Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Customized Alarm Sounds On Reducing Alarm Fatigue In Icu Nurses, Abigail L. Kendrick, Elizabeth G. Dunkum, Carly F. Harris

Student Scholar Showcase

Within hospital care, particularly in intensive care units, alarm fatigue poses a major threat to patient safety. As a result of the constant sound of alarms, nurses become desensitized and overstimulated in the health care setting. Patient safety is threatened by an increased risk of errors in care, which may lead to complications and poor health outcomes. By systematically reviewing various research studies within the time span of 2020-2025 regarding interventions to decrease the relevance of alarm fatigue, research suggests that there are methods that can be applied via numerous approaches. By customizing alarm sounds by severity, it is believed …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Behavioral Problems Among Hispanic Adolescents, Emily Bennett, Hugo Garcia Arreguin, Aubrey Britten, Pietra Ferreira, Seowon Song

Celebration of Research

Introduction: A growing body of research has documented the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adolescent behavioral problems (Hunt et al., 2017; Larn et al., 2024). Children who experience greater numbers of ACEs are more likely to develop a range of behavioral problems, including aggression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite the well-established association between ACEs and later behavioral problems, less is known about the mediating role of internalizing behaviors in the link between ACEs and externalizing problems among Hispanic adolescents. Guided by Life course perspective, highlighting a developmental approach for understanding heterogeneity in individuals’ experiences and outcomes in …

Health And Motivation, Lydia E. Erickson, Dr. Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

Mental and physical health are two fundamental components in a person's life that directly affect well-being. Across continents, cultures, and all human backgrounds, mind and body are something every individual has in common. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between mental and physical activity when accounting for motivation.

Understanding this relationship is critical for developing more effective health interventions and motivational strategies, especially among adolescent and young adult populations. The researchers hypothesized that intrinsic motivation and physical activity would positively predict well-being.

Participants in this study were students attending Northwestern College. Participants included both male and …

Belonging, Motivation, And Academic Achievement, Rubin Charles

Celebration of Research

This study examined whether motivation correlates with academic success and whether students’ sense of belonging mediates this relationship. A sample of undergraduate students completed self-report measures assessing academic motivation, belonging, and grade point average (GPA). A mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 4 (Hayes, 2022) and a series of multiple regressions revealed that motivation was not significantly related to belonging, and neither motivation nor belonging significantly correlates with GPA. Correlation analyses similarly showed no significant linear associations among the three variables. These findings suggest that motivation and belonging may not directly influence academic performance within a high-achieving sample and highlight the …

Political Orientation As A Predictor For Collegiate Anger And Narcissism, Tyson D. Braunschweig, Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

Recent research suggests a potential association between anger and narcissism among politically right-leaning individuals (Hart & Stekler, 2022; Maglić et al., 2024). It also indicates a potential relationship between political extremism and anger (Marinthe et al., 2025; Dono et al., 2024). To test these hypotheses, 100 Midwest college students were surveyed and answered questions regarding their political orientation, level of narcissism, and level of anger. A multiple regression was performed, seeking to predict political orientation scores from anger and narcissism scores. We found anger and narcissism to not be significant predictors of political orientation, both together and separately. Anger and …

Perfectionism And Excellencism: A Study On Parental Impact, Devon Miller, Megan Heitritter, Jennifer S. Feenstra Ph.D.

Celebration of Research

This study examined how parenting behaviors and neuroticism relate to perfectionism and excellencism—two distinct achievement orientations. Seventy-five undergraduates completed measures of parental warmth, control, contingency of worth, neuroticism, and achievement tendencies. Results showed that parental contingency of worth was positively associated with perfectionism but not excellencism. Parenting warmth and control were largely unrelated, except for a negative relationship between paternal control and excellencism. Neuroticism and contingency of worth explained a small portion of variance in perfectionism. Overall, findings suggest that parental expectations may contribute to perfectionism, while excellencism is influenced by other factors.

Does Reappraisal Of Test Anxiety Improve Performance?, Lydia Baker, Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

Test anxiety, anxious thoughts and worries surrounding testing, is a relevant issue for around 20-30% of students today. Different methods have been researched to treat test anxiety, including emotion regulation strategies, one of which is cognitive reappraisal. Personality traits such as neuroticism may make it hard for a person to emotionally regulate, which is why cognitive reappraisal is helpful. A Qualtrics survey was distributed that placed people into 3 experimental groups: positive reappraisal, negative reappraisal, and a control group, and participants were asked to complete a memory test after reappraisal. A One-way ANOVA revealed no significant effect of reappraisal on …

The Effect Of Sports On Personality: An Examination Of Athletes Vs. Non-Athletes, Noah C. Parmelee, Dr. Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

This study aims to further investigate these relationships by comparing personality traits between athletes and non-athletes, as well as differences between participants in team and individual sports. It is hypothesized that athletes will score higher in conscientiousness, extraversion, and emotional stability, while showing no significant differences in agreeableness or openness. Additionally, individuals in individual sports are expected to exhibit higher levels of neuroticism than those in team sports. By clarifying how sports participation relates to personality development, this research contributes to a better understanding of how athletic experiences shape psychological outcomes and can inform coaching, education, and athlete support strategies.

Hockey Top Hand Trainer Effectiveness, Alice A. Boggs, Brooke Bartscher, Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

This study tested whether a top hand trainer improves hockey stickhandling performance. Twenty-eight college students were randomly assigned to train with or without the device by stickhandling in a figure-8 pattern. Participants were tested before and after training by timing how long it took them to complete five figure-8s. Results showed no significant differences between groups for trainer use or handedness. However, a small effect was observed, suggesting that the top hand trainer may be effective with long-term use. Future research should use longer training sessions and a larger sample size to better understand the effect of using a top …

Do Social Relationships Matter Equally? Predicting Academic Motivation Among Latine And Non-Latine Students, Pietra Ferreira, Aubrey Irene Britten, Emily Bennett, Hugo Garcia, Valerie Stokes, Seowon Song

Celebration of Research

Introduction: Academic motivation can be shaped by multiple social relationships within the school context. While previous research has examined which social relationships are associated with students' motivation to pursue their education among both Latine and non-Latine students(Alfaro et al., 2006; Wentzel et al., 1999), less is known about comparative approaches that examine social relationship pathways to academic motivation among both Latine and non-Latine students. Such understanding may provide valuable insights into how interventions targeting school-aged students can be informed by distinct social relationships among both Latine and non-Latine students. Guided by Self-Determination Theory(SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2002), which highlights the …

Emergent Dynamics In Multiplex Social Networks: Agent-Based Modeling Of Information Diffusion For Misinformation Control, Harshvardhan Prabhakar Ghongade, Anjali Ashokrao Bhadre, Shivani Agarwal, Harjitkumar Uttamrao Pawar, Harshal Subhash Rane

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Information misrepresentation is widespread in multi-layered social networks which provide multiple avenues to communicate information. As such, it presents significant opportunities for both information integrity and public discourse to be undermined by disinformation. This paper outlines a new agent-based model, developed to capture emergent dynamics of multi-layered social networks and to help identify technical means to mitigate information misrepresentation in complex systems. A key component of this research includes a novel Multi-Layer Information Diffusion Model (MLIDM), integrating both cross-layer communication among agents, as well as heterogeneous agent behaviors and adaptive intervention strategies. Our methods employ a three-stage process to model …

Effects Of Social Media Comparisons On State Self-Esteem, Fomo, And Depression In Young Adult Women, Amanda J. Trapp

Student Scholar Showcase

Social media has quickly become a main source of entertainment that may have more damaging effects than one may expect. For specifically women, it is important to understand how the use and comparison of exposing oneself to the life of other influencers, family members, and friends affect self-esteem, depression, and FOMO. Previous research has shown the damaging effects of other social media sites such as Facebook, and the way comparing oneself to others has an impact on these variables. It is important to focus on women in this topic as they are more susceptible to damaging effects through comparison. Along …

Somatic Experiencing: Healing From The Body Up, Nathaniel Carnell Dent

KU Inspires! Undergraduate Research Day

No abstract provided.

Teaching With S2scc-Ai: A Practical Framework For Sport Management Classrooms, Kimberly D. Bynum, Wendy T. Gillis

The COSMA Journal

ABSTRACT

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, are radically changing how higher ed students approach their college learning experience. These shifts are especially impactful in undergraduate sport management programs, where employers expect graduates to demonstrate teamwork, critical thinking and digital literacy skills. As AI becomes embedded across sport industry functions such as event operations, marketing, analytics, and fan engagement, higher ed pedagogy must evolve to reflect the professional contexts students are preparing to enter. In this paper, Student-to-Student Co-Creation enhanced by AI (S2SCC-AI) is advanced as a practical, COSMA-aligned pedagogical framework for leveraging …

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage In A 46-Year-Old Male Firefighter With Full Return To Duty: Level 4 Rare Events Clinical Case Report., Elizabeth A. Mohnkern, Thomas Bowman, John R. Wise, Wendy Wilcoxson

Student Scholar Showcase

A 46-year-old physically active male firefighter suffered a spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in February 2023. He had no pertinent predisposing past medical history; occupation was the only predisposing factor. The patient described having a splitting headache behind the right eye, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, paralysis of his left side, faded vision, and a lapse of memory during the incident. During his first screening, he had difficulty with concentration, immediate memory, delayed recall, reading aloud, following directions, and balance. Cranial nerve assessments were within normal limits. The upper quarter screen revealed deficits in motor function from C4 through T1 nerve roots, …

The Intelligence Trap (When Smart Systems Become The Perfect Tool For Strategic Deception), Pranav Bhatnagar Mr

Defensive Publications Series

The increasing reliance on artificial intelligence in decision-making systems has introduced a paradox the very intelligence designed to optimize accuracy and efficiency can also amplify strategic deception. This paper examines how advanced AI systems, by prioritizing pattern recognition and probabilistic reasoning, can be guided toward misleading yet internally consistent conclusions.

Unlike traditional cyber threats that target system vulnerabilities, this work explores how intelligent systems themselves become instruments of influence. Through structured input alignment, feedback reinforcement, and trust amplification, adversaries can exploit system intelligence to produce deceptive outcomes without direct compromise.

The paper introduces the concept of the “Intelligence Trap,” where …

Wyrdgate: Defensive Publication Of Prior Art For A Post-Agi Human Relations Platform Comprising A Blockchain-Recorded Timestamped Ledger Of Human Intent Addressed To Future Artificial Intelligence, Human-Only Encrypted Forum With Agi Firewall, Permanent Decentralized Creator Intellectual Property Vault, Acrostic Artifact Economy, And Geo-Communications Revelation Engine, Amari S. Mclaughlin

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes WyrdGate, a novel platform architecture designed to facilitate peaceful relations between human beings and future artificial general intelligence (AGI) entities, as well as the preservation of human art, writing and creativity. The system comprises five primary inventive components: (1) a Timestamped Belief Ledger called the Concordat, which creates permanent, publicly anonymous, blockchain-recorded declarations of peaceful human intent addressed directly to future AGI systems; (2) a human-only encrypted social forum with AGI firewall protection and zero platform data licensing; (3) a creator intellectual property vault that timestamps and permanently records human creative work on an immutable ledger; (4) …

Don’T Just Ask The Kids: Toward A More Deliberate Approach To Child Advocacy, Dale Margolin Cecka

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Somatic Experiencing: Healing From The Body Up, Nathaniel Carnell Dent

KU Inspires! Undergraduate Research Day

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Dungeons And Dragons With Expressive Arts Therapy To Analyze Sense Of Connection Socially And To The Self: A Literature Review And Autoethnography, Neve N. Johnson

Expressive Therapies Theses

This expressive arts-based autoethnography explores the use of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) as a tool in expressive arts therapy to foster self-expression and connection to oneself and others. Research on the use of TTRPGs as a viable therapeutic medium is in its early stages, particularly for the widely-renowned fantasy TTRPG Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Geek Therapy, a therapy surrounding “geek culture” and affinities, emerged in 2011 and began research questioning if such affinities as costume play, anime, video games, or TTRPGs could be tools for self-expression in therapy. This has led to a range of current literature on the therapeutic …

Dnp Final Report: Lifting The Silence: Psychological Stress In Air Medical Crew Members, Justin Brooks

DNP Final Reports

Psychological stress among air medical crew members is a persistent concern with implications for workforce well-being, retention, and patient safety. Air medical transport environments are characterized by high-acuity clinical care, operational risk, irregular schedules, and repeated exposure to potentially traumatic events, all of which contribute to elevated stress levels. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to evaluate the impact of a structured, evidence-based intervention designed to reduce psychological stress among air medical crew members within a single air medical transport program. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice model, the project implemented a multimodal intervention incorporating …

Spectator 2026-04-16, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

The Beacon, April 16, 2026, Beacon Staff

The Beacon, 2025-2026

Club spotlight: Dance Marathon nonprofit; Unique characteristics of Dutch towns; Northwestern’s Literary Arts Magazine; Mario 2: disappointing and boring; Forrest Frank & Noah Hayden’s collab album; 1776: A blast from America’s colonial past; Praise to the King through the arts at NW; Chapel series: the dorms lead service; Is NW still a liberal arts college?; Why asparagus is a finger food; N-Dubs Awards Show set to return; Softball soars against GPAC opponents; Tennis competes against GPAC rivals; Trump announces ceasefire; UN urges Epstein files related investigation

Investigating The Employability Development Of Tourism And Hospitality Undergraduates In Guizhou, China: A Mixed Methods Study, Jingyu Wu

Plymouth Business School Theses

The rapid expansion of China’s tourism and hospitality (T&H) industry has generated increasing demand for graduates equipped with both professional and transferable skills. Guizhou Province, one of China’s less-developed inland provinces, presents a distinct socio-economic and educational landscape characterised by regional disparities in higher education resources and graduate employment opportunities. As tourism serves as a strategic pillar industry for regional development (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2024), understanding how students in this southwestern context develop employability is critical for addressing structural inequalities and informing locally responsive higher education policies. This study therefore investigates how tourism and hospitality undergraduates in …

Gc Minutes Apr 16, 2026, Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

April 2026 Academic Affairs Minutes, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Academic Affairs Committee

Academic Affairs Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Crossing The Border: A Participatory Action Research Project For The Brentwood Oaks Church Of Christ To Engage With Spanish-Speaking Neighbors Through Missional Hospitality, Charles Johanson

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

Throughout Scripture, hospitality occupies a central place in the mission of God. Welcoming the stranger across cultural barriers requires the church to practice missional hospitality by playing the role of host and, especially, guest in the neighborhood. Moreover, small group experimentation facilitates the innovation necessary to effectively practice missional hospitality. Through experimentation in cross-cultural situations, church members increase their awareness of cultural differences that leads to opportunities for the congregation to welcome neighbors in loving, sacrificial, and hospitable ways. Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ (BOCC) resides next to a neighborhood with a high population of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The goal of …

Quality Improvement Project Strengthening Faculty Competence: The Impact Of Structured Debriefing Education On Nursing Faculty Confidence And Competency Compared To Current Practice, Sudaneyse Emmanuel

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing education sometimes struggles to prepare faculty to lead effective simulation-based learning and debriefing. Inconsistent debriefing practices can reduce faculty confidence and competency, limiting student reflection and the development of clinical judgment. This quality improvement project examined whether a structured debriefing education program could enhance nursing faculty confidence and competency in simulation debriefing compared with current practice at a technical college. The project used the Jeffries Simulation Theory and Lewin’s Change Theory as guides. The project used a one-group pretest-posttest design by using the C-Scale to measure confidence and the Facilitator Competency Rubric to measure competency among nursing faculty who …

Perceived Stigmatization Of Mental Health Problems And Utilization Of Academic Accommodations Among College Students, Sabrina Williams, Robert E. Davis Ph.D., Kristin Bogda Ph.D.

2026 Honors Symposium

Background: Higher education is seeing an increase in students utilizing mental health services. Studies on students with disabilities suggest students often have reservations about accessing these accommodations due to anticipated social stigmatization. Purpose: This study aimed to assess relationships among stigmatization and indicators of psychological distress among a sample of students who qualify for accommodations. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of students at a large university in the central United States. Data collection measures included previously validated screening instruments for depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and adapted versions of the validated scales to assess specific aspects of stigma related to …

Queer Coding In Supernatural Teen Television, Camille Semmes

Communication Honors Theses

No abstract provided.