Digital Commons Network^™

Healthcare Systems & Policy Implications For Tele-Dentistry Policies On Access To Dental Care For Underserved Populations In The United States, Deeya Bhadresa

Posters - 2026

Access to dental care remains a significant public health challenge for people in rural and low-income communities. Tele dentistry has shown the ability to expand preventive services, improve care coordination, and reduce geographic barriers. However, inconsistent Medicaid coverage, limited infrastructure, and low provider participation restrict its impact. The main recommendation is standardizing Medicaid tele dentistry coverage and reimbursement across states to improve access and equity. Action is needed now to preserve post–COVID-19 telehealth gains and address persistent oral health disparities.

Ultragps: A Low-Cost, Open-Source Ultrasonic Positioning System, Scott Roelker Murillo, Nnamdi Jesse Onwuzurike

Posters - 2026

We want to raise the bar in high school robotics. In Texas, and likely in many other states as well, high school robotics has reached a roadblock when it comes to autonomous navigation. In many competitions, the autonomous portion sees few, teams successfully completing tasks that require positioning and guidance. In modern robotics, it is no longer sufficient for a robot merely be “remote controlled.” They need to be able to navigate independently and adapt to the environment around them. To achieve this goal a positioning system is needed to develop the foundational algorithms for autonomous controls. However, these systems …

Take A Hit? Take A Hit: Quantifying Cell Death In E-Cigarette Exposed Bronchial Epithelial Cells Following Cards Toxin Treatment, Truman Havrda, Hannah Jiron, Sierra Trevino

Posters - 2026

The rapid rise of e-cigarette use among young adults has created a significant public health challenge, as the popularity of "vaping" has grown faster than our understanding of its long term cellular consequences. Current research indicates that e-cigarette vapor (ECV) induce high levels of oxidative stress and impair the lungs' ability to clear bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, ECV exposure upregulates specific receptors on the surface of airway cells, essentially making it easier for bacteria to adhere to and infect the lungs. While we know that both e-liquids and vapor trigger inflammatory responses and cytotoxicity, there is limited data on how these …

Property Taxes And Educational Inequality: How Funding Structures Perpetuate Social Class Divides In San Antonio, Texas, Kristanna Martinez, Camila Ore

Posters - 2026

The U.S education system relies heavily on property taxes, creating an unhealthy dependence where property value dictates the quality of education depending on the school district

• In the historical case Edgewood v. Kriby, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the reliance on local property taxes for school funding was unconstitutional, as it violated the state requirement that all children receive a “thorough and efficient” education. The court ruled that every district must be provided the same ability to obtain educational funds regardless of their local property wealth. • The purpose of this study is to examine if the 2025-2026 …

Between Boots And Beaches: A Study Of Spanglish Across The Souothwest, Payton Mayfield, Kaylynn Perez, Demetri Zoutis, Sandra Villarreal

Posters - 2026

When two living organisms reproduce, they create new life—an entity that is distinct, yet traceable to its origins through inherited traits. While languages are not biological, a similar process of creation can occur through contact and convergence. When two languages interact, a new vernacular may emerge, shaped by its linguistic “parentage” while developing its own structures, meanings, and cultural significance. Spanglish represents one such linguistic evolution. This study examines the development of Spanglish across the United States mid-West, with a focus on communities spanning from Texas to California. By comparing these regions, the research identifies both shared patterns and regional …

Healthcare Systems & Policy Implications For The Impact Of State Medicaid Reimbursement Rates On Access To Primary Care Services In Rural Communities: Turning Knowledge Into Action, Miriam Martinez

Posters - 2026

• Where a child lives can determine whether they receive care or go without it. • Access to primary care is essential for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment, but rural areas face persistent challenges such as provider shortages and geographic isolation. • Medicaid serves as the primary source of health coverage for low-income children; however, reimbursement rates vary by state and are often lower than other forms of insurance. • This study examines how Medicaid reimbursement policy contributes to disparities in access to care for rural children and reflects broader structural inequalities within the healthcare system.

Research Proposal: What Did We Lose When We Stayed Home? Digital Culture And The Erosion Of Social Interaction, Anzio Hall

Posters - 2026

Third spaces serve as casual social environments such as libraries and movie theaters acting as "anchors" for community and social connection. (Melissa et.,al 2024). Nonetheless with the rise of streaming services and personalized experiences, these spaces are increasingly disappearing from everyday life (Fowler, 2026; Van De Vijer, 2017). For Gen Z, a generation that had grown up with technology at their fingertips, raising questions about how they interacting with other and experience relationships (Fisu et al, 2024). This study aims to explore: How does Gen Z describe the experience of third spaces as they connect with others?

The Cost Of Affordable Healthcare: How Brazil's Sus And Generic Drug Strtegy Produce Structural Inequality And Challenge Global Pharmaceutical Rules, Elena Kössler

Posters - 2026

Affordable healthcare is often seen as a major social achievement, but maintaining low costs involves important trade-offs. Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) provides universal healthcare and relies heavily on generic medicines to expand access. This raises a central question: how can a system reduce the cost of healthcare while simultaneously generating new forms of inequality and tension within global pharmaceutical markets? This paper argues that Brazil’s cost-reduction strategy, particularly its reliance on generic medicines, improves affordability but also produces structural trade-offs between equitable access, quality of care, and incentives for pharmaceutical innovation.

Harvest Scanner, Alexander Murphy

Posters - 2026

In current times, people can find themselves at the whims of markets and may be spending more than they realize or want to on regular, everyday goods. New tools can help users keep track of the goods they are paying for. Harvest Scanner was developed to scan and track local grocery prices from stores using their publicly available website information. It was developed in Python using PyQt5 for GUI. The database is stored as an SQL file with Python using SQLite engine. Users will be able to view local grocery prices in a database interface (GUI). There are many features …

Armed Conflict: Addressing Violations Against Children's Human Rights, Noelia Torres Guillen

Posters - 2026

• Research question: How has armed conflict violated children's human rights, and how have international legal frameworks been effective in addressing these violations?

• The CRC sets the standard international definition, which defines a child as every human being below the age of eighteen years

• There are six grave violations: Killing and maiming of children, the recruitment or use of children as soldiers, sexual violence, abduction, attacks against schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access for children.

• Argument (thesis): Although there are several legal instruments implemented to protect children's human rights during armed conflict, children are still …

Calculated Self-Presentation: Japan At Twentieth Century American World’S Fairs, Mary Rose Comerford

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

World’s fairs are places of innovation, culture, and technology. They are places where visitors go to be wowed by the innovations of other countries, but do they have a deeper meaning? In this thesis I will argue that world’s fairs serve a purpose beyond the sharing of culture and innovation. They allow national commissions to control the narrative of their country through a careful curation of displays that meet the objectives of their government. Countries’ objectives at world’s fairs change all the time, depending on their position in the world and what serves their best interest. The fairs themselves each …

“Do Not Take Sex Into The Practice”: Lelia Robinson And Her Struggle To Become The First Female Attorney Of Massachusetts, Georgia Grace Peters

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

Lelia Robinson was the first woman lawyer in Massachusetts. Although her achievements paved the way for future female litigators, her efforts to partake in the legal profession were complicated. This was because she herself had a complex relationship with her own identity as a woman who wanted to practice law. In her early career and experiences at law school, Robinson publicly disregarded the discrimination she faced and framed her success as a result of her individual merit and capability, viewing herself as an equal to other male attorneys rather than part of a gendered struggle. Her brief to the Court …

200 Years Of Trials And Triumphs, Elizabeth Davis

Furman Magazine

A reflection on all Furman has accomplished requires a steady approach to what comes next.

Paladin Pride, Brad Senkiw

Furman Magazine

The evolution of Furman University mascots is varied, strange and inspiring.

Where It All Started, Jake Grove, Courtney Tollison '99

Furman Magazine

The communities where Furman began are now historic markers for many reasons.

Table Of Contents And Advertisements, Furman University

Furman Magazine

No abstract provided.

A Wealth Of Well-Being, Jake Grove

Furman Magazine

Jose Morales-Martinez '18 gives back to a community that has shown him so much.

Scene And Be Seen, Furman University

Furman Magazine

No abstract provided.

Furman Magazine. Volume 69, Issue 1 - Full Issue, Furman University

Furman Magazine

No abstract provided.

Class Notes, Furman University

Furman Magazine

No abstract provided.

200 Things We Love About Furman, Jake Grove

Furman Magazine

No abstract provided.

Extending The Fuzzy-Trace Theory Informed Model Of Guilty Plea Decision Making: Accounting For Factual Guilt And Innocence, Rebecca K. Helm, Tina M. Zottoli

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: Understanding how sentence differentials influence plea decision making is vital to identifying when plea offers might lead to convictions that conflict with normative goals (e.g., avoiding wrongful conviction). We clarify previous findings by introducing and testing predictions of a Fuzzy-Trace Theory informed model relating plea discount to plea acceptance in mock guilty defendants and extend the work to mock innocent defendants.

Hypotheses: We expected plea rates in guilty defendants to increase with increases in plea discount but to change more steeply when a change in plea discount created a categorically distinct change in sentence (vs. a less meaningful reduction). …

Machine Learning In Fundamental Physics: From Early Universe Signatures To Qcd Evolution, Brandon Stevenson

Physics Theses and Dissertations

In both cosmology and small-x quantum chromodynamics, the relevant theoretical predictions are well-defined but expensive to evaluate repeatedly over broad parameter spaces or large ensembles of simulated data. The central question of this thesis is when machine learning can accelerate those calculations without weakening the reliability of the final physics conclusions. The thesis develops and tests this idea in three settings. First, it studies the Derivative Approximation for Likelihoods (DALI) as a means of diagnosing when Fisher-matrix forecasts cease to be trustworthy in cosmological parameter inference. Second, it investigates graph-based spherical neural networks for estimating primordial non-Gaussianity directly from simulated …

Antitrust And Economic Liberty, Doha Mekki

Center for Law and the Economy

Over the last few years, antitrust plaintiffs have won important victories in cases against digital platforms. They’ve won important cases involving real estate associations, elite private colleges, sports leagues, pharmaceutical companies, pork processors, and health insurers. In some cases, they have secured record-breaking jury verdicts and redress for harmed individuals.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division has been active too. Last year, a federal court held that Google illegally maintained monopolies in general internet search and related search advertising markets. That case is about access to the information we see and use to make decisions about how we want …

The Revival Of Section 5: A Return To The Ftc’S Roots In A Time Of Democratic Crisis, Shaoul Sussman

Center for Law and the Economy

On November 10, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or the “Commission”) issued a policy statement on the scope of unfair methods of competition under section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA). This policy statement marked a significant shift, reviving a broad interpretation of the agency’s authority to police anticompetitive conduct. The antitrust defense bar reacted with alarm, arguing that the principles are overly ambiguous and lack guidance. This Essay contends that reaction is misplaced. The statement draws on a rich body of U.S. Supreme Court and circuit court precedent that the antitrust bar seems to have largely …

From Prediction To Prevention: How The Va Uses Analytics To Reduce Chronic Disease And Mental Health Risk, Leelakrishna Angadala

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Predictive analytics has become an essential component of preventive care strategies within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which serves a medically and psychosocially complex population at elevated risk for chronic disease and mental health conditions. This research examines how the VHA has leveraged predictive analytics to improve early identification, prevention, and targeted intervention for chronic illnesses and mental health disorders. Specifically, it explores established initiatives such as the Care Assessment Needs (CAN) score for identifying veterans at high risk of hospitalization or mortality, the Reach Out, Stay Strong, Essentials for Veterans (REACH VET) program for suicide risk prediction and prevention, …

The Role Of Hip Internal Rotation And Ground Reaction Forces On Lower Back Pain In Amateur Golfers, Katrina Arndt

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Lower back pain (LBP) is the most common musculoskeletal injury amongst golfers; the high velocity and repetitive motion of the golf swing on the lumbar spine leads to substantial compressive and torsional forces, making LBP primarily and overuse injury. An additional risk factor for LBP is limited lead hip internal rotation (LHIR), which forces the lumbar spine to compensate through excessive rotation. The golf swing also relies heavily on the efficient transfer of energy generated from the ground through the lower body, a process quantified by ground reaction forces (GRFs). While existing research has separately examined LBP and GRFs, there …

Functional Annotation Of Gordonia Phage Minor Tail Proteins Using Alphafold And Structural Homology Searches, Harani Athwale, Mitchell Thenor

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. The basic phage structure consists of a DNA or RNA genome encased in a capsid protein shell. Some may also have a tail, important for attachment and genome delivery into the bacterial host. Recently, the structure of mycobacteriophage Bxb1 was characterized and determined to have 10 minor tail proteins, each assigned a unique function. The genomes of Gordonia rubripertincta phages Fribs8, Genamy16, Alyssamiracle, and NovaSharks were annotated, depicting several minor tai proteins. However, the specific functions were not determined. Therefore, the goal of this research was to assign a specific function to the minor …

Reproductive Experience Mitigates Cognitive Aging In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Esperanza Barrios, Chana Vogel, Tej Chaudhari, Anna Roy, Shruthi Senthil, Greeshma Thomas

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that lacks effective treatment. Despite women having approximately twice the risk for developing AD, few studies have investigated sex-specific factors contributing to disease vulnerability. Among women, motherhood appears to be protective, although results are mixed, and this relationship could be explained by a third variable (e.g., genes) influencing both disease risk and fertility or fecundity. During an experiment directly tested the effects of motherhood by manipulating access to male breeders and examining neurodegeneration and cognitive aging in control (B6129) and transgenic mice used to model AD (3xTg-AD mice), we also compared reproductive …

Modeling The Extracellular Matrix-Like Retinal Protein Pikachurin And Its Binding To Α-Dystroglycan And Gpcr (Gpr179), Mohit Belur, Khushi Raval, Riya Chelagiri, Rani Mehta

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Pikachurin is an extracellular matrix scaffold protein that links photoreceptor and ON-bipolar cell synapses by bridging the presynaptic dystroglycan complex and the postsynaptic receptor GPR179, ensuring precise synaptic alignment required for vision. Although its role in dystroglycanopathy associated visual phenotypes is well recognized, there is no published structural model showing how pikachurin engages α-dystroglycan or how this may influence GPCR linked synaptic signaling. This study computationally modeled full length Pikachurin using the complete nucleic acid sequence and available Protein Data Bank structures, integrating Jmol, AlphaFold, and literature-based analysis to predict domain organization, Ca²⁺-binding motifs, and glycan interaction sites …