Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Ai On The Landscape Design Process, Jacob Owen Huff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more common in design fields, including landscape architecture. For example, AI has been used to visually analyze park aesthetics and generate landscape design concepts (Jahani et al., 2022; Senem et al., 2023; Ploennigs & Berger, 2023). This study explores how AI, specifically an image-generation tool called Midjourney, affects the design process for landscape architecture students.

Students completed two design projects—one using AI-generated images and one using traditional, non-AI precedent images. Their final designs were evaluated by professional landscape architects who did not know which designs had been influenced by AI. Students also completed surveys about …

Using A Prerequisite Skills Assessment To Identify Effective Communication Modalities For Mand Training, Christine White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) need support to learn how to communicate their wants and needs. This study examined three different ways to teach children to request preferred items or activities: using sign language, exchanging pictures, and speaking. We compared how three children learned each communication method to determine whether their existing skills influenced which method was most effective. No clear relationship was found between children's existing abilities and how well they learned each communication method. These findings suggest that selecting the most effective communication approach may require considering each child's individual strengths and learning history rather than …

Asynchronous Intervention For Students With Disabilities On Career Awareness, Erica Rood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Historically, students with disabilities have fewer opportunities to prepare for post-high school life, and this is especially true when it comes to getting a job. This is also true for those students with complex support needs (i.e., autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, other health impairment). One way to help individuals with disabilities have greater success after high school is to teach them about different careers.

This study was for high school students with disabilities who have complex support needs. It focused on helping them learn about different careers through online modules. The study looked at whether this type of learning …

Social Support As A Resource In Emerging Adulthood: Examining Siblings' Unique Potential, Leslie A. Page

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation consists of three studies that examined the influence of multiple relational processes and partners across adolescence and emerging adulthood. Drawing on family systems (Bowen, 1978; Cox & Paley, 1997) and social convoy (Antonucci et al., 2013) theories, social support was conceptualized as a relational dimension that shapes how close others function as resources during key developmental transitions. With this perspective, siblings were included as important, but relatively understudied, members of the social convoy who may provide enduring and flexible support that is extremely relevant for this population. In Study 1, support was treated as an outcome of longitudinal …

Pavlovian Conditioning And Self-Control: From Laboratory To Classroom Application, Saba Mahmoudi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Impulsive choice, the preference for a smaller-sooner reward (SSR) over a larger-later reward (LLR), is associated with various challenging behaviors (e.g., gambling and substance-used disorders). Many interventions can reduce impulsive choice but those that produce long-lasting effects typically require long training durations or are difficult to implement in applied settings. This dissertation evaluated a novel Pavlovian training approach designed to promote self-control. In Experiment 1, procedures from Mahmoudi and Madden (2024) were replicated in the laboratory with the addition of a truly random control group. The study also assessed whether presenting the conditioned stimulus (CS) before a choice would increase …

Integrated Soil-Water Processes And Irrigation Management For Agricultural Water Optimization In Semi-Arid Regions, Tejinder Singh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Water is one of the most important resources for agriculture in the western United States. In semi-arid regions, farmers depend on irrigation to grow crops, but water supplies are becoming less reliable because of drought, declining snowpack, groundwater depletion, and increasing competition for limited water. Improving agricultural water use is therefore not simply about applying less water. It also requires understanding where water goes after it enters a field, how long it remains available to crops, and how farmers can use that information to make better irrigation decisions. This dissertation follows water through irrigated agricultural systems to better understand how …

Resilience, Hope, And Posttraumatic Growth Among Yazidi Refugees, Erin Elizabeth Larson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Although it has been more than a decade since the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) imposed genocide upon the Yazidi people, an ethnic minority indigenous to Kurdistan, research on the psychological health of this community is lacking. While traumatic experiences and the accumulation of stressors can overwhelm one’s capacity for resilience, making it especially difficult for refugees to adapt and recover from their experiences. Posttraumatic Growth Theory posits that individuals may overcome such challenges and even undergo positive life transformations. Data were collected from Yazidi young adults using an online survey and examined the associations between resilience, hope, …

Applications Of Machine Learning To Gas Plume Analysis In Longwave Infrared Hyperspectral Images, Scout C. Jarman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Each pixel from a hyperspectral camera measures the intensity of light over a continuous range of wavelengths, which is in contrast to traditional color cameras, which just measure the intensity of red, green, and blue wavelengths of light. Longwave infrared hyperspectral images can be used to detect gases from a distance by measuring how different materials emit and absorb heat. This makes them useful for applications such as monitoring industrial emissions or locating hazardous gas leaks. In practice, however, gas signatures in these hyperspectral images are often weak and easily obscured by variations in the background scene, making reliable identification …

Integrating Space Use And Demography To Support Management Of An Endangered Alpine Ungulate, Danielle J. Berger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The places animals choose to live affect the food they find, the dangers they face, and the weather conditions they experience. These experiences influence whether individual animals survive and reproduce, which in turn affects the size and health of animal populations. Although scientists have long believed that animal movements play an important role in population trends, there has been limited real-world evidence showing this connection. Advances in GPS tracking technology now allow researchers to follow animals over long periods and better understand how movement influences survival. Using 20 years of GPS tracking data from the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep …

Understanding The Impact Of Environmental Change On Shorebird Abundance And Distribution Across The Intermountain West Over The Past 30 Years, Sharon Montecino

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Shorebirds have declined worldwide over the past century, mainly due to wetland loss and degradation. Wetlands are sites that are temporarily or permanently flooded and provide critical habitat for shorebirds, especially in arid and semi-arid regions such as the Intermountain West. However, climate change and human water use threaten these wetlands, and how these threats may affect shorebirds in this region remains poorly understood. In the early 1990s, shorebird counts at over 160 wetlands across the Intermountain West provided a broad assessment of shorebird populations in the region. These counts remained the only large-scale surveys until 2022, when the Intermountain …

From Evidence To Impact: Supporting Sensemaking And Instructional Revision In Stem Classrooms, Bonni Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Science and math literacy is crucial for informed citizenship and economic competitiveness, yet many students leave school without developing the critical thinking skills needed to understand and solve complex issues or pursue STEM careers. This disconnect often stems from traditional teaching methods that emphasize memorization and following steps over authentic reasoning and problem solving. This dissertation addresses this challenge by identifying how teachers in research studies have taught STEM in ways that develop students' ability to think, reason, and problem-solve like real scientists.

By analyzing research on instruction that incorporates modeling, inquiry, and sensemaking, and working directly with teachers, this …

Method Validation Of The Cdc Bottle Bioassay And A Historical Record Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Glacier National Park, Evah F. Peard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Certain contaminants can persist in the environment for long periods of time, build up within living tissues, travel far from their origin, and harm both ecosystems and organisms. This thesis focuses on two types of contaminants: insecticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Insecticides are manufactured to control pests while PAHs are found in oil and gas products and can be produced by industry, vehicle engines, and wildfires. Understanding how harmful these contaminants are and where they end up in the environment is critical for protecting environmental health.

First, I evaluated a widely used test developed by the Centers for Disease …

An Examination Of Lifetime Traumatic Brain Injury And Anti-Inflammatory Medication Use In The Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Mikaela A. Drewel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in individuals aged 65 years and older. There are a number of lifestyle and genetic factors that affect one’s risk for AD including traumatic brain injury (TBI), and genes such as those for Apolipoprotein E (APOE) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This study examined sex differences in how TBI history influences risk for AD, exploring genetic variants suspected to play a role in TBI recovery. Additionally, in following an inflammatory mechanism in TBI, the study also determined if nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use reduced subsequent risk for AD. The study analyzed …

Incorporation Of Dairy Ingredients Into Chocolate And Caramel: Impact On Product Quality, Shelf Life, And Consumer Acceptance, Taelie Kennedy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Incorporating next-generation milk powders like milk protein isolate (MPI) and milk protein concentrate (MPC) into confections can increase protein content. Milk permeate powders (MPP) are byproducts of the production of high-protein dairy ingredients (MPC and MPI). Typically considered waste streams, growing awareness of sustainability has increased interest in the use of MPP in food. There is minimal research on the use of these ingredients in confections. 

This study evaluated the effects of incorporating milk protein powders and MPP into chocolate and the effects of replacing granulated sugar with MPP in caramel on product quality and consumer acceptance. 

Chocolate batches were …

Does Acceptance Matter? The Moderating Role Of Acceptance Of Pornography Use In Sexual And Relationship Satisfaction, Alexandra L. Gillespie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

With more or the general population reporting regular pornography use there has been an increase in interest in the consequences of regular use, especially for romantic relationships. Previously completed research has shown that there are likely other explanations for why pornography use is related to both positive and negative outcomes. This study examines how acceptance might change the influence the relationship between frequency of use and relationship and sexual satisfaction for individuals. This relationship may yield greater understanding of why some individuals report benefits and others report negative effects of pornography use. Findings indicated that for men their level of …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Teacher-Led And Student-Supported Variations Of The Good Behavior Game, Patrick Wells

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This project examined the effectiveness of two variations of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) intervention: the traditional teacher-led and a student-supported variation. The traditional intervention has been shown to be an effective intervention for reducing disruptive classroom behaviors. Despite its effectiveness, proper implementation does require additional effort from the teacher—effort that may better be directed toward improving instruction. A student-supported variation of the intervention has the potential to reduce the effort required of teachers who wish to implement the intervention in their classroom. We utilized a nonconcurrent, multiple baseline design with alternating treatment to compare the effectiveness of both versions …

Effects Of Single-Session Interventions On Youth Internalizing Problems, Thomas K. Franzmann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Anxiety and depression are among the most common mental health concerns young people face, and they often interfere with school, friendships, family life, and long-term well-being. Even though effective therapies exist, only about half of youth who need care ever receive it, and among those who do start treatment, the most common total number of sessions a young person attends is one. This gap between what young people need and what they actually receive raises a practical question for the field: can a single, well-designed meeting with a provider produce meaningful change for some youth and families, and what should …

"Building Something Great!": Fifth-Grade Teachers Nurturing Hope Through Professional Learning Communities – A Telling Case, Matthew H. Huffaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Teachers and educational leaders face numerous obstacles that can seem insurmountable but overcome through collaboration. “High-hope thinking provides a special advantage when we face obstacles in our goal attainment” (Snyder, 1994). Effective PLCs provide the fertile ground for teacher collaboration, influencing schoolwide communities and student learning (DuFour et al., 2016; Hord, 2004; van Es, 2012). Collaboratively identifying challenges and coming up with solutions with the support of others (what effective PLCs do) is an ideal setting for observing hope.

This study explored how hope is fostered among teachers during their weekly professional learning community meetings. Further, this study examined how …

Carbon Cycling, Salinization, And Long-Term Water Quality Trends In Rocky Mountain Streams, Allyson J. Marrs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Humans have greatly affected streams and rivers worldwide through urbanization, agriculture, and water use. The purpose of my dissertation is to increase our understanding of various human impacts on rivers. In chapter two, I aim to determine whether there are differences in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between a natural river and manmade canals. I did this by measuring the emissions and dissolved concentrations of three of the most prevalent GHGs, carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). I found that most of the sites I studied were emitting CO₂ and CH …

The Effects Of Psychological Stress On Gut Health In Mice Fed Either A Healthy Diet Or The Total Western Diet, David Keenan Thomas Prescott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Total Western Diet (TWD), a rodent diet designed to model the typical American dietary pattern, has been shown to worsen inflammation and colitis severity in mice. Psychological stress has also been associated with increased intestinal inflammation, barrier dysfunction, and alterations to the gut microbiome. The goal of this study was to determine whether combining the TWD with psychological stress would further worsen colitis severity and alter the gut microbiome. To investigate this, mice were fed either a healthy control diet or the TWD and exposed to psychological stress using a social disruption stress model. Colitis was induced using established …

Visibility Assessment In Urban Areas: Exploring Measures And Approaches For Viewing Green Space, Doo Hong Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Urban greenery is often used to understand the quality of living conditions in cities. However, measuring greenery is not always simple. Some methods show how much vegetation exists from above, while others try to show what people actually see while walking or moving through streets. These are different ways of understanding green space. This dissertation focuses on visible greenness, or the greenery that people can see from eye level in everyday urban environments.

This research addresses a practical problem. Many existing methods for measuring visible greenness require large image datasets, advanced computing, or commercial street-view images. These requirements can make …

Impact Of Chronic Stress And Nutrition On Functional Connectivity And Neural Networks In Young Kichwa Children From The Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest, Matthew L. Cook

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Early childhood is a critical period for brain development. Positive and negative experiences during this time can have lasting effects on learning, health, and well-being. However, most research on children’s brain development has been conducted in wealthy, industrialized nations, leaving important gaps in our understanding of how children develop in other cultural and environmental contexts.

This study examined brain development in Indigenous Kichwa children living in two rural communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. The goal was to better understand how chronic stress and nutrition may influence a child’s developing brain during early childhood. Children participated in noninvasive brain assessments …

Improving Teacher Adherence To Greeting And Attendance Routines Through Performance And Graphed Feedback, Caitlin Huppi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Schools establish expectations for teachers to create safe, organized, and welcoming environments, but teachers may not consistently follow these expectations throughout the school year. This study examined whether brief feedback could help four high school teachers more consistently greet students and scan IDs for attendance during passing periods. Teachers received graphs showing their performance and brief weekly feedback. All four teachers increased greeting behavior, and three increased attendance scanning. Teachers also rated the intervention as acceptable, feasible, and helpful. These findings suggest that brief feedback may be a practical way for school leaders to support consistent teacher implementation of school-wide …

Faculty Perspectives On Career And Technical Education Programming For Prison And Other At-Risk Populations: Implications Of A Human Centered Design Focus, Taija R. Jackson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study was to examine the perceptions of career and technical education (CTE) faculty regarding their familiarity with human-centered design (HCD), perceptions of the value and worth as a framework for program and curriculum design and willingness to teach in correctional education settings. The survey was administered to postsecondary CTE employed at public community and technical colleges in Utah and Colorado (N = 37). Participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment condition, in which they viewed a six-minute-long video vignette illustrating HCD in practice, or a control condition without exposure to the …

Strain Monitoring And Site Characterization At Birds Landing From Transmission Tower Implosions Recorded Using Das And Nodal Stations, Prajwal Panthi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

When two old electrical transmission towers in the Sacramento River Delta in California were demolished by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Utah State University saw an opportunity hiding inside the demolition. Because one of the towers stood close to the Sacramento River and its protective levee, they used the controlled collapse not only to monitor strains in the levee and surrounding ground, but also to learn what lied beneath the ground surface.

To capture this event, the researchers buried a 1.4-kilometer fiber optic cable along the ground and connected it to a system called Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), which can …

Assessing Ecological Integrity Of Streams Across The Western U.S., Jennifer L. Courtwright

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Large-scale assessments of stream health (ecological integrity) are required by policies such as the U.S. Clean Water Act and provide critical information needed to properly manage public lands. Our ability to quantify the ecological condition of streams in the western U.S. and identify the causes of degraded conditions has previously been impeded by a lack of standardized large-scale datasets, high natural temporal and spatial variability of ecological attributes, and poor-quality land use data. I compiled large-scale monitoring datasets and built models to predict the values of ecological attributes (metrics) at a given site in the absence of human impacts. In …

Challenges To Longevity Among Native Americans In The Four Corner States, Ashley Lenarz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Previous research has shown that Native Americans within the Four Corners States of the United States experience poor health outcomes and premature mortality. The Four Corners States include Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. Research examining COVID-19 pandemic outcomes has also suggested that Native peoples within the Four Corners States have been especially hard hit with high rates of infection and mortality. Our research seeks to (1) understand how life expectancy trends and differences changed among non-Hispanic Native Americans and Whites in the Four Corners States during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) examine how much of these trends and differences …

Understanding Agricultural Irrigation Practices Along Utah's Wasatch Front Through Farmer-Reported Data, Garland Ledbetter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Water is a growing concern in Utah, especially along the Wasatch Front, where cities, farms, and communities all rely on the same limited water supply. Agriculture uses a large portion of the state’s water, so understanding how farms manage irrigation is important for statewide water planning. Utah currently uses a dataset called Water-Related Land Use (WRLU) to estimate agricultural water use across the state. This dataset provides useful information about irrigated land and crop types. However, it does not capture many of the day-to-day decisions farmers make when managing irrigation.

To better understand irrigation practices, this study surveyed 61 farmers …

Understanding And Predicting Precipitation Characteristics In The United States Through Machine Learning, Numerical Modeling And Measurements, Cody Luther Ratterman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Precipitation is one of the most important yet uncertain variables in the climate system. It varies dramatically in terms of timing, accumulation, rate, and phase, depending on location, season, circulation patterns, and atmospheric conditions. Precipitation forecasts, especially snowfall, are essential to supporting drought mitigation and water management in the Intermountain West. Because rainfall and snowfall lead to opposite effects on snowpack, accurately partitioning rain and snow is important to estimate snowpack levels, winter recreation, mountain ecosystems and runoff. The research findings in this dissertation have advanced the understanding and prediction of precipitation and snowpack in the U.S. by addressing the …

Regional Occurrence And Spatiotemporal Habitat Partitioning Of The Culex Genus Mosquitoes In Salt Lake City And Uintah Basin, Utah, Katelyn Graybeal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease in North America and can cause serious illness, including inflammation of the brain and nervous system. Because there is currently no widely available vaccine for humans, preventing mosquito bites and monitoring mosquito populations remain the most effective ways to reduce disease risk. Understanding which mosquito species are present, where they occur, and how they respond to environmental change is critical for protecting public health.

This research examined the mosquito species responsible for spreading West Nile virus in Utah through two complementary studies. The first study focused on the Uinta Basin in …