Digital Commons Network^™

Tree-Based Graph Neural Networks For Natural Language Inference: From Structure-Only To Hybrid Architectures, Jason P. Lunder

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Large transformer models achieve strong performance on natural language understanding tasks but require hundreds of millions of parameters and extensive pretraining. This thesis investigates whether graph neural networks operating on dependency parse trees can provide more parameter-efficient sentence representations for natural language inference, evaluated on two NLI tasks: entailment classification and semantic textual similarity.

Tree Matching Networks (TMN) adapt Graph Matching Networks to linguistic dependency trees with rich node and edge features, evaluated against a BERT baseline at matched parameter counts on identical training data. Tree Transformer Networks (TTN) extend TMN with transformer-based aggregation and tree-aware positional encodings, with component …

Relationships Between Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities And Environmental Conditions In Headwater Tributaries Of The Pend Oreille Lake Watershed, Idaho, Devlin Mee

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Benthic macroinvertebrates are widely used indicators of stream condition, and their communities respond to thermal and land-use conditions in headwater streams. This study characterized macroinvertebrate biomass, community composition, and diversity across forested headwater tributaries of the Pend Oreille lake watershed in northern Idaho, and examined their relationships with summer temperature, land development, and road proximity. Samples from thirteen streams collected in 2024 were identified to genus, measured, and converted to estimated biomass using published length–mass regressions; ten streams had recovered temperature loggers. Because environmental variables were characterized once per stream, all analyses were conducted at the stream level.

Estimated total …

Dietary Ecology Of Waterfowl Nest Predators In The Prairie Pothole Region: Evaluating Resource Use From Species To Individual Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Grace Barthelmess

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Nest predation is a primary factor influencing waterfowl productivity in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America. Although this system is intensely managed and studied, research has largely focused on how predators affect waterfowl populations, with comparatively little attention to how predators actually rely on waterfowl as a resource. Understanding predator feeding ecology is therefore critical for informing effective management strategies and interpreting the complexity of predator-prey interactions on this landscape. My objective overall was to elucidate the feeding ecology of nine focal predator species commonly associated with waterfowl nest predation in the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion of the PPR: …

The Role Of Department Chairs In Supporting Student Learning Outcomes, Tommy C. Molden Jr

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine high school department chairs’ perceptions of their role in relation to teacher leadership in achieving student learning outcomes.  The study adds significant implications for department chair training in the context of teacher leadership and the achievement of student learning outcomes.  Further, the study extends the literature on the importance of department chairs’ perceptions of their proficiency for adapting to and institutionalizing the role as teacher leader to increase student achievement.  Additionally, the study identified training strategies and resources that enhance department chair competence in teacher leadership for student achievement of learning …

Robust Broadband Characterization Of Flexible Absorbers, Sheet Material, And Liquids Using A Coaxial Structure, Joseph Christopher Stecher

Masters Theses

Modern high-frequency measurement systems require reliable calibration and sample positioning to ensure measurement fidelity. This thesis presents three studies addressing practical limitations in broadband material parameter extraction and instrumentation.

The first study introduces a modified Nicolson–Ross–Weir (NRW) technique for flexible, compression-sensitive materials from 100 MHz to 18 GHz. Rigid 3D-printed spacers ensure precise sample positioning, and a T-matrix–based de-embedding procedure removes spacer effects. Validation using microstrip measurements and full-wave simulation confirms accurate permittivity extraction across compression levels.

The second study extends NRW to sheet materials enabling accurate material characterization. Independent validation using toroidal inductors with leakage correction and parallel-plate capacitors …

Optimal Slotting In Hybrid Warehousing For Industry 4.0, Teng Yang

Masters Theses

In the era of Industry 4.0, the warehouse management system (WMS) employed by many firms prescribes hybrid storage, i.e., products with high turnover, called fast movers, are kept in random storage for a short time duration before being shifted to a dedicated storage area, while products with low turnover, called slow movers, remain in random storage. From dedicated storage, the products are dispatched to the customer. The challenge for managers is selecting the slot in dedicated storage to assign to each product while demand data change because of fluctuating market conditions; this problem is referred to as slotting in the …

Assessment And Comparison Of Selected Carbon Ablation Models In Hypersonic Free-Flight And Arc-Jet Conditions, Andrew Steven Heider

Masters Theses

Accurate prediction of ablative thermal protection system (TPS) performance is critical for hypersonic vehicle design. However, numerical prediction of ablation remains challenging because results are influenced by complex physics and the choice of surface chemistry model and assumptions made in material response calculations. The objective of this work is to evaluate several carbon ablation models and their implementation within modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes. Numerical simulations were performed using NASA’s LAURA flow solver and the commercial CFD code ANSYS Fluent, which coupled Navier-Stokes with surface chemistry models describing carbon oxidation, nitridation, and sublimation reactions. Several reaction sets were considered, …

Analyzing Sleep Architecture And Brain State Transitions Via Hidden Markov Models On Fmri Data, Brileigh Jay Cates

Masters Theses

Sleep is associated with systematic changes in brain activity and functional connectivity observable in functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) signals. Because subjects often fall asleep during resting-state experiments, the absence of vigilance monitoring can confound the interpretation of resting-state dynamics. Although electroencephalography (EEG) is the gold standard for sleep staging, simultaneous EEG-fMRI acquisition is not always feasible.

This study investigates whether sleep stages can be inferred directly from fMRI using a probabilistic latent-state framework. Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are applied to blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) time series to identify latent brain states and their temporal transitions. Inferred states are aligned with EEG-derived …

Calcium Based Carbon Negative Fillers And Additives: Effects On Hydration And Performance Of Low-Carbon Cement Systems, Smita Bhowmick Shithi

Masters Theses

Cement production is a major source of global CO₂ emissions creating an urgent need for carbon-negative fillers and functional additives that lower clinker use while maintaining cement performance. This thesis investigates the effects of organic mineral salts as fillers and additives on cement hydration, fresh properties, compressive strength and pore structure. In the first study, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was partially replaced with calcium carbonate or calcium oxalate to enable a direct comparison under controlled particle size distribution (PSD). Rheology, flowability, hydration kinetics, phase evolution, mechanical performance and water absorption were evaluated. Calcium carbonate promoted early hydration through nucleation and …

Autonomous Navigation Development And On-Ground Validation For Satellite Rendezvous And Proximity Operations, Logan Banker

Masters Theses

Spacecraft rendezvous and docking are critical mission phases for various applications of spaceflight, including active debris removal (ADR) and in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM). While previous missions utilized humans to perform rendezvous and docking, this style of mission greatly increases safety risks and cannot be implemented on a large scale. Autonomous servicing satellites provide a path towards scalable rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) because these autonomous agents do not require human intervention. This work presents a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) for the navigation system of an agent which analyzes monocular images and predicts the target's position and orientation …

Developing Discharge Estimation Algorithm Using Low-Cost Velocity Sensor And Machine Learning, Barkha Gautam

Masters Theses

Accurate river discharge estimation is essential for flood forecasting, water resources management, and hydraulic decision-making; however, continuous discharge records are unavailable at many river locations. Traditional stage-discharge rating curves are widely used but their reliability may decrease when channel conditions change or flow conditions vary rapidly. This study develops and evaluates Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models for discharge prediction using 15-minute time-series data from river monitoring stations in Missouri. Two model configurations, a baseline stage-only model and an enhanced stage-plus-velocity model, are developed and evaluated independently at two river sites to determine whether the inclusion of surface velocity improves discharge …

Understanding The Needs Of Nontraditional Students At Eastern Michigan University, Matthew Wells

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Nontraditional students comprise 25% of students at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) and include students who work full-time, are over 25, are parents, and are first-generation. It can be difficult for students to focus on their careers, families, and school, as focusing on one can result in a worse performance in the other. The needs and experiences of this population have historically been understudied in the literature. During the Winter 2025 semester, nontraditional students at EMU were surveyed. This survey included questions about their experiences, their needs, and their perceived levels of support from the university. The results of this project …

Hidden In The Heartland: Lgbtq+ Activism At Emu, 1977-2025, Jade D. Traska

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Through an analysis of historical editions of the Eastern Michigan University student newspaper, The Eastern Echo, I explore the history of queer student activism on EMU’s campus. Contextualized by broader LGBTQ+ history, I assess changes over time and common themes that defined LGBT student activism, revealing a rich history going back nearly six decades. The research was done in an effort to better understand how Eastern came to be known as one of the most diverse and accepting college campuses in Michigan.

Unlearning Tension: How The Alexander Technique Enhances Body Awareness In Performance, Clayton Stoker

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The Alexander Technique assists in identifying, releasing, and redirecting patterns of tension to create new direction. Built on tenets of awareness, inhibition, and direction, this technique can be applied to everyday activities. The Alexander Technique brings awareness to recognize inefficient and unhealthy habits, giving the body a new direction. While working on my music degree at Eastern Michigan University, I initially focused on playing accurately rather than the tension in my playing. Through guided exercises and self-observation, I became aware of inefficient movement, which piqued my curiosity. This thesis draws on tenets of the Alexander Technique that demonstrate how conscious …

Examining The Relationship Between Sleep And Physical Activity Among University Students, Maddie Stock

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Sleep and physical activity (PA) are important factors for maintaining overall health and are positively associated. The relationship between sleep and PA is well-documented for the general adult population, but there is less research on college students who are in a formative stage of developing lifelong health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between aerobic PA and sleep in college students. College students at a Midwest University were invited to participate by completing the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment evaluating students’ health behaviors over the previous 1-2 weeks. These values were used …

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Resilience In Women's Lacrosse: An Ecological Dynamics Approach, Annika J. Wozney

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries remain a significant concern in the sport of women’s lacrosse due to the amount of cutting and rapid deceleration movements in the sport. Non-contact ACL injuries in women’s lacrosse arise from complex interactions involving biomechanical, anatomical, and neuromuscular factors. Traditional ACL injury prevention programs (IPPs) often focus on strengthening and neuromuscular training in controlled environments with pre-planned movements, which may not adequately simulate the cognitive demands and unpredictability during a competition. An ecological dynamics approach is proposed that considers the athlete, the game environment, and the immediate task to emphasize the athlete-environment relationship. By incorporating …

Reversible Fluorescence Quenching And Recovery In Pvp-Supported Copper Nanoparticles, Sara Rayan

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Copper nanoclusters stabilized by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) exhibit unique fluorescence properties that are highly sensitive to changes in their chemical environment, making them promising candidates for sensing applications. This study investigates the reversible fluorescence quenching and recovery behavior of PVP-supported copper nanoparticles in response to iron(III) ions and evaluates the selectivity of this response across different chemical conditions. Fluorescence quenching was examined using Fe³⁺ introduced as FeCl₃, followed by recovery experiments using ascorbic acid to assess reversibility through redox-driven interactions. To determine whether the observed response is specific to iron, potassium ferricyanide was used as an alternative Fe³⁺ source. Additional comparisons …

The Effects Of Surf Film Viewing As A Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Aligned Intervention For Trauma-Related Symptoms, Ryan Papero

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This study examined whether viewing a surf film aligned with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) principles would reduce emotion dysregulation among trauma-exposed adults. Participants (N = 14) with self-reported childhood trauma were randomly assigned to view either The Endless Summer or a neutral industrial documentary. Emotion regulation was assessed using pre- and post-intervention Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) scores. An independent samples t-test comparing change scores indicated that the control group demonstrated a greater mean reduction in DERS scores (M = 6.13, SD = 5.22) than the surf group (M = 2.50, SD = 3.08); however, this difference was not …

The Role Of Resistance Training In Modifying Cardiovascular Diseases And Diabetes, Mikayla P. Rucinski

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This review of literature examines the role of resistance training as an effective intervention for modifying risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Evidence from clinical and exercise interventions indicates that resistance training improves glycemic control by increasing lean muscle mass, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and facilitating greater glucose uptake in individuals with diabetes. In addition, resistance training has been shown to reduce resting blood pressure, improve lipid profiles, enhance vascular function, and decrease fat mass. Collectively, these physiological adaptations contribute to lowering the development and progression of cardiovascular disease across various populations. The findings support resistance training as an …

Breaking The Glass: Jewish Identity Through A Sociological Lens, Shayla Mostyn

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This project uses Charles H. Cooley’s theory “The Looking-Glass Self” to magnify the depth of Jewish identity. As a Jewish student, I have firsthand experience in experiencing society normalize acts of antisemitism and it having a negative impact on my Jewish identity. Within my research, 200 Jewish college students from around the world were provided with a platform to anonymously reflect and report on what being Jewish means to them and how their social surroundings impact their Jewish identity. This concept tells that one’s identity or concept of identity is based on how others see them or how they believe …

The Impact Of Michigan's Public Act 308 On Foster Care Outcomes: A Synthetic Control Analysis, Maruis D. Martello

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This paper evaluates the impact of Michigan’s 2014 Public Act 308 on foster care adoption outcomes. By converting traditional adoption subsidies into dynamic, redeterminable contracts, the policy aimed to reduce the financial uncertainty associated with adopting children with latent or evolving special needs. Using data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) from 2000 to 2022, we implement a generalized synthetic control method to account for unobserved time-varying heterogeneity. We find that the policy had no statistically significant impact on the aggregate adoption rate. However, it generated significant gains within targeted subpopulations, increasing the probability of …

The Effects Of A Thiamine Treatment On The Growth, Survival, And Foraging Behavior Of Thiamine-Deficient Michigan Lake Trout (Salvelinus Namaycush), Allie J. Muschong

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The Great Lakes top predator Salvelinus namaycush (lake trout) suffers from Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC), which causes neurological problems and inhibits survival in young lake trout. The lake trout population in northern Lake Michigan experiences insufficient natural recruitment, necessitating yearly stocking. Few treatments have been explored, but preliminary studies in a hatchery setting suggest that increasing tissue thiamine promotes survival; thus, we expected a novel thiamine treatment to boost the foraging rate and weight of lake trout fry. We raised the eggs of six wild lake trout pairs, and applied treatments at both the egg stage and the hatch stage. …

Food Insecurity In Older Adults With Cancer, Page Laborde

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Food insecurity is a growing concern among older adults and is associated with poor health outcomes, particularly among those with cancer. Community-based programs such as Meals on Wheels may help address these challenges, but their role in supporting older adults with cancer is not well understood. This study examined the association between recent non-skin cancer diagnosis and food insecurity, as well as relationships with Meals on Wheels participation. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using secondary data from Rounds 9 through 14 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 65 and …

Headset Chatter, Lynn G. Lower

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Effects Of Atg3 On Autophagosome Size And Number, Keeran R. Senthil Kumar

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Macroautophagy, or autophagy, is a highly conserved catabolic process in all eukaryotes which allows for the degradation of large cytosolic contents. It occurs in two forms: bulk autophagy, which is induced by nutrient deprivation and targets nonspecific cargo, and selective autophagy, which is induced by cellular stress and sequesters specific substrates. The process of autophagosome formation is carried out by a group of Atg (autophagy-related) proteins, one of which is Atg3. Atg3 functions as an E2-like enzyme by conjugating Atg8 — a ubiquitin-like protein — to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), a step required for autophagosome membrane formation. This lipidation process is catalyzed …

From Eden To Eternity: An Artist's Narrative, Rachel L. Mah

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A vocal performance student’s junior and senior recitals are crucial to the completion of their Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance degree. This thesis paper describes how I, a vocal performance student, enhance and connect my voice recitals through my artistry and faith in God in order to tell a narrative that is personal to myself. This creative project brings together the fine arts of music, paint, poetry, and literary analysis to enrich the audience’s overall experience of the performances. This senior project is accomplished through the intensive planning, preparation, and execution of thematically creating a cohesive narrative that reflects …

How Candidates Campaign To Sway Minority Voter Bases, Katelyn Karwick

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Religious groups in the United States are making large partisan switches–decades-long Democrats are questioning their support and often change their vote to another party. This phenomenon contributed to Michigan’s flip to Republican in the 2024 presidential election, as well as divided Jewish support for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Past research has linked a positive correlation between religious participation and political mobilization, though the tactics used by campaigners to create this connection have gone under research. Looking at Donald Trump’s victory in Dearborn, Michigan in 2024 and Zohran Mamdani’s extensive New York City mayoral campaign, this study focuses …

Oligarchy And Democratic Decline: A Platonic Framework For Analyzing The Contemporary American Political System, Jonah Huskey-Wright

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This paper explores the idea that there is a meaningful philosophical connection between Plato’s account of oligarchy and the development of the modern American political order. Rather than approaching American politics only through constitutional design, electoral procedures, or institutional mechanics, the paper argues that political systems must also be understood as reflections of the values and motivations of the people who inhabit them. Drawing on Plato’s framework that links the ordering of the human soul to the ordering of political regimes, the project examines how the priorities a society places on certain goods—particularly wealth, economic achievement, and material success—can shape …

Settlement Patterns And Landscape Of Historical Sites In Oakwoods Metropark, Theodore Elizabeth Gryniewicz

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Settlement patterns and landscapes reveal important aspects of culture in history and prehistory. Historic settlement patterns in Oakwoods Metropark have only been loosely analyzed through the Eastern Michigan University archaeological survey of Oakwoods Metropark, providing limited and incomplete analysis. To remedy this, I used reconnaissance survey data collected by Eastern Michigan University’s Archaeological Field School to analyze the spatial distributions of functions for historic artifacts. I compared this data with expected settlement patterns based on soil quality. Results show that historic sites favor well-drained, elevated land within a mile of the river, in situations where that land is available. My …

Sexual Violence As A Strategy In Ethnic Conflict: A Comparative Study Of Myanmar And China, Olivia Wetzel

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) is a key element in an ethnic conflict. However, the use of CRSV in such conflicts are rarely addressed. This paper sheds light on the use of CRSV in two ethnic conflicts in Southeast Asia - Myanmar and China (2000-2020). In each conflict, there is a variation in how CRSV is used strategically. In the conflict in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, the Buddhists are using CRSV against the Rohingya Muslims. On the other hand, in the Chinese Xinjiang province, the Buddhists are using CRSV against the Uyghur Muslims. I will analyze these two conflicts …