Digital Commons Network^™

Everyday Objects, Disrupted: Five Chairs As Form And Sculpture, Lily Cerle

Theses & ETDs

We sit in chairs every day without thinking twice about it. My thesis asks what happens when this changes. By transforming 14-gauge sheet metal into folded, origami-inspired forms, my project reimagines the chair as something more than a place to sit, exploring how a chair can function as both functional furniture and sculptural artwork that challenges the way we experience our own bodies in space. The collection consists of five chairs, each built through bending, folding, rolling, and welding. Inspired by the work of Ron Arad and Vivian Beer, the series plays with the idea that a hard, industrial material …

Scrolling Fatigue: How Continuous Short-Form Video Consumption Affects User Attention And Satisfaction, Maribeliy Ramos Jimenez

Communications and Digital Media Theses

This thesis focuses on the negative effects that derive from continuous short-from video consumption. It specifically examines the relationship between user scrolling fatigue, attention, and satisfaction with constant usage of short-form video platforms. It mainly focuses on the use of digital platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram. This research builds on previously examined empirical investigations that analyzed the effects of scrolling through short-form video digital platforms influences users’ memory, stress, and procrastination. The research analyzes the possible connection with the use of survey-based quantitative methods. The study aims to determine how users process the continuous exposure to short-form …

Back To The Bayfront, Dania Hefley

Theses & ETDs

I’m trying to make sense of the different versions of myself that existed inside New College over the last four years. How I existed while studying. Which classrooms made me feel like a person. Which professors taught me how to read. Which ones taught me how to think. Which ones made me want to rise to the level of the room. Which ones made me feel like I was disappearing. I don’t want to turn these four years into a lesson, but I need a way in that lets me see the throughline. Recently, my literature professor, Miller, was talking …

Rhetorical Models Of Conspiracy Theories How Two Political Commentary Youtubers Build Narrative Authority, Riley Bucklin

Theses & ETDs

The purpose of this study is to explore the rhetoric that independent political commentators on YouTube used to develop conspiracy theories in the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder. On September 10th, 2025, Charlie Kirk — a prominent conservative political commentator and activist — was assassinated at a Turning Point USA event on Utah Valley University campus. Following the shooting, various conspiracy theories developed online as the narrative from the federal investigation was still developing. This study is necessitated by the rapid pace at which digital subcultures have displaced traditional media outlets and reshaped what is considered trustworthy reporting. To …

Industry Analysis In The Event Clothing Retail: Market And Price Strategies, Challenges And Implications, Sports Promotions Group Case Study, Pablo Herrera Jara

Theses & ETDs

The event clothing retail sector occupies a unique space within the broader apparel industry, offering customized products tied to specific occasions such as sports events, concerts, or festivals. This segment of the market benefits from emotional engagement and time‑limited availability, but it also presents challenges due to production cycles or fluctuating inventory. In this thesis, the Industry Strategy is applied to a case study: Sports Promotion Group, a company specializing in event‑specific apparel for sports events. By analyzing the various situations and interactions that shape the firm’s choices, the study extracts insights relevant to businesses operating in the event-clothing retail …

I’Ll Have A Who Christmas Without You: A Case Study On The One-Person Show Through Who’S Holiday, Caitlyn Turner

Theses & ETDs

This thesis discusses the experience and history of the one-person show, or monodrama, through a performance of Who’s Holiday by Matthew Lombardo. Who’s Holiday was first performed in November 2017 at the Westside Theatre Off-Broadway. This thesis is in three parts: History & Theory, Analysis of the Play, and a Reflection of the performance. My professor Tim O’Donnell directed my performance of the play, which was performed in December 2025.

Sustainability Savvy: The Role Of Competence And Efficacy In Promoting Pro-Environmental Behavior, Lorenna Graham

Environmental Studies Honors Projects

Combatting environmental issues requires both large-scale and individual change. While many understand that personal pro-environmental behavior (PEB) is necessary, individuals do not always engage in this behavior (Hines, 1986, Goh, 2022). Thus, there is a need to investigate psychological factors which encourage PEB. Prior research suggests competence and outcome efficacy as likely PEB predictors (Bentler, 2023, Lavergne & Pelletier, 2015, Priolo, 2016), while cognitive dissonance has been shown to both encourage and discourage PEB (Bouwman, 2022, Dickerson, 1992, Ehrich & Irwin, 2005). Study 1 investigates the relationship between cognitive dissonance and PEB with competence and outcome efficacy as potential moderators. …

Social Protection To Foster Inclusive, Resilient Early Childhood Education In Kenya, Uganda, And Tanzania, Nyagwegwe Wango

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

In order to evaluate the efficacy of systems approaches in enhancing early childhood education (ECE), this study summarizes outcomes from the SESEA and F4L programs in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The study investigates how context-responsive ECE, social-emotional learning (SEL), and social protection (SP) interventions contribute to improvements in teaching practices, inclusion, and learner outcomes using mixed-methods data, including teacher surveys, classroom observations, and policy analysis. The findings show significant improvements in inclusive classroom practices, gender-sensitive pedagogy, and teacher confidence, especially when reflective peer learning and continuous mentoring are incorporated. Children’s academic performance and well-being have been linked to the integration …

"Shhh": A Reflection On Matrescence, Anna Guillory

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Shhh” is a collection of drawings that reflect on the many ways the first year of motherhood shifts identity, perspective, and relationships. Focusing on my personal experience of becoming a caregiver, each work acts as an exploration and artifact of the shared labor between parenting and redeveloping an art practice, articulating both the tension and the enmeshing of these two realities. The work poses questions around value and production and consequently presents considerations of the passage into matrescence itself. Through a combination of rendered images, gestures and marks from observed moments in domestic space, postpartum life, and my own inner, …

A Better Box To Lie In, Camille Gros

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This written thesis accompanies an exhibition of textiles and works on paper that explore the emotional, architectural, and political structures that relay experiences of a Queer Southern livelihood; it is about girlhood, homoeroticism, isolation, passion, hunger, sweet love, and terrible fear. The show is a celebration of our dependance upon one another, and an expression of grief. I am sure that this work will need to be repaired in time, and I hope for many hands to mend it.

Intentional Practice: A Longitudinal Resilience Curriculum For Palliative Care Teams, Rhianon Liu Md

Academy Scholars Projects

Background:

• High risk of burnout in palliative care

• Optimal way to decrease burnout and increase resilience is unknown

Revised - The Role Of Gad67/65 In The Therapeutic Effects Of Ketamine And Fluoxetine In Fear-Conditioned Mice, Alex G. Ottimer

All NMU Master's Theses

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder and the most common disorder following exposure to a traumatic event. The most commonly used drugs in PTSD treatment are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), though only about 50% of patients respond to this treatment. Previous work in our lab demonstrated the combination of chronic fluoxetine (FLX) and acute ketamine treatment decreased fear response in a contextual fear paradigm in male C57/BL mice. In rodents, fear conditioning (FC) is commonly used in the literature to induce behaviors related to PTSD. The mammalian central fear memory circuit involves a dynamic interplay between …

Post-Truth Gaming: Fictional Pasts And Constitutive Rhetoric In Video Game Nostalgia, Hunter Bishop

All NMU Master's Theses

What happens when we become nostalgic for experiences we never had? How do video game companies impact what we are nostalgic for? What might a fictional nostalgia look like, and how can it help us better understand the role of nostalgia in Western culture? These are the central questions that this thesis seeks to answer. As seen in the United States’ current cultural and political infatuation with the past, nostalgia has become a dominant rhetorical strategy. Nostalgia is especially prevalent in the medium of video games, where a steady stream of remakes, remasters, and rereleases attempts to repurpose the past …

Enhancing Occupational Balance And Well-Being Among Significant Others Of First Responders, Alexis M. Ziegler

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Stress is defined as “a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation” (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023). It is common in daily life, however the amount and intensity of it is variable. First-responders, such as police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, have a predisposition to stress due to the requirements of their position. Because of the increased and consistent stress, these professions are at an increased risk for mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; O’Toole et al., 2022). This relationship between stress and negative mental health, such as …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Academic Writing: Development Of A Student-Centered Ethical Toolkit, Matteo Landais

Theses

The rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence in higher education has introduced new challenges surrounding authorship, academic integrity, and the role of writing in student learning. While institutional responses have often focused on restriction, surveillance, and AI detection, students continue to incorporate AI tools into their writing practices in increasingly normalized ways. This project argues that the issue is not simply whether students use AI, but how they use it and whether that use supports meaningful engagement with the writing process.

This applied project proposes a process-oriented and student-centered framework for the ethical integration of AI into academic writing. Learning …

Edvard Munch And The Feminine Sublime, Saralyn Goodspeed

Theses

This paper explores the theory of the sublime in relation to Edvard Munch’s depictions of women. Departing from the common view that Munch was simply anxious about the “New Woman” that emerged in the late nineteenth-century, I argue that Munch’s conflicting emotions regarding women were sublime in nature, rooted in his childhood relationship with his mother. A formal analysis is conducted on three of Munch’s works: Inheritance (1897), Three Stages of Woman or Sphinx (1894), and Madonna (1895). These analyses link Munch’s representations of women to a maternal sublime.

Clinical Case Study: The Effects Of Task Dynamics And Saltatory Pneumotactile Stimulation On Cerebral Oxygenation, Cognitive Performance, And Sensorimotor Function In An Adult Following Left Ischemic Mca Stroke, Bridget Slagle

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the chronic stage of stroke recovery, neuroplasticity is thought to require external influence, and is often considered to be experience-dependent, or “Hebbian,” plasticity. Current studies have been investigating multiple ways to induce plasticity to enhance recovery, including investigating the role of sensory stimulation in cortical priming to enhance the effects of rehabilitation interventions.

This case study of an 80-year-old female with aphasia after L-MCA ischemic stroke included 18 neurotherapeutic sessions over 10 weeks. Each session included pneumotactile somatosensory stimulation to the glabrous hand and perioral face, delivered to both the left and right side via the GALILEO, as well …

Beyond The Cycle: How Menstruation Influences Gender Identity And Well-Being In Binary And Non-Binary Adults, Rin Nguyen

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Approximately 1.8 billion people worldwide menstruate, including transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people, yet their experiences remain underrepresented in research. Given that menstruation can affect gender alignment and psychological well-being, understanding its impact on TGD people is critical. Gender congruence, or alignment between one’s gender identity and expression, is a key factor influencing well-being, with research linking it to reduced depression and anxiety. Furthermore, emerging research on gender euphoria, the joy experienced when gender congruence is experienced, suggests it may serve as a protective factor for mental health and well-being. Gender euphoria has been associated with reduced psychological distress and increased …

Religion As Political Influence: Representation, Rhetoric, And Advocacy In American Politics, Andrew G. Tate

All Dissertations

Religion has long been recognized as a central force in American political life, shaping patterns of representation, public opinion, and policy advocacy. At the same time, the contemporary religious landscape is characterized by declining denominational attachment, increasing religious diversity, and growth in non-denominational and unaffiliated populations. These changes raise questions about whether religion continues to influence politics through traditional mechanisms such as clear denominational alignment or whether its political effects now operate through more indirect or restructured pathways. This manuscript addresses this question through a multi-level analysis of religion’s political role, integrating three studies that examine descriptive representation, organizational political …

Creative Roots, Strategic Outcomes: Ceo Childhood Imprints And The Pursuit Of Innovation, Puya Kahhali, Alexandru Roman, Haibo Liu

American Business Review

This study examines how CEOs’ early-life experiences shape strategic decision-making, focusing on the influence of parental creativity. Drawing on imprinting and upper echelons theories, we argue that CEOs with creatively employed parents develop an exploratory mindset that promotes greater investment in firm R&D. Crucially, we propose that this learning stems from behavioral modeling of exploratory mindsets through creative problem-solving—rather than the transmission of socioeconomic capital. Using a proprietary dataset of Fortune 100 CEOs and their parents’ occupations, we find robust support for this relationship. The effect is amplified under strong firm performance, while CEO age does not consistently weaken the …

Cultivating Inclusive Behavior Of Undergraduate Internship Students Using The Reasoned Action Approach, Shamika Almeida, Flevy Lasrado, Geraldine Hardie

American Business Review

This study takes place at a regional Australian university and its international campus in the United Arab Emirates, involving third-year business internship undergraduate students. As part of a formative learning activity and summative assessment process, students undertake an implicit bias test and critically reflect on their unconscious biases to explore how these biases may have influenced their behavior. Temporality is central to this reflective process, as students engage in retrospective analysis of past experiences, present awareness, and prospective consideration of future professional conduct. Using an autoethnographic approach, teaching staff interpret their experiences of facilitating these discussions and assessing student reflections. …

Tmt Human Capital And Industry Dynamism In The Adoption Of Digital Transformation: Evidence From The S&P 500, Tushar Shah, George Benson, Sridhar Nerur, Mahmut Yasar

American Business Review

This study investigates the determinants of digital transformation (DT) in S&P 500 firms, examining how the human capital breadth and depth of top management teams (TMTs) influence strategic change. Drawing primarily on Upper Echelons Theory (UET), we theorize that a team’s collective resource portfolio serves as a critical antecedent to digital adoption. Our results demonstrate that TMT role heterogeneity (breadth) exhibits a consistent, linear positive influence on DT. In contrast, TMT tenure (depth) follows a non-monotonic, cubic life cycle. We identify three distinct phases: an “initial liability of newness” (coordination-driven trough), a mid-term “adeptness step” (absorptive capacity-driven peak), and a …

The Association Between Csr Disclosure-Action Portrayal Gap And Employee Work-Related Attitudes, April Moses, Amy Tung, Kevin Baird

American Business Review

This paper provides an empirical insight into organizational impression management practices by examining the CSR disclosure-action portrayal gap, specifically the discrepancy between CSR disclosures and CSR actions, from an employee’s perspective. The paper examines the association between this gap and employee work-related attitudes (job satisfaction, employee organizational commitment, and the propensity to remain) using survey data collected from 186 lower-level managers across various industries in the U.S. The hypotheses were examined using structural equation modelling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimate using AMOS Graphics version 25 software. It was found that many employees perceived that the CSR disclosures of their organization …

Cfo Turnover: Frequency And Explanations, Emeka T. Nwaeze

American Business Review

The frequency with which Chief financial officers (CFOs) leave their jobs has puzzled observers and analysts. In 2021, about 21% of the CFOs left their jobs. Word on the street is that CEOs favor CFOs with whom they have personal attraction but show less tolerance for those with whom they have no personal attraction, regardless of the latter’s job performance. To remain in the job, CFOs must therefore gain and sustain the CEO’s personal attraction. The immediate corollary is that the nature of CEO-CFO relations rather than job performance explain CFOs’ turnover. This study explores such a view and finds …

Local Values, Global Standards: Understanding Aviation Safety Culture In The Middle East Region, Ernest N. Ogbozor, Jules Yimga, Nicholas Degarmo, Kathrine Lopez, Hana Marz, Michael Chrisman, Cedric Leon, Joao Souza Dias Garcia, Harrison Debrah, Mariateresa Sestito, Albert Obi, Chidinma Chidoka

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This study examines the role of national cultural determinants in shaping aviation safety culture across the Middle East. Employing an exploratory research design that integrates a literature review and structured safety culture surveys, it analyzes how national, organizational, and traditional values influence safety attitudes, communication practices, and reporting behaviors. While the Middle Eastern countries, such as UAE and Qatar possesses advanced aviation infrastructure and regulatory systems, persistent Arab cultural norms, including deference to authority, collective responsibility, and avoidance of public blame, continue to shape safety management and organizational learning. The preliminary findings indicate that these values promote discipline, cooperation, and …

Eurydice | Tigers Be Still: Technical Direction Between Two Studio Sets, Rory G. Galada Brownell

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

This thesis examines the technical direction processes for two studio productions, Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl and Tigers Be Still by Kim Rosenstock, produced during the 2025–2026 season at the Nebraska Repertory Theatre. Through comparative analysis, this document explores how differing design styles—metaphorical and installation-based versus grounded realism—impact the planning, communication, and execution responsibilities of a technical director within a constrained academic production environment. Both productions operated within similar parameters, including limited budgets, student-based labor, and a shared performance space, allowing for a focused evaluation of process rather than resources. The Eurydice production emphasized abstract scenic elements, including large-scale string installations …

Changing The Narrative: Exploring Post-Traumatic Growth In African American Women Who Identify As Transformational Leaders After Experiencing The Foster Care System, Leah Angel Vance-Daniel

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of African American women who identified as transformational leaders and who successfully navigated adulthood after experiencing the foster care system. Post-traumatic growth (PTG) theory served as the theoretical framework for this study, which reflects a positive mental shift brought about by struggling with at least one extremely difficult life circumstance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight African American women, and five themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) Journey to Transformational Leadership: Self-Awareness, Vulnerability, and Self Acceptance; (b) From Repeating to Repairing; (c) You Either Have to Lie …

Teacher Perceptions In Early Childhood Classrooms: Understanding The Disproportionate Suspension Of Black Girls In Preschool, Lachelle Dionne Walker

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to examine eight preschool lead teachers’ perceptions of the behaviors of Black girls, with a specific focus on those leading instruction in classrooms of 3- and 4-year-old learners, to assess if their perceptions of the behaviors of Black preschool-aged girls influenced their discipline practices and behavior management. The findings of this study revealed that preschool lead teachers held positive perceptions and early adultified views, also known as adultification bias, of Black girls in preschool settings. Furthermore, early adultified views of preschool lead teachers toward Black preschool-aged girls did not correlate with discriminatory …

Beyond The Bell: Young Black Male Reflections On Teacher Expectations And Postsecondary Outcomes, Raina Lewis

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of seven young Black males after their graduation from high school, focusing on how they recalled and interpreted their high school teachers’ expectations. Using semi-structured interviews with the Black males, aged 18–25, this study sought to understand how participants made meaning of these experiences and the lasting impact on their identity development. Grounded in Tichnor-Wagner’s culture of care theory, this study looked through the lens of culturally responsive, emotionally supportive, and equity-driven educational environments. This culture of care theory framework is particularly relevant for young Black males who …

Accessible Theatre In The Face Of Transition: A Collaborator's Journey Through Sarah Ruhl's Orlando, Ty R. Robbins

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the various types of accessibility observed in practice during a production of Orlando by Sarah Ruhl at the University of New Orleans. Throughout

the chapters to come, I will focus on gathering theatrical dramaturgy, my process as a company

actor, the successes and setbacks of accessibility in theatre, and reflections from community

artists on how they view accessibility in the workplace. I will evaluate my findings and those of

fellow theatre makers to outline the strengths and weaknesses of accessibility in relation to

collaboration in theatre, an art form that is continually given a cold shoulder in …