Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Reaction Times In D1 Female Volleyball Players, Lydia Seymour

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The purpose of this study was to examine reaction time in a group of Division I female volleyball athletes. Data was collected over a consecutive four-week timespan using the Dynavision D2 training system. The Dynavision D2 training system consists of a mounted board with a series of light-up buttons and a screen in the middle, also referred to as the t-scope. In this study, buttons would light up, at random, for one second at a time. Athletes were tasked to press each button as fast as possible before the next button would light up. In addition, the t-scope screen presented …

Legal Internship Experience, Abigail Jalso

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation summarizes my internship experience at Grcic Law LLC focused on applied legal and policy research within municipal government contexts. During this internship, I completed two primary projects involving comparative legal analysis and regulatory evaluation. The first project examined firearm sales regulations in the Village of Niles, Illinois, analyzing local ordinances alongside Illinois and federal law to assess how firearm sales are structured, restricted, and enforced across different levels of government. The second project evaluated a proposed Niles ordinance regulating e-bikes and e-scooters by comparing it with existing municipal policies in Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg, and Deerfield.

Across both …

The Impact Of Prior Abusive Dating Experiences And Gender On Romance Scam Victimization And Monetary Loss, Trevor Rowe

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Online romance scams are a rapidly expanding cybercrime that affects millions of people each year, financially and emotionally. This study examines an underexplored question: Will individuals with a greater number of abusive partners be more vulnerable to romance scam victimizations and lose more money?  Adult dating app users (N = 518) completed an online survey. After controlling for being approached for relationships, those with a greater number of past abusive partners were more likely to be victims and lost more money. In addition, men reported a higher frequency of romance scam victimizations and more money loss.

Exploring Attentional Mechanisms Of Speech-Gesture Integration, Lisa Gallo, Elizabeth Wakefield

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Gestures are hand movements that provide information and can clarify ambiguous speech. For example, in the sentence “Sparky is a pet”, the type of pet is unclear; however, if the speaker produces a flapping arm gesture, listeners could infer that Sparky is a bird.

Despite gestures sometimes providing the only information needed to resolve ambiguity in a spoken message, not all individuals integrate gesture into their understanding of speech (e.g., Winter & Duffy, 2020; Demir-Lira et al., 2018). The mechanisms underlying this variability remain unclear.

Here, we investigate one potential mechanism supporting integration: visual attention to gesture. We ask:

1) …

The Polysemous Word Flow Task: A Novel Way Of Understanding Creativity, Brady Flanagan

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Creativity is defined as the generation of new ideas to solve problems and likely involves the interplay of three brain networks:, the Default Mode Network (DMN), the Executive Control Network (ECN), and the Salience Network (SN). The recently developed Polysemous Word Flow Task (PolyFT) may serve as a model to assess triple network activity. In this study, we plan to use Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to correlate two components of the PolyFT, clustering and switching, with the triple network model. We predict that the clustering component is tied to DMN function while the switching component is tied to ECN function.

The Relationship Between Emotional Dysregulation, Self-Esteem, And Body Dissatisfaction, Daisy D. Trader

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The research literature suggests that body dissatisfaction may have a relationship with eating disorders (Costantini et al., 2026). Thus, an examination of factors related to body dissatisfaction (BD) could be a helpful avenue for better understanding eating disorders. Research suggests that low self-esteem (SE) and emotional dysregulation (ED) may be relevant factors in this relationship (Brytek-Matera et al., 2021). The current study aimed to examine these relationships to better understand disordered eating in adults. Research suggests that low self-esteem is correlated with body dissatisfaction (Abdoli et al., 2025). For example, Stapleton et al. (2017) found that self-esteem significantly predicted body …

Does Positive Or Negative Informal Social Media Impact Internalized Stigma Around Mental Health In College Aged Adults, Katrina G. Wicker

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The purpose of this research study was to look at how positive and negative informal social media impacts internalized stigma towards mental health in college aged adults. I hope to find some relation showing that the more positive a social media video is the less it negatively impacts someone's internalized stigma around mental health. Internalized stigma is how someone thinks and feels about mental health that ends up influencing how they behave when it comes to mental health. I want this research to show that social media is having an impact on those internalized stigmas, and that if we want …

Forgotten Heroes: The Legacy Of World War Ii Nurses, Emma M. Boots, Anna M. Kunau, Rachel B. Smith, Ella G. Stewart

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Our research project honors Gudrun Stenoien. Stenoien was a nurse in the 26th General Hospital Unit of the United States during World War II. During the war, Stenoien, affectionately known as "Goodie," documented her experiences through photographs and letters home. From North Africa to Italy, Goodie served as a Second Lieutenant nurse for the Army from 1942 to 1944. By reading her letters and analyzing documents, we have learned about the legacy Gudrun Stenoien left in her nursing career. Goodie's detailed collection of photographs and letters was generously donated to Winona State University, inspiring research into her journey. Her story …

Self-Esteem, Self-Control, And Self-Acceptance As Predictors Of Grit And Resilience, Ava N. Krolnik

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Introduction: The debate between whether grit and resilience are the same thing or different concepts has long been discussed. While they may have different definitions, many claim that they measure the same thing while others claim that they are indeed separate ideas. During this debate, many studies have found that self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance are all positively correlated with both grit and resilience. Despite these positive correlations, it is unclear which of these self-factors is the strongest predictor of grit and resilience and if they are the same for both. The current study aims to delve deeper into these connections …

Psychology Internship 2026; Rise Family And Children's Center, Star D. Brown

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This will be a posterboard presentation on a completed internship though Winona State University. The internship was with the RISE program at The Family and Children's Center in Winona. The posterboard will cover curriculum made and lessons taught. The lessons will be there for guests to view and ask questions about. The posterboard will also cover changes brought to the program and the impact those changes had.

Migration, Culture, And Healthcare In Chicago’S Pakistani Community, Sultan Cheema

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

How does Chicago’s Pakistani community understand and access the US healthcare system? This ethnographic study will draw on 10 semi-structured interviews and five in-depth interviews to investigate how first and second-generation Pakistanis interact with healthcare in the United States. By exploring factors such as religion, length of stay, socioeconomic status, non-Western medical practices, household configuration, and education, this study will examine the relationship between cultural adaptation and healthcare decision-making among Pakistani immigrant communities.

All Walks Of Life: Exploring Different Paths To Independence, Naina Kapur

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

As a Social Justice Intern at Loyola, I have learned a great deal about how to advocate for others, use my leadership skills effectively, and build valuable relationships. I was placed at Misericordia Heart of Chicago, where I worked closely with different residents of varying ability levels, creating plans to help residents work towards more independence in their daily lives. This experience has been incredibly valuable for me to learn about effective leadership, behavior management, and proactive behavior support. My internship helped shape my path to advocacy for others in the disabled community like me.

Language Style Matching (Lsm) And Group Cohesion: Exploring Mechanisms Behind Psychological Wellbeing In Interpersonal Psychotherapy For College Students (Ipt-Cs), Bradley Orzada, Kirby Knapp, Ellie Malone, Colleen Conley

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has been found to be effective for improving the anxiety and depression symptoms of college students, but little is known about the therapeutic mechanisms behind IPT nor for whom IPT does not work. Language style matching (LSM), given its associations with interpersonal relationships and psychological wellbeing, may further inform IPT mechanisms and serve as a tool to predict intervention outcomes. Using data from an IPT group for college students, the present study explored how participant LSM relates to anxiety, depression, and group cohesion. Group psychotherapy transcripts of participants (N = 9) were analyzed using Linguistic Inquiry and …

The Relation Of Museum Visitors' Idea Framing Approaches And Engineering Engagement During A Community Design Puppet-Making Activity​, Adeline Sauer

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Engaging in early informal learning opportunities for children provides a unique setting for fostering their engineering learning. Specifically, collaboration (e.g., sharing ideas and helping one another) can support children's learning during tinkering activities. We explore how 39 4- to 10-year-old children (Mean age = 6.63; 19 girls) and their caregivers define and engage in the engineering design process (EDP) during a hands-on puppet making activity at a children’s museum. It is hypothesized that children and caregivers who frame, or communicate, their ideas as group-centered will have the highest engagement in the EDP process over framing ideas as individual-centered and other-centered.

Why Would I Tell?: The Role Of Gender, Identity Centrality, And Responsiveness In African American Romantic Relationships, Angela Okechukwu

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

For African American couples, shared racial identity can help facilitate sharing of experiences of racial microaggressions (Nightingale et al., 2019). High partner responsiveness can help manage stressors (Reis, 2012), and should correlate with increased willingness to share. African American couples answered questions about experiences of microaggressions, ethnic identity centrality, and partner responsiveness. Women shared more regardless of their identity centrality. However, men lower in identity centrality were more willing to share if they perceived their partner as more responsive, while men high in identity centrality shared regardless of how responsive they thought their partner was.

Evaluating Mental Health Providers’ Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Stigma Among Teenagers Aged 13 To 19 Years With Mental Illness, Fredrica Murray Johnson

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Limited knowledge and poor attitudes among mental health providers contribute to stigma towards individuals with mental illness, adversely affecting treatment experience and outcomes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving mental health providers’ knowledge and attitudes toward stigma-based practices. The clinical question stated: Among mental health providers, does an educational intervention, compared to standard practice, improve knowledge and attitudes of stigma and promote evidence-based care delivery to adolescents aged 13 to 19 with mental illness within six weeks? The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) was the framework used to implement the quasi-experimental study. The two …

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Diet And Contributing Factors: A Narrative Literature Review, Rachel Joseph, Ashley Tharpe, Sherri Ann Walker

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Objectives: The purpose of this narrative literature review is to explore the relationship between Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dietary habits, and identify factors that contribute to the development, progression, and potential management of NAFLD.

Methods: Search terms such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diet, and nutrition, including plant-based and vegetarian diets, were used to identify 45 peer-reviewed publications published within the last five years.

Results: Dietary factors, biological, environmental, obesity, mental health, and genetic factors can contribute to the development of NAFLD. This multisystem problem can have economic, social, and psychological consequences that affect a person’s quality …

Resilience In Nursing Education: A Literature Review Examining The Experiences Of Ukrainian Nursing Students In The United States, Katherine Ferrell, Rachel Joseph

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the experiences of international students who originate from war-torn areas, who live in the United States (US). Drawing from peer-reviewed sources, the review examines the academic, psychological, and social challenges these students face, including trauma, cultural adjustment, and gaps in institutional support. It highlights the resilience and coping strategies employed by students, as well as the role of universities in fostering inclusive environments. The review also identifies critical gaps in current research, particularly regarding long-term mental health outcomes and culturally responsive support services. This paper aims to synthesize existing literature on …

Navigating Life And Death: A Moral Critique Of Euthanasia Practices Worldwide, Brooke Fuzie, Rachel Joseph

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Euthanasia and physician-assisted death remain deeply debated ethical issues shaped by history, law, and cultural values. This narrative review explores how diverse ethical frameworks, shifting global legislation, and cultural perspectives inform current discourse, with special attention to the role of nurses guided by the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics. Drawing on peer-reviewed studies, legal documents, and recent case analyses published between 2013 and 2025, the review identifies three key insights. Ethical frameworks influence whether society accepts or opposes euthanasia; robust legal safeguards are needed to protect autonomy and prevent misuse; and palliative care and advance care planning, including …

Volume 3, Issue 2 - Complete Issue

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

No abstract provided.

Multi-Omics Systems-Guided Insights Of Withanolide And Other Bioactives Contributions To Anti-Stress And Endurance Outcomes In Withania Somnifera, Deepak Mundkinajeddu

Oxford ICSB

Conventional Ashwagandha standardization is largely focused on total withanolide quantification, without insights on the functional contribution of other phytochemical fractions. In this discovery-driven development program, orthogonal array–based model combined with predictive transcriptomics was used to delineate the relative biological roles of withanolide and other bioactive components within Withania somnifera extracts. Validated animal models showed that withanolide-enriched fractions significantly reduced serum cortisol (p< 0.05), while other bioactive-enriched fractions significantly increased run-time to exhaustion (p< 0.05), confirming anti-stress and endurance mechanisms. By linking the phytochemical profile with predicted biological pathway activity, the composition of the extract is rationally optimized for the development of a standardized extract (Ashwa.30), designed to deliver both anti-stress and endurance benefits at a dose of 30 mg. Clinical evaluation of the Ashwagandha extract demonstrated significant reductions in perceived stress scores and circulating cortisol levels, alongside measurable improvements in endurance parameters compared to placebo (p< 0.05), confirming translational alignment from preclinical discovery to human outcomes. Untargeted metabolomic profiling revealed enrichment of glycine and serine metabolism, methionine metabolism, phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism, and homocysteine degradation pathways. These integrated metabolic changes worked together to improve energy production, support mitochondrial repair, maintain antioxidant balance, and help reset the body’s stress response system. This work presents a systems-biology–based approach to holistic Ashwagandha standardization, integrating withanolides and complementary bioactivities. It establishes a precision-driven framework for clinically validated adaptogenic efficacy.

Bringing Worlds Together: How Social Studies Teachers Make Content Meaningful, Harley A. Payne

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Secondary educators in social studies classes face the challenge of maintaining the attention of twenty to thirty students while they instruct them about content that often seems irrelevant or unimportant. These educators know, however, that the material these students are disinterested in is useful and crucial for developing adolescents who are learning to interact with the world. Research suggests that bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world has been linked to greater classroom engagement (Cooper 2014, Tagliaferro, 2012). Students who are engaged and exert more effort in class derive academic benefits, such as placement in advanced pathways …

Mythopoeic Narrative In The Legend Of Zelda, Edited By Anthony G. Cirilla And Vincent E. Rone, Bianca L. Beronio

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This review assesses Mythopoeic Narrative in The Legend of Zelda, edited by Anthony G. Cirilla and Vincent E. Rone, as a compelling contribution to fantasy studies, mythopoeia, and game studies that argues for the academic centrality of interactive narrative media. The volume positions The Legend of Zelda not merely as popular entertainment, but as a sophisticated mythic tradition; part of an evolving legendarium shaped through iterative storytelling, symbolic worldbuilding, and ethically structured heroic narrative. Emphasizing the interpretive significance of player engagement, the collection demonstrates how games uniquely merge narrative meaning with embodied action, transforming mythic structure into lived experience. …

Imagining The Celtic Past In Modern Fantasy, Edited By Dimitra Fimi And Alistair J.P. Sims, Giovanni Carmine Costabile

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

No abstract provided.

The Significance Of Ioreth, Wise Woman Of Gondor, In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Jane Beal Phd

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Using key ideas from the field of Narrative Medicine, this essay considers the significance of Ioreth in her role as a wise-woman (midwife) and healer of Gondor. J.R.R. Tolkien developed the character of Ioreth from the static fairy-tale type of the “Wise Old Woman” to a dynamic minor character in her own right in The Lord of the Rings. He gave her a defining characteristic of talkativeness, and he purposefully attributed to her prophetic utterances of proverb, rhyme, and instruction that positively influenced those around her, including her healthcare colleagues Gandalf, Aragorn, and the herb-master, her unnamed kinswoman from the …

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Gethsemane: Christian Art And Tradition In The Passion Of Albus Dumbledore, John Anthony Dunne

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This essay contends that Professor Dumbledore drinking a potion from a goblet administered by Harry Potter in the cave from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince evokes Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane from the Gospels and his request that "the cup" be removed from him. Even though the Gospels portray Jesus all alone, and Dumbledore has Harry with him, I argue that Harry Potter evokes the expanded Lukan account of Gethsemane, which contains a textually uncertain passage about an angel ministering to him (Luke 22.43–44). I argue further that this Lukan text informs Harry Potter specifically as mediated through visual representations …

The Soldier’S Stigmata, Part Ii: Figura, The Four Senses Of Interpretation, And Other Matters In Lois Mcmaster Bujold’S “The Borders Of Infinity”, Andrew Hallam

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

THIS IS A TWO-PART ARTICLE. IN ORDER TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE OTHER PART, FOLLOW THE LINK AT THE END OF THIS ABSTRACT.

This article will explore the connection between Lois McMaster Bujold’s novella “The Borders of Infinity,” the Aristotelian theory of habitus as developed further in the letters of the Apostle Paul and by the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, and the four senses of interpretation of scripture first conceived in antiquity and later refined by medieval philosophers. Habitus as a durable disposition, state, or condition (Aristotle) is a structured and structuring social practice or set of social practices (Bourdieu) that …

Whole-Brain Emotional Processing Through The Meld Framework: A Music-Based Trauma-Informed Intervention, Janita Daggy, Arij Abdul, Tammy Griffin

Liberty University Research Week

The MELD Framework integrates music, emotion, language, and dialogue as a trauma-informed intervention supporting emotional regulation and self-expression. Grounded in neurobiology and trauma theory, this approach recognizes that traumatic experiences are stored in nonverbal, right-hemisphere systems and require embodied processing before verbal integration occurs. Using music and lyric analysis, the framework facilitates safe access to emotional states while promoting bilateral brain integration and narrative coherence. This mixed-methods study examines the impact of a single 20–25 minute MELD session on participants' emotional regulation, self-expression, and integration through pre- and post-intervention self-report measures and qualitative reflective writing prompts. Analysis focuses on shifts …

Cheating On Cognitive Dissonance Theory: An Investigation Of Moral Disengagement, Javier Mora, Jana Michelle Hackathorn

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) theorizes that when individuals experience discrepancies between attitudes, actions or beliefs, the resulting psychological discomfort leads individuals to use one of many “dissonance reduction strategies” such as justification, attitude change, etc. to feel better (Mcgrath, 2017).

Moral disengagement theory refers to tendency of people to lessen the implications of their perceived immoral actions, through various behaviors such as blaming others, diffusing responsibility, etc. (Bandura et al, 1996).

However, no known research has examined whether moral disengagement is merely a dissonance reduction process.

My Internship At Family & Children’S Center In Winona, Minnesota, Mackenzie A. Casper

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This is a reflective project demonstrating my experiences that I gained from my internship at the Family & Children’s Center in Winona, MN. The poster includes important learning opportunities, the activities and responsibilities at the internship site, the personal philosophy of the internship site, and how the internship experiences can be applied to the Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode model.