Digital Commons Network^™

Is Trash Collection A Wicked Problem?, Lucy Duke

Theses & ETDs

This study examines whether the limited waste management policy change in Manatee County in October 2025 reflects an open systems or closed systems approach to policymaking, and what this case reveals about the characteristics of Wicked Problems at the local government level. The service of waste management provides a fruitful site for analysis due to its visibility, impact, operational complexity, and involvement of multiple actors and stakeholders; including county officials, contracted providers, and county constituents. This specific policy change, which was the reduction of trash collection from twice a week to once a week as well as the addition of …

Unromanticizing Careers: Redesigning Students’ Beliefs About Success, Camila Bolsoni

Theses & ETDs

Contemporary higher education culture transmits a set of deeply internalized beliefs about career success that shape students' decisions, constrain their identities, and fuel anxiety, burnout, and rigidity, often without their awareness. This qualitative study examines how undergraduate students at a small public liberal arts college experience and narrate these beliefs through the lens of the Career Illusions Framework (CIF), a seven-dimension conceptual model, built from the ground up for this study, comprising the Straight Path, Identity Lock-In, Status Script, Hustle Loop, Dream Job Illusion, Risk Ceiling, and Quitting Stigma. Using Braun and Clarke's (2006) reflexive thematic analysis alongside systematic spreadsheet-based …

The Economic Viability Of The Sports Academy Industry, Dylan Bowen

Theses & ETDs

This paper examines the economic viability of the sports academy industry, focusing on its rapid growth and underlying market dynamics. The analysis begins by outlining the rise of sports academies from niche training facilities to fully integrated institutions that combine academics, elite athletic development, and commercial operations. It highlights how the increase in competition in youth sports has created a demand for elite training facilities and pathways to collegiate and professional athletics. Sports academies are able to meet this demand providing exclusive training programs along with strong academic programs that will prepare them for the next step. The paper then …

The Evaluation Of Immune Dysregulation Detection In Individuals With Psychiatric Conditions, Alyssa Kiel

Theses & ETDs

32 studies were evaluated in determining detection of immune dysregulation, derived from monocyte, T-cell, B-cell, and protein panels, and identifying trends in disorder-specific biomarker data for different psychiatric conditions including, ASD, schizophrenia, MDD, bipolar disorder, GAD, OCD, ADHD, and C-PTSD. The studies selected reporting significant immune abnormalities from biomarker data, with observed findings of immune dysregulation in psychiatric populations frequently coincided with the prevalence of comorbid physical issues, such as metabolic imbalances, cardiovascular conditions, and gastrointestinal issues. These observations highlight the intersection of altered biomarker variation and comorbid disease outcomes present in individuals (including their sex) with psychiatric conditions compared …

It Lurks Within: An Rpg Exploring Uncanny Familiarity & Facing The Truths We Hide Within Ourselves, Lance Galleher

Theses & ETDs

In this thesis, I will discuss the creation of a 2D psychological horror role-playing game demo made using the Godot engine. I draw inspiration from games such as Slay the Princess, Look Outside, and DREDGE. I also take influence from artists such as Zdzisław Beksiński and H. R. Giger, as well as literary works including House of Leaves and A Short Stay in Hell. I also use the concept of uncanny familiarity in my artwork and storytelling to explore themes of existentialism and identity, especially in the context of grappling with one's perceived place in our world. Through this, the …

Diagnosed By Assumptions: A Critical Analysis Of Bias Against Black People In Clinical Assessment And Treatment, Natalia Knox

Theses & ETDs

Racial bias and discrimination established the healthcare system. Although the system exists to help all who are sick, there are many instances in which people are treated unfairly. The consequences of bias in healthcare are not merely theoretical—they are measurable, persistent, and, in many cases, life-threatening. This study investigates perceptions of fairness, experiences during treatment, and attitudes toward racial bias in healthcare among adults in the United States. 250 participants were recruited through the online research platform Prolific who completed an anonymous Qualtrics survey addressing these biases. Chi-square tests of independence were conducted to examine associations between demographic variables and …

The Impact Of Sports Betting On Major League Baseball, Matthew Macgregor

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

Strength And Conditioning As A Physiological Strategy For Injury Prevention In Competitive Sports, Gabriel Mocco

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the relationship between strength and conditioning and injury risk in competitive sport, with a focus on collegiate soccer. The motivation for this study grew from four years of personal experience as a student-athlete, during which multiple injuries and a growing engagement with structured strength training led to a deeper understanding of how physical preparation influences the body's ability to handle the demands of competitive sport. The Literature Review covers nine key areas, including neuromuscular and biomechanical factors, strength training and injury prevention, training load management, previous injury as a risk factor, specificity of training, energy availability and …

More Than The Game: How Digital Storytelling Constructs Community And Identity In College Athletics, Katrina Wolfe

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the role of digital storytelling in shaping athlete identity, institutional branding, and social interaction within college athletics. Through the analysis of social media content, personal experience as both a student-athlete and athletic media intern, and research on digital culture and sports media, this study explores how athletic programs construct public identity through online platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and live-streaming media. Drawing from theories of identity performance, visibility, and networked communication, the thesis argues that digital storytelling functions not only as a promotional tool but also as a cultural practice that influences belonging, representation, and team dynamics. …

Warning Signs In Disguise: Narcissism, Communication, Attachment, And Relationship Quality, Andrea Beyra Estrada

Theses & ETDs

This study examined how narcissistic admiration and rivalry are associated with relationship satisfaction and attachment, and whether these relationships are reflected in communication patterns and maladaptive behaviors. Participants (N = 143) completed measures of narcissism, communication styles, relationship satisfaction, attachment, and conflict behaviors. Results showed that narcissism was not directly associated with relationship satisfaction. However, narcissistic rivalry was significantly related to maladaptive communication patterns and a range of harmful behaviors, including verbal aggression, physical conflict, and coercive behaviors. In turn, these maladaptive communication patterns and behaviors were strongly associated with lower relationship satisfaction and greater attachment insecurity. Regression analyses further …

Beyond Skrmetti: A Constitutional Case For Gender-Affirming Care, Mateo-Luis A. Planas, Evan Gerstmann

Honors Thesis

In 2025, roughly 2.1 million adults in America identify as transgender, making up around 1% of the country’s total population. Despite this, the transgender identity has become a focus of political debates and made its way onto the U.S. Supreme Court’s docket in U.S. v. Skrmetti. The issue is not whether transgender people exist, but rather, how they ought to exist legally: if and when one can access medical care to pursue a gender transition. While many American doctors agree that these treatments are life-saving, since 2021, a slew of legislation has limited access for adults 18-21 (AMA, 2021). This …

Music & Emotion: Matching Neurobiological Proxies To Affect Components Induced By Music Modality, William Lopez

Theses & ETDs

The United States struggles with high rates of mental health conditions and their misdiagnosis. Both major diagnostic manuals used in mental health rely solely on behavioral and self-reported measures for their diagnostic criteria. Differential diagnosis could be supported by implementing non-invasive neurophysiological and neuroendocrinological measures. Regarding the treatment aspect of healthcare, music therapists can be equipped with additional tools by understanding how individual manipulations of musical components directly influence emotion. Many music studies examine the general effects of music or conduct correlation analyses of songs that share musical components, rather than employing a controlled paradigm in which near-identical pieces are …

The Positive Effects Of Social Media On Self Body Image, Sierra Moore

Theses & ETDs

This thesis explores the relationship between social media and self body image, with a focus on how social media can influence body image in positive ways rather than only harmful ones. Much of the existing research focuses on the negative side of social media, including comparison, unrealistic beauty standards, and lower self-esteem. While those effects are real, this thesis argues that social media is not entirely negative or positive. Instead, its impact depends on how people use it, what content they engage with, and how critically they understand what they see. This project combines a review of research, original survey …

Red 40 Riot: An Interdisciplinary Perspective On The Fight For Food Additive Regulation, Margaret Q. Gray

Honors Theses

This paper explores the chemical, business, and governmental influences that impact the perception and future of Red 40. This inquiry was inspired by the increasing trends towards health-conscious consumer preferences and the 2025 Red 3 ban. This thesis examines foundational research, modern sources, and public-facing articles to create a comprehensive understanding of both sides of the argument in support of and against regulation. The paper concludes that a three-pronged approach would be ideal to target each key perspective included: chemistry, business, government. The approaches include confirming chemical research method validity, encouraging governmental regulation, and corporate accountability and enforcement. The paper …

From Taboo To Treatment: A Trip Through A State-Based Roadmap To Psychedelic Rescheduling, Logan P. Doughty

Northern Illinois University Law Review

Psychedelics, a class of psychoactive substances that profoundly alter perception, mood, and cognition, show significant promise as a treatment option for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, under the current regulatory framework of the Controlled Substances Act, these substances remain classified as Schedule I, the most restrictive category of federal control. This classification has made research and clinical access nearly impossible, largely due to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s insistence on randomized control trial evidence to satisfy the evidentiary standard of “currently accepted medical use” (CAMU). This evidentiary burden reflects more than a veneer of …

Flipping The Format: A Comparative Analysis Of Pedagogy’S Performance On Comprehension In Introductory Financial Accounting Education, Allison Drozd

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Education is an ever-evolving field, and accounting education is no different. Introductory financial accounting is a required business course at universities that is characterized by high failure rates (Kealey et al., 2005). Evidence suggests that active learning and constructivist approaches improve comprehension of introductory financial accounting concepts as measured by exam performance. All methods studied produced statistically significant positive results on comprehension learning outcomes. Many professors' experiences support the studies' sentiment that active learning is important for teaching course concepts. The evidence reviewed in this thesis supports positive learning outcomes for comprehension of accounting concepts through active learning and constructivist …

Policing Post-Overdose: Multidisciplinary Teams Are Key To Addressing Illinois’S Opioid Crisis, Natalie B. Thirtle

Northern Illinois Law Review Supplement

The opioid epidemic remains one of Illinois’s most pressing public health and safety crises, with thousands of overdoses reported annually. Illinois’s current State Overdose Action Plan (SOAP) relies on law enforcement to administer naloxone and refer people who use drugs (PWUD) to treatment. Yet, there is research that indicates Illinois police are opposed to these responsibilities due to personal bias, workplace culture, and a lack of training in the science of drug addiction. Some advocates call for decriminalization of drug use, pointing to models in Portugal, Oregon, and California. However, these approaches have struggled in the United States due to …

Transitioning From The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit To The Home Environment: An Occupational Therapy-Led Educational Module Supporting Safe Sleep, Tummy Time, And Feeding After The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Jordan C. Austin

OTD Capstone Projects

Infants admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and their caregivers experience significant stress, which can negatively impact both infant development and caregiver confidence during the transition to the home environment. Despite the established role of occupational therapy (OT) in supporting infant development and caregiver education, OT services are not consistently provided across all levels of the NICU. This gap highlights the need for accessible, caregiver-focused educational resources. 

The purpose of this capstone project was to improve caregiver understanding of the role of OT in the NICU setting while supporting a smooth transition to the home environment through the …

Strengthening Fieldwork Mentorship: A Ceu-Based Approach To Supporting Occupational Therapy Educators, Michelle Bryant

OTD Capstone Projects

This project addresses a persistent gap in fieldwork education by developing a mentorship‑focused continuing education unit (CEU) for practitioners serving as fieldwork educators. Inconsistent preparation for mentorship has been identified as a barrier to effective supervision and student growth. Using a program-development approach, the project involved a literature review, expert consultation, and feedback from volunteer practitioners to shape the CEU’s structure, content, and clarity.

This CEU equips both Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants and Occupational Therapists with evidence‑supported strategies to strengthen core mentorship skills, including approachability, communication, adaptability, and therapeutic relationship‑building. Real‑life scenarios, guided reflection, and expert commentary help bridge theory …

Exploring Occupational Therapy’S Role In Post-Secondary Student Mental Health, Anneilise C. Dunderdale

OTD Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Building Belonging: Advancing Healthy Aging Through Social Participation And Community-Based Occupational Therapy Programming, Angela F. Sykes

OTD Capstone Projects

Older adults living on the South Side of Chicago, particularly African American older adults in underserved communities, face significant barriers to meaningful social participation. As a result, this population is at increased risk for negative health outcomes associated with reduced social participation, highlighting the need for targeted, community-based interventions. This project utilized two phases of community needs assessments and the key findings emphasized the importance of strengths-based approaches to aging, the need for diverse and inclusive programming, variability in functional ability, the role of client-centered communication, and the significance of social participation as a core occupational need. The findings informed …

Bridging The Accessibility And Communication Gap At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Jay A. Reiss

OTD Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to address the communication and accessibility gap at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). The experience consisted of collaborating with the Office for Access & Accommodations (OAA) to develop a series of web pages that included information about event accessibility resources, communication accessibility, building-specific accessibility, and creating a sensory-friendly environment. The materials created were designed to support event planners and the community by increasing transparency around accommodations and encouraging their promotion at events. A total of six webpages were created, displaying useful resources for accommodation considerations and accessibility features at SIUC. Feedback from evaluators …

How Presentation Shapes Multisensory Category Learning, Hooman Main Amiri

Master's Theses and Capstones

Category learning allows people to group complex sensory input into categories, helping them generalize knowledge from familiar exemplars to novel stimuli. In everyday life, categories are often learned from more than one sense, yet most prior work on category learning has focused on learning in a single sensory modality. Here, we asked whether the way category information is presented across modalities, simultaneously or separately, shapes multisensory category learning in adults. In Experiment 1, participants learned the categories with either simultaneous or separate presentation of auditory and visual information and then completed a test phase to assess not only whether they …

Designing Innovative Science Learning Activities: The Virtual Reality “Charge Playground” And Interdisciplinary Curriculum For Lightning Instrumentation Design, Gus Otto Eberlein

Master's Theses and Capstones

As the population of students learning introductory physics continues to grow and diversify, it becomes necessary to incorporate an equally diverse array of learning materials in these courses to suit the new dynamic of the physics classroom. In this thesis, I present my work designing, developing, evaluating, and refining instructional tools for science educators. First, I present the “Charge Playground,” an immersive Virtual Reality application for the Meta Quest VR headset. The Charge Playground abstractly visualizes the electric field, potential, and force generated by a configuration of electric charges in a novel, interactive way. I describe the motivation behind incorporating …

Have You Seen This? Impact Of Concussion And Memory On Narrative Retells Of Silent Animated Films, Lauren Kate Harrington

Master's Theses and Capstones

AbstractBackground: Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that are often associated with short- and long-term cognitive impacts. Two specific cognitive skills people with concussion exhibit deficits in are working memory- the ability to retain and manipulate newly presented information- and episodic memory- memory of scenes that have occurred, similar to recalling a television episode. Previous studies have revealed mixed results in differences of narrative length between speakers with and without concussion; however, more information is needed on the relationship between memory and narrative production in speakers with concussion. Aims: This study compares the total number of utterances and mean …

Performing The American Dream: Passing And Identity In The Great Gatsby (1925) And Passing (1929), Olivia O'Sullivan

Master's Theses

In this thesis, I explore how Jay Gatsby, protagonist in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and Clare Kendry, protagonist in Nella Larsen’s Passing, pass in order to achieve their American Dream. Both characters rely on carefully crafted identities to gain social mobility and access to worlds that would otherwise be out of their reach through the people they surround themselves with, their clothing, their mannerism, and even their intimate relationships. Throughout my close reading and analysis, I determine that Jay Gatsby and Clare Kendry’s attempts to pass to achieve the American Dream are futile, which demonstrates the idea that …

Red Teaming: Evaluating And Revising Attack Ideas Using Ai Prompts, Alexis D'Amato, Emma Theobald, Jack Rygg, Samuel Hunter, Joel Elson, Meg Shercliffe

Reports, Projects, and Research

In a red teaming exercise where participants used AI to evaluate and revise attack ideas against an adversarial group, results reveal that prompts involve multiple phases of the creative problem-solving process. During the exercise, participants were given a threat scenario and time with an unconstrained AI tool to evaluate an idea and generate a revised one. Input messages from the AI tool were collected and analyzed. In doing so, participants used AI prompts related to three core phases of the creative problem-solving process: information gathering, idea generation, and idea evaluation. This reveals that AI is used for various purposes, above …

Drug War Repairs Guarantees, Amber Baylor

Faculty Scholarship

Drug legalization, especially cannabis legalization, is a critical step forward in states’ willingness to address systemic disparities, privacy intrusions, violence, and other harms of the drug war. Yet, reforms center on legalization and repair through a narrow lens, focused on changes to the penal code. The public has found that narrow forms of legalization cannot serve their purported reparative purpose. Narrowly drawn legalization is illusory. Drug war harms and punishment for legalized substance use continue. Legalization reforms are vulnerable to political trends, resulting in rollback and retrenchment of drug war operations.

Legalization cannot deliver on its reparative terms without guarantees. …

Behavioral Differences Among Couples With Depression, Couples With Gad, And Couples With Co-Occurring Depression And Gad, Alex Joseph Hietpas

Dissertations (1934 -)

Romantic relationship quality is central to people’s physical and mental health (Braithwaite and Holt-Lunstad, 2017; Proulx et al., 2007; Robles et al., 2014), and depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are negatively associated with the quality of couples’ relationships (Whisman et al., 2000). Using observational data coded using the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior model (SASB; Benjamin, 1979, 1987, 2000), this study compared the interactions of couples with depression (n = 23), couples with GAD (n = 27), and couples with co-occurring depression and GAD (n = 12). Multilevel models examined the associations between diagnostic status and couples’ interpersonal behaviors …

Wildflower Season: A Semi-Somnolescent Retrospective, Connor Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I came to graduate school under the impression that I would be working on my own. I believed the process of playwriting to be an individualistic pursuit, where my plays came from my mind and my mind alone. Instead, through the process of writing my thesis play, Wildflower Season, and its subsequent production as part of the ArkType New Play Festival, I discovered that writing a play was a collective endeavor, and that one of the great pleasures the theatre has to offer is creating it with a group of other people.