Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Culturally Responsive Practices At A Community-Based Organization Serving Incarcerated Men Of Color And Their Families: A Leadership Case Study, Franchesca M. Capellan

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of New York City community-based organization (CBO) executive leaders regarding how they support families affected by paternal incarceration through culturally responsive leadership practices and the navigation of systemic barriers. Six executive leaders from a multi-site CBO participated in virtual semi-structured interviews designed to examine leadership approaches, family engagement strategies, and organizational responses to structural inequities affecting justiceimpacted families. Using Saldaña’s hybrid deductive–inductive coding process, seven superordinate themes emerged from the data analysis. Findings revealed that the leaders supported caregivers, youth, and incarcerated fathers through trust-based, trauma-informed programming, crisis …

Public Pool Usage As Adaptation Against Urban Heat, Stefan Borsky, Eric Fesselmeyer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper examines the relationship between urban heat and outdoor public pool usage. Using attendance data from all 53 outdoor public pools in New York City, we analyze nonlinear effects of heat on pool usage across socioeconomic contexts. Pool attendance rises sharply with heat, especially in low-income neighborhoods where alternative coping options are likely limited. We also find that public pools reduce heat-related emergency medical service calls. Our findings highlight the need for equitable investment in blue infrastructure to enhance urban climate resilience and demonstrate how this type of adaptive infrastructure can play a critical role in managing urban heat.

Click, Share, Believe, And Share Again: The Role Fake News Plays On Social Media, Lillian E. Sage

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines the prevalence and plight of misinformation referred to as fake news found on social media. The study paid particular attention to, investigating which demographic groups are most likely to believe and disseminate fake news, as well as, understanding the kind of effect such exposure may have on individuals. To investigate these issues, a survey was developed using Qualtrics and distributed to members of the University of Arkansas community via email and group messaging platforms. To broaden the sample, the survey was also shared through the researcher’s social media networks, resulting in a more diverse group of …

Fraternities, Athletics, And Masculinity: Exploring Male Perspectives On Sexual Violence And Coercion Prevention In University Settings, Gabrielle A. Phillips

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis presents a timely and relevant qualitative study addressing a
notable gap in sexual violence prevention research: male students’
perspectives. Grounded in Social Learning Theory, the study effectively
situates its inquiry within a robust theoretical framework while focusing on an
often underexplored population, including student-athletes, fraternity members,
and unaffiliated men.
A key strength of the research lies in its use of focus groups, which allows for
nuanced in-depth insights into how male students interpret and discuss sexual
coercion among peers. The findings are particularly compelling in highlighting
the disconnect between conceptual understanding and practical application of
prevention strategies. The …

A Qualitative Study Of Journalism Course Syllabi In Relation To The First Amendment, Elizabeth L. Bunnell

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this research is to gain more insight into collegiate journalism course syllabi and the First Amendment. The First Amendment is a foundational aspect for a career in journalism, and one way to learn how college journalism students are interacting with the First Amendment is to conduct a qualitative analysis of the syllabi. A syllabus is the contract between professor and student for the course; therefore, it should contain the most important information relating to the course. 47 syllabi were collected from the School of Journalism and Strategic Media from the Spring 2025 semester. After reading through each …

Stories That Persuade: The Impact Of Pleasure-Based And Pressure-Based Prosocial Appeals On Charitable Support For Sexual And Reproductive Health Nonprofits, Tyler Outhouse

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates how different narrative framing strategies, and corresponding sources of motivation, influence donors’ willingness to support a sexual and reproductive health nonprofit. A nationally representative sample (N = 205) completed an experiment embedded in an online survey. Participants were randomly assigned to read either a pleasure-based or pressure-based story about reproductive healthcare. Participants then reported their reactions, motivations, and willingness to support the nonprofit. Results indicated no significant difference in charitable support intentions across the two conditions, instead finding that partisan identification and value alignment were the key predictors of charitable support. The results also indicated that …

Multi-City Travel Routing Tool: Reducing Travel Costs And Time Spent Planning Using Apis, Trey R. Merreighn

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Travel planning is a time-consuming and ever-changing problem that can diminish the travel experience and greatly increase expenditure, if not done correctly. It is important to have an easy travel planning experience so you can enjoy the travel experience more and not waste time where it is not needed. This thesis aims to minimize the costs and time spent on travel planning using APIs and simple optimization models, creating a travel planning tool. This travel planning tool was developed in Java with the main API being Amadeus, this was combined with a greedy best-permutation heuristic to create the main route …

Evaluation Of The Weed Control Efficacy And Potential Economic Returns Of An Autonomous Weeder In Vegetable Production Systems, Claire Plassmeyer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vegetable production requires intensive weed management. Conventional producers rely on herbicide applications to manage weeds effectively at low costs; however, growers are under pressure to minimize chemical use due to environmental concerns and increased incidences of herbicide resistance. Non-conventional systems, including organic and sustainably focused small-scale production, rely primarily on cultural practices and physical weed control methods, which are labor-intensive and costly due to limited labor availability and rising wages. These concerns have prompted the development of autonomous weeding devices, such as unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) equipped with navigation sensors and implements to provide repeated, high-precision weed control. Compact devices …

"Pockets Of Existence" The Lighting Design For "Silent Sky", Faith Noel Spencer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will explore how lighting can express wonder, isolation, and discovery through the lens of the play Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson. Produced at the University of Arkansas in February 2025, my design utilized shifts in color, intensity, and movement to mirror Henrietta Levitt’s pursuit of understanding within both science and society. This design sought to balance the expansiveness of the never ending universe with the intimacy of humanity, using lighting to bridge the vastness with isolation. Challenges in this production included creating a sense of infinite space within the confines of a proscenium theatre, having continuity across multiple …

Pilot Age And Accident Rates In General Aviation: Analysis And Recommendations, Jackson E. Jolley

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

General aviation accounts for approximately 94% of all civil aviation accidents in the United States, highlighting the need to examine how pilot characteristics and operational factors influence accident risk. With the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) projecting continued growth in the general aviation pilot population, this study examines the relationship between pilot age, flight experience, and accident risk to inform training and safety interventions. Using the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident records from 2008–2024, along with FAA pilot registration data, we analyze age-related trends in accident likelihood, risk, and phase-of-flight distributions in general aviation operations.

Results show an approximately exponential …

Enhancing Control Charting Schemes And Exploring New Assessment Metrics To Advance Quality Control And Cyber-Attack Detection In Manufacturing, Ahmad Al Majali

Dissertations

The increasing integration of digital technologies and industrial control systems in modern manufacturing has introduced new cybersecurity vulnerabilities within cyber–physical production environments. Malicious actors can exploit these vulnerabilities to induce subtle process deviations that degrade product quality while remaining undetected by conventional statistical monitoring tools. Such attacks can be deliberately engineered to manipulate process behavior through transient shifts that vary in magnitude, duration, and frequency. Despite extensive research on transient shifts caused by assignable causes in Statistical Process Control (SPC), limited attention has been given to intelligently designed cyber–physical attacks that exploit the structural characteristics and limitations of control charting …

The Intersection Of Dark Triad Leadership And Organizational Commitment: Examining The Efficacy Of Educational Intervention Among K–12 Central Office Peer Leaders, Monica R. Shallenberger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intersection of toxic leadership traits and workplace loyalty remains a critical area of study within educational administration. The purpose of this quantitative, quasiexperimental study was to examine whether a targeted educational intervention, an asynchronous online minicourse focused on the dark triad leadership traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, influenced the organizational commitment of U.S. K–12 central office peer leaders. This study addressed a gap in the literature regarding proactive strategies for peer leaders, defined as coworkers in leadership positions who are not in supervisory roles over the toxic leaders. I employed a one-group pretest and posttest design to measure …

Discerning If Triops Have Personality, Gwen Therrien

Theses & ETDs

Triops, or tadpole shrimp, are small, freshwater invertebrates. They are the apex predator of their habitat, temporary pools of freshwater. They eat plant matter, worms, mosquito larvae and their own eggs. Their eggs go through anhydrobiosis; meaning they can survive without water for extended periods of time. There have been no previous studies specifically on Triops’ personality. Thus this raises the question if individuals demonstrate different personalities from each other. Boldness trials were conducted on 13 specimens that were on a diet of herbivore pellets and carrots. Each set of trials were repeated 1-11 times depending on how long the …

The Implications Of A Competitive Athletic Season For Lower Limb Musculoskeletal Health, Benjamin Walker

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the implications of a competitive athletic season on lower limb musculoskeletal health in collegiate athletes. Through an organized narrative literature review, this study synthesizes biomechanical, epidemiology, and clinical research to evaluate how cumulative seasonal loading influences joint, bone, tendon, and soft tissue. Findings that indicated lower extremity injuries account for the majority of sport-related musculoskeletal conditions, with overuse injuries being a dominant role due to inadequate recovery and repetitive mechanical stress. Key evidence shows that rapid increases in training load, distinctly during preseason periods, significantly raises injury risk by surpassing tissue adaptive capacity. In addition, subclinical changes …

Transferring To The Workplace From The Game: How Transferable Athletic Skills, Workplace Adaptation And Mental Health Intersect, Maria Luiza Barreis De Araujo

Theses & ETDs

The shift from collegiate athletics to working life is a significant growth challenge that could affect mental health and professional adaptation. The current study investigated the connections between mental health, workplace adaptation and transferable athletics skills. It also explored whether workplace adaptation mediates the relationship between transferable skills and well-being. An Online survey measuring transferable skills, workplace adjustment and mental health was completed by 181 current and past collegiate student-athletes. The findings showed that workplace adaptation was positively associated with mental health and that transferable skills were significantly correlated with workplace adaptation. The relationship between transferable skills and mental health …

Seeing Double: Exploring Film And Theater As Storytelling Mediums, Breanna Circe

Theses & ETDs

This thesis paper sets out to address the questions: Is it possible to express the same story across both mediums? If the medium changes, will the understanding of the story also change? The two storytelling mediums of choice are theater and film. First, I take a look at the historical relationship between theater and film, then, I compare and contrast the theories and processes each medium uses to produce a play or movie. Second, I conduct an experiment where I personally attempt to adapt a scene from a play into a short film, and a scene from a film into …

Emotion Regulation And Pretend Play In Preschool-Aged Children, Alyssa Dolphin

Theses & ETDs

The current study included only well-established, high-fidelity Montessori programs to explore differences in children’s emotion regulation levels across varying preschool contexts (Montessori, traditional, and at-home/no preschool), the relationship between time spent in a Montessori program and emotion regulation, and the potential moderating role of preschool environment in the relationship between pretend play and emotion regulation. Seven parents of children enrolled in a Montessori program, seven parents of children enrolled in a traditional preschool program, and 21 parents of children not currently enrolled in preschool completed an online survey consisting of an emotion regulation scale, a pretend play scale, and demographic …

D.R Horton And The Florida Housing Market: An Industry Analysis Of Growth, Competitive Dynamics And Policy Within The Tampa Bay And Sarasota Area, Francisco Rafael Canquiz Fermin

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the Tampa Bay and Sarasota housing market through the lens of D.R. Horton, the nation's largest homebuilder, to understand how structural constraints, competitive dynamics, and economic forces shape industry outcomes. Between 2020 and 2025, the Tampa MSA absorbed more than 250,000 net domestic migrants while single-family permits increased only 32%, creating an imbalance between surging demand and constrained supply that has driven home prices to record levels (U.S. Census Bureau; Tampa Bay Economic Development Council). The analysis proceeds in two parts. Part I provides a comprehensive industry analysis, defining market boundaries, mapping the value chain, evaluating market …

The Heart Of Care: Perceptions And Management Of Pediatric Cancer Across Cultures, Kit Lamison

Theses & ETDs

The current study aimed to determine the interaction between cultural background, perceptions of illness, and family management in Chinese American and White American caregivers of children diagnosed with cancer. The current study was conducted to gain knowledge on how families from different backgrounds respond to the devastating experience of having a child diagnosed with cancer. To achieve this goal, participants were recruited through online communities focused on pediatric cancer and traditional Chinese medicine. A 135-item online survey containing the revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (Moss-Morris et al., 2002) and the Family Management Measure (Knafl et al., 2011) was distributed to participants …

Exploring Sarasota’S Local Theatre And Its Historical Structure, Cayla Schimmel

Theses & ETDs

This thesis argues that Asolo Repertory Theatre may not be the only single foundation for other existing and future theaters in Sarasota to exist but serves as a central model due to its unique historical layer, institutional structure, and lasting artistic influence which have helped modern day theaters like Urbanite Theatre to exist in a coexistent city. What originally began as a comparative project focused on identifying the differences between Asolo’s multiple performance venues, including its expansive proscenium Mertz Theatre and Urbanite’s concentrated black box space, led to a shift in perspective. It became an exploration of meaningful relationships that …

Frozen In Motion: A Study Of Theatrical And Figure Skating Show Conventions, Makayla Hunter

Theses & ETDs

This thesis dives into the different worlds of theatrical and figure skating show conventions. Chapter 1 gives a brief history of figure skating as a sport, along with how it functions, and how it developed into show skating. Chapter 2 then discusses the multiple variations of Disney’s Frozen using the theories of Nelson Goodman and Catherine Elgin to showcase how the different genres comprise separate symbolic and artistic worlds. Chapter 3 is my practical interpretation of the theory translating the choreography of ‘All That Jazz’ from the musical Chicago from ensemble to solo and from stage to ice. This thesis …

How Elements Including Location, Time Of Day, And Narrative Structure Influence Audience Engagement And Emotional Connection Within Short Form Video Content, Ashleighe Gibson

Communications and Digital Media Theses

This study examines how TikTok-based digital storytelling communicates urban walking experiences in New York City, focusing on how content strategies influence audience engagement and emotional connection. While both walking and short-form video storytelling have been widely studied, their intersection in shaping perceptions of urban environments remains underexplored. Using a mixed-methods approach, a TikTok account was created to document walking experiences, with content systematically varied by key factors including narrative structure, posting frequency, and environmental context. Engagement metrics, including views, likes, comments, and shares were analyzed alongside qualitative reflections to identify patterns in audience engagement and response. Findings indicate that engagement …

Editorial, Jo Cottrell, Louise Kane

The Journal of Wyndham Lewis Studies

No abstract provided.

"Neutrality—That Was Anathema": The Critique Of Ideology In The Revenge For Love, Joseph Owen

The Journal of Wyndham Lewis Studies

No abstract provided.

Wyndham Lewis's "Most Active Colleague": William Harcourt's 1917 Diary, Jim Beach, Rod Rosenquist

The Journal of Wyndham Lewis Studies

No abstract provided.

Wyndham Lewis And British Art Rock: A Practicological Modernism By Thomas Keller, David A. Wragg

The Journal of Wyndham Lewis Studies

Book Review

Thomas Keller, Wyndham Lewis and British Art Rock: a Practicological Modernism. (Narr Francke Attempto Verlag, 2024), 328pp. £54.00 (Hbk)

Market Structure And Strategic Conduct In The U.S. Life Insurance Sector, Kaja Szuba

Theses & ETDs

This thesis applies the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) model to conduct an industry analysis of the United States life insurance sector, integrating foundational economic theory to explain observed market behavior. The U.S. Life Insurance Industry exhibits oligopolistic characteristics, high regulatory barriers to entry, moderate product differentiation, and disciplined pricing behavior. Market share data is drawn from NAIC reports, supplemented by surveys conducted through LIMRA, and company-level financial data. The analysis examines seven key areas: the definition of the industry, the structure of the industry, the conduct of firms within the industry, the performance of the industry, the linkage of SCP constructs to …

New Leader Perspectives On Caring Communications, Miah Graczyk, Dorothy Moore, Andrew Peine, Russell Zwiers, Robert Whisler, Barbara Holmes

Leadership Education Books

This is an ebook project created by the Leadership Education graduate students in the  LDRS 615 Leadership Communication spring 2026 course.

Graduate students enrolled in Leadership Education 615 (Spring 2026) focused their final writing project on the role of caring communication in effective leadership. Drawing from personal leadership experiences, students examined critical gaps in current practices and identified areas in need of growth and refinement.

LDRS Education 615 students argue that emerging leaders play a crucial role in strengthening organizational environments by promoting safety, collaboration, and mutual respect. Thus, New Leaders Perspectives on Caring Communications reinforces the importance of developing …

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Graduate Commencement: May 2026, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Undergraduate Commencement: May 2026, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.