceived ability to manage dementia-related behaviors. The guiding PICOT question asked: In acute care staff, how does participation in a structured de-escalation training program that incorporates environmental modifications and organizational support, compared with no formal de-escalation training, affect staff knowledge, confidence, and perceived impact …

Education To Increase Students’ Knowledge, Perceptions, And Interest In Occupational Therapy, Brooke Hineman

Capstone Projects

In response to the declining program fill rates across all levels of occupational therapy (OT) education, this Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) aimed to promote the field through development of informational resources and delivery of educational sessions for high school and undergraduate students. The primary objective was to foster deeper understanding, accurate perceptions, and career interest among participants. A thorough literature review and needs assessment exploring current OT knowledge, promotion efforts, student characteristics, and underrepresented groups revealed a need for intentional education to address gaps in student knowledge regarding the field of OT among all students, especially those without exposure to …

Advocacy, Outreach, And Expansion Of The Michigan Occupational Therapy Association Mental Health Special Interest Section, Isabel Evola

Capstone Projects

The history of occupational therapy (OT) is rooted in supporting mental health, emerging in the United States during World War I. Over time, the practice of OT has evolved in its scope and emerging specialties. The role of OT in mental health is underutilized and misunderstood by professional organizations. However, OT remains a vital service in supporting mental health in psychiatric and non-psychiatric settings. The focus of this doctoral capstone experience (DCE) was to address this gap by advocating for the presence and understanding of OT in mental health through the expansion of the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association (MiOTA) Mental …

Refreshing Recess: An Every Moment Counts Initiative For Engaging Recess Participation, Paige Kuhn

Capstone Projects

Research supports the role of occupational therapy (OT) in school-based mental health promotion and the use of occupation-based interventions to enhance student participation, social-emotional learning, and self-regulation. However, there is limited evidence on the implementation of Every Moment Counts (EMC): Refreshing Recess in elementary school settings, particularly when adapted to real-world contexts. The focus of this doctoral capstone experience (DCE) was to address this gap through the development and implementation of an adapted recess-based program at Douglas Elementary School in Douglas, Michigan.

This project involved implementing a six-week Refreshing Recess program designed to promote inclusive play, peer interaction, and emotional …

Strengthening Leadership And Expanding Engagement: Enhancing Volunteer, Participant, And Donor Involvement In Michigan Victory Games, Abbey Smith

Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone experience (DCE) addressed organizational development and community engagement within the Michigan Disability Sports Alliance (MiDSA), an adaptive sports nonprofit serving individuals with physical disabilities. The project is relevant to occupational therapy (OT) through its focus on promoting participation, health, and inclusion in meaningful occupations such as sport. A key gap identified was the lack of structured resources to support leadership, inconsistent outreach methods, and limited strategies to reduce barriers for participants, volunteers, and donors.

The objectives of this DCE included developing a centralized data management portal, creating a standardized community outreach presentation, establishing clear board role frameworks, …

Final 2022 Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Sampling: Bres No. 96 – Washoe Dump Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Our Stories: Black Parents’ Experiences At K-12 Predominantly White Institutions, Jason Thompson

Dissertations

Black parents of Black children attending K–12 predominantly White institutions (PWIs) often experience stress as they navigate school environments where they may be perceived as uninterested, combative, or “token” members of the school community. These deficit-based perceptions can cause Black parents to limit school interactions, question whether their perspectives will be valued, and develop distrust toward school personnel. Although research has examined Black students’ experiences in PWIs, fewer qualitative studies have centered on Black parents’ stories. Capturing these experiences in parents’ own words helps challenge harmful stereotypes and offers schools, especially school counselors, deeper insight into strengthening relationships with Black …

Analyzing Label Structure And Regional Similarity In Watershed Data Via Spectral Clustering, Yifan Luo

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

This project focuses on identifying patterns of seasonal transitions and nutrient salt fluctuations within the watershed environment. To capture the complex relationships between multiple sampling sites and environmental variables, we represent the watershed dataset as a weighted graph, where nodes correspond to water samples and edge weights reflect similarity in environmental conditions or nutrient concentrations. Using the Gaussian kernel function, we encode the connectivity structure of this network and quantify how similar different nodes are. We then perform spectral embedding by projecting the high-dimensional graph into a lower-dimensional space using the eigenvectors of the Laplacian matrix. This approach preserves the …

Palladium-Catalyzed Coupling Of Aryl Halides To Organometallics From Tertiary Alcohols, Joseph E. D'Amico, Annabelle G. Frederick, Nicholas S. Corey

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

For years, the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction has served as an effective method of coupling various carbon-carbon structures, typically of aryl halides with aryl boronic acids. However, the Suzuki reaction is not without limitations, specifically with ortho-fluorinated aryl and heterocyclic boron compounds. The palladium catalyzed cross coupling reaction of tertiary alcohols with halides has shown potential in succeeding where the Suzuki reaction is limited. This research aims at exploring the extent of effectiveness in the use of tertiary alcohols in palladium catalyzed coupling reactions. Specifically, this work focuses on the change in reactivity depending on the aryl halide used.

The “How Many” Routine As A Catalyst For Computational Fluency And Student Participation, Lillian Iden, Ella Williams, Jen Munson, Sarah Larison, Leslie Yuqui

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

It is not uncommon to hear adults claim they are bad at math or always disliked the subject. This negativity often stems from early mathematical experiences which ranged from boring to highly discouraging and embarrassing. Thus a new emphasis in mathematics education recommendations is to change the narrative and help students develop joy, wonder, and curiosity about mathematics (MAISA & GELN, 2023). This is reflected in defining computational fluency (skill in carrying out arithmetic procedures like addition or multiplication) as comprised of flexibility, accuracy, efficiency, and appropriate strategy use (NRC, 2001). The “How Many” Routine, in which a carefully-designed image …

Divergent Paths Towards Belonging: A Comparative Analysis Of Latina/O/E Domestic And International Student Experiences At A Pwi, Sebastian Lema, Rita Kagaju

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

In this study, we examine how undergraduate international students from Latin America and domestic Latina/o/e students experience belonging and inclusion at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). While existing research highlights systemic barriers and microaggressions faced by domestic Latina/o/e students, we address a critical gap by exploring the distinct challenges faced by international Latin American students. We ask how these groups’ experiences of inclusion, microaggressions, and support systems differ within a PWI context. Using qualitative interviews with 55 students (40 domestic, 15 international), we employed grounded theory to analyze themes such as classroom dynamics, feelings of inclusion/belonging, and institutional support. Our …

Carbohydrate And Caffeine Mouth Rinsing: Effects On Cognitive And Physical Performance In Fatigued Division Iii Women’S Lacrosse Players, Alexa Burgess, Katie Hermann, Lina Rea, Olivia Dieppa

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

BACKGROUND: Carbohydrate mouth rinsing may enhance performance via central nervous system mechanisms; however, the effects of caffeine mouth rinsing on high-intensity intermittent exercise and reaction time remain understudied in female lacrosse athletes, despite the sport’s repeated high-intensity demands and the practical benefits of mouth rinsing to minimize gastrointestinal discomfort. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of carbohydrate and carbohydrate plus caffeine mouth rinsing on repeated sprint and reaction-time performance in female lacrosse players following high-intensity exercise. METHODS: Fourteen collegiate female lacrosse players (age: 19 ± 1.28 yr; height: 167.8 ± 5.6 cm; body mass: 102.9 ± 43.1 kg) completed three randomized, …

Investigations In Bertrand’S Paradox, Mary Moore, Hope Weeda, Annika Cunill Krones

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Bertrand’s paradox is a classic problem that highlights how different notions of randomness can lead to different outcomes, even in a simple geometric setting. It concerns the lengths of chords chosen “at random” in a circle. In this talk, we begin by reviewing the three original methods Bertrand proposed for generating random chords, along with several related distributions that have been studied since. We then turn to a geometric application, examining triangles formed by two random chords that share a common endpoint. By joining the remaining endpoints, we obtain a random triangle and compute the probability that it is acute. …

Correcting Faraday Cup Measurements Using Rutherford Backscattering, Spencer Hughes, A. Bunnell, J. Kim

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Faraday cup is a conductive cup that measures the current of an incident beam of charged particles. Faraday cups are frequently used in particle accelerator-based studies where the beam intensity must be measured. A previous study determined the systematic error in Faraday cup measurements for a 3.4 MeV proton beam using Rutherford scattering at large angles. Our study builds upon this previous work to include six different beam energies ranging from 3.0 MeV to 0.6 MeV and two different incident masses (H and He). A silicon surface barrier detector measured the energy of back-scattered ions from a copper target. The …

Hope College Abstracts: 25th Annual Celebration Of Undergraduate Research And Creative Activity, Hope College

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

The 25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity was held on April 17, 2026 in the Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse at Hope College and featured student-faculty collaborative research projects. This program is a record reflective of those projects between the 2025-2026 academic year.

Plastic Purgatory: Investigating The Effects Of Plastic Litter On Water And Organic Content In Topsoil In Holland, Michigan, Kamryn Bice, Annis Cairns, Maddie Devries, Sebastian Lema

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Plastic accumulation in soils can offer important insights into how human activity affects terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we examined the relationship between plastic litter and soil quality at several sites across Holland, Michigan to determine whether plastic abundance was associated with changes in soil properties. Soil samples from five different site types – construction, residential, commercial, nature, and a control – were collected over a threeweek period, then analyzed for pH, water contents, total organic carbon (TOC), and plastic abundance through field testing and laboratory methods. The number of plastic pieces ranged from 0 to 27 with the largest …

Writing Algorithm Demonstrations Using Ai, Caiden Sunlin, Connor Vachon

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

We describe the design and development of interactive algorithm demonstrations for an online undergraduate algorithms textbook, created with the assistance of large language models, specifically ChatGPT. The work focused on browser-based, step-bystep visualizations that highlight algorithm behavior and intermediate states. We discuss how ChatGPT was used during ideation, implementation, and debugging, along with the limits of its usefulness and the kinds of human guidance that remained essential. Using concrete examples, we reflect on how AI tools can support student-centered educational software development without replacing domain expertise or instructional judgment.

Eigenmode Decomposition Analysis Of Resistive Magnetic Reconnection, Isaac Q. Evans

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Recent work demonstrates that specific aspects of nonlinear magnetic reconnection in a collisionless regime are directly attributable to linearly damped eigenmodes. In this work, we apply similar eigenmode analysis tools to characterize nonlinear magnetic reconnection driven by resistivity. In contrast to the collisionless case which contains a single unstable/stable eigenmode pair, the resistive case contains an unstable eigenmode and a wide spectrum of stable modes. Calculating eigenmode amplitudes allows for a determination of the significance of each eigenmode in the nonlinearly-evolved resistive reconnection. Linearly stable modes are found to be important in determining properties of nonlinear systems. We discuss how …

A New Website For Aminoacids.Com, Camila Medrano, Gillian Donley

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Our client, AminoAcids.com, faced major issues with its previous website, including outdated design, poor accessibility, and unreliable order processing that often required manual intervention. Using the wireframes and content structure provided by the Center for Leadership, our team built a new website using WordPress as the content management system and WooCommerce to support e-commerce functionality. The new website provides a more stable infrastructure, minimizes order processing errors, and ensures a smoother user experience across all devices.

A Backend Database Architecture For Persistent Epilepsy Classification Records, Attiksh A. Panda, Deep Desai, Artem Zabarov, Katrina D. Prantzalos, Satya S. Sahoo, Shuai Xu

Student Scholarship

Epilepsy affects over five million people globally each year, yet consistent clinical diagnosis remains a persistent challenge due to the lack of standardized classification workflows across medical institutions. The Four-Dimensional Epilepsy Classification (4D-EC) framework, developed by Lüders et al., provides a comprehensive structure for characterizing paroxysmal events across four dimensions: seizure semiology, epileptogenic zone, etiology, and comorbidities. Despite its clinical and educational value, no dedicated informatics platform existed to support its routine use until recently, limiting widespread adoption among clinicians and trainees. This project addresses that gap by implementing a full-stack web application that operationalizes the 4D-EC framework for clinical …

Unseen, Unheard, Uninvited: Black Fathers And School Access In Redeveloped Spaces, James Dejong Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Abstract This qualitative study examined how three Black fathers in South Memphis's Foote Park/Foote Homes redevelopment area navigated school access for their children amid community displacement. Rooted in Community Cultural Wealth Theory (Yosso, 2005), which highlights the diverse forms of capital—aspirational, navigational, social, linguistic, familial, and resistant—that communities of color possess but are often overlooked by mainstream institutions, the research focused on three individuals: Mister Miles, Mister Otis, and Mister Langston. These pseudonyms honor Miles Davis, Otis Kaye, and Langston Hughes and position the fathers as holders of valuable community wealth whose educational navigation experiences constitute legitimate knowledge. Documentary sources …

Enhancing The Well-Being Of Refugees With Disabilities Through Equitable Access To Essential Services: A Participatory Qualitative Study In The United States, Mustafa Rfat

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Access to services for refugees with disabilities (RwDs) is critically important for improving their well-being and enhancing their integration. This population often faces prolonged exclusion that begins in their country of origin and often continues to worsen during displacement, leading to accumulated disparities. Because the United States (U.S.) refugee program is structured around rapid employment, refugees who do not fit the fast-track employment criteria are often left behind. RwDs are often considered unemployable, which automatically shifts resources and services away from them. Abandoning RwDs during the critical period of resettlement puts them at heightened risk of increased and long-term exclusion. …

Behind The Curtain Of The Faculty Job Interview Process, Russell T. Johnson, Natalia Sánchez

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Securing a faculty position is the final milestone for many individuals completing their PhD or postdoctoral training. However, navigating the academic job market can feel like a full-time endeavor, which often has to be balanced alongside tasks like manuscript preparation, dissertation completion, or grant applications. Despite extensive training in research and teaching, many candidates report feeling underprepared for the multifaceted and often hidden nature of the faculty interview process. Furthermore, seeking guidance about this process can be intimidating for some, as individuals may lack access to a career development mentoring team. As part of the 2024 American Society of Biomechanics …

Hijacking The Prompt: A Survey Of Prompt Injection Attacks, Detection, And Defense In Large Language Models, Edward J. Griggs

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Prompt injection attacks, ranked the number-one vulnerability in AI systems by OWASP's 2025 Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications, remain largely unsolved, and this survey examines why. As large language models (LLMs) are deployed across enterprise workflows, agentic systems, and consumer tools, their fundamental inability to distinguish trusted instructions from untrusted user data has created a persistent and expanding attack surface. This paper presents a structured taxonomy of prompt injection attack vectors, including direct injection, indirect injection, multimodal attacks, tool and agent exploitation, hybrid chained techniques, and autonomous propagating threats. These vectors are mapped across five impact categories (data …

Draft Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-03 Construction Completion Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Update Mechanisms In Event Models: Boundary Effects And Dimensional Influences, Xing Su

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

People construct working event models to comprehend dynamic, multimodal information such as movies and narratives, but how these models update remains debated. Two mechanisms have been proposed: incremental updating, which selectively modifies specific dimensions while preserving others, and global updating, which discards the existing model entirely to construct a new one. This dissertation investigated how event boundaries influence which updating mechanism people employ. Across two experiments, participants read narratives about everyday activities while we measured recognition memory response times and self-paced reading times. Participants also completed event segmentation tasks to identify perceived boundaries. Results revealed a consistent dissociation opposite to …

Re: Comment Letter For The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, 60% Remedial Design Documents For The Blacktail Creek Area Groundwater Hydraulic Control System (Dated March 2, 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Diverse Directions - B.S. Senior Exhibition, Ellen C. Downing

B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499)

Rooted in Faith, my work explores child development by examining how children interpret Biblical truth and the various narratives found in Scripture. I am fascinated by how children learn and interpret life, but more importantly, how children interpret faith. I grew up in a family where Christ is the center of our lives.

Using simplified forms, vibrant colors, and smooth textures, I create fun, illustrative paintings. The works of Joel Schoon-Tanis inspire me to incorporate aesthetic choices that reference childhood and make the work more accessible. Drawing from Biblical stories, my pieces incorporate themes of growth, compassion, and faith, using …

Tracing The Milky Way’S Evolution Through Its Star-Planet Systems, Rayna Rampalli

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

From individual planetary systems to the Milky Way's structure, stars are the linchpin connecting astrophysical scales. Through three complementary projects, my thesis leverages these connections and large stellar surveys to offer insight into the Galaxy's dynamical and chemical history and its role in shaping planet formation and evolution. (I) I developed Protify, an automated pipeline to measure stellar rotation periods in TESS light curves, enabling rotation-based ages for thousands of stars. Applying it to overdensities of stars in eccentric Galactic orbits, thought to be post-resonant signatures of spiral arm passages, revealed unexpectedly young rotators in dynamically old populations. Because such …