Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher Perceptions On Technology Integration And Its Impact On Student Writing Skills In High School English/Language Arts Classrooms, Brittany Tischmak

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The rapid integration of technology in educational settings has transformed the landscape of teaching and learning, raising questions about its impact on foundational skills such as student writing. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions of high school English/Language Arts teachers with over ten years of experience regarding technology’s influence on student writing. Guided by the Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture educators’ lived experiences and understand their perceptions of how their pedagogical, content, and technological knowledge intersect in the classroom. Findings revealed that while technology offers tools that can enhance efficiency, educators …

The Implementation Of The Therapeutic Alliance In Aphasia Rehabilitation Research: A Narrative Review, Shelby Swiercz

Honors Theses

Background: The therapeutic alliance (TA), defined as the collaborative relationship between clinician and client, is widely recognized as a key factor influencing rehabilitation outcomes. However, within aphasia rehabilitation, its role remains underexplored and inconsistently measured

Methods: This narrative review examined peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and 2025 that focused on adult aphasia rehabilitation and addressed the client-clinician relationship. Studies were identified through database searches, including PubMed, CINAHL, ComDisDome, EBSCO, and Google Scholar, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Most of the studies employed qualitative methodologies, particularly thematic analysis and semi-structured interviews, to explore patient and clinician perspectives. The therapeutic alliance …

Cultivating Curiosity Across Academic Audiences: Biology And Evidence-Based Science Communication, Nathan D. Forbes

Whittier Scholars Program

Effective Science Communicators must speak to a variety of audiences, with varying quantities of prior interest and qualities of background knowledge. The purpose of this paper was to engage differing audiences in scientific learning. This was done through a hypothetical newsletter made up for four different segments exploring a variety of topics in biology. Each segment intends to speak to a different audience with a different level of interest and/or educational level. Simplifying or analogizing without sacrificing the statistical basis of this project was of paramount importance. In the two segments targeted towards younger audiences, the primary focus was on …

April 24, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Pepper Spray Exposure And The Effect On Dna Profiling Of Blood, Brandon Schmakel

Honors Projects

Pepper spray is a common self defense tool used in both law enforcement and civilian settings, with the goal of incapacitating the sprayed individual. In real casework where pepper spray was used, a red-brown stain which tested positive presumptively for blood provided no DNA profile after further testing six months later. A previous graduate student, Emma Crawn, attempted to emulate these casework conditions and instead achieved a DNA profile with slight indications of inhibition or degradation. Further analysis of active pepper spray ingredients such as Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) and Chloroacetophenone (CN) reveals that there are observed reactions, such as oxidation, …

Evaluating Drug Use Through Examination Of Local Water Sources: Drug Concentrations Within Biota Systems, Madeleine Freyhof

Honors Projects

Understanding drug usage based on drug concentrations found within biota samples grown in different concentrations of cocaine and benzoylecgonine. Drug policy then can be potentially based on how drug concentrations display drug usage for a specific community.

How Pollinator Populations Can Impact Chronic Disease Risk, Kylee Cubbison

Honors Projects

This project investigates how pollinator populations can impact chronic disease risk. Pollinator populations are declining, which can have serious implications for human health. Declining pollinator populations can limit healthy food production and affordability. Poor nutrition is a major risk factor for most chronic diseases. Less healthy food available for people to consume can negatively impact diets and increase the risk of developing chronic diseases. This project aims to address a potential gap in research existing on this specific topic regarding pollinator populations and human chronic disease risk. A brochure targeted towards educating the general public on this topic was created …

Gender Bias And The Adhd Diagnosis Gap, Ashlee Depass

Student Publications and Presentations

Public conversations often question whether Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) receives too many diagnoses. At the same time, many girls and women report years of struggling without recognition or support. This contrast suggests that the issue may not simply be how often clinicians diagnose ADHD, but how they recognize it and whose symptoms prompt evaluation. ADHD does not present identically across individuals. Boys frequently display hyperactive or disruptive behaviors that draw attention in school and clinical settings. Girls more commonly experience inattentiveness, emotional intensity, or internal distress that may not disrupt others in obvious ways. When adults interpret these behaviors differently, they …

Learning The Notes: Developing Absolute Pitch, Emma Joyce

Student Publications and Presentations

Absolute pitch (AP) is the ability to identify or name a musical pitch without the aid of a reference tone. Although the concept has been known for centuries, the processes of its development remain unclear. Researchers have proposed a variety of explanations, yet despite advances in neuroscience and cognitive psychology, there is still no agreement on whether AP results from natural ability or learned experience. By understanding neurological and developmental research, reviewing existing literature, analyzing case studies, and evaluating current theories, this paper aims to identify gaps in previous research and suggests a new approach for developing AP in young …

Moving On Stage, Moving The Audience: The Overlooked Impacts Of Body Language On Performance Reception Of Classical Music, Julia Jacobsen

Student Publications and Presentations

A large focus in productions of classical music is put towards executing the music at the highest level to achieve both the composer’s and interpreter’s visions. However, modern-day musicians often overlook the importance of visually conveying their music through their emotional expressions and movements. In this paper, I will examine existing research on audience perceptions of classical music performances, utilizing highly successful musicians as examples to determine their impact on audience reception of classical music. In so doing, I hope to develop strategies for greater audience engagement that will help music students and performers increase their connection to their auditors. …

The Effects Of The Opioid Crisis On Fentanyl Exhibitions, Onnalee Floriano

Student Publications and Presentations

The opioid crisis is an epidemic in which fentanyl related overdoses are becoming more common. With the increase in prescription and recreational drugs, there has been a rise in drug combinations and exhibitions in the United States. Fentanyl has been found to be combined with other opiates like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, creating a higher risk of overdoses when being used recreationally. The National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) is designed to collect drugs and understand the trends in where they are being seized. From 2015 to 2019, the NFLIS collected drugs in four groups, fentanyl alone, and fentanyl combinations …

Swosu Standing Committees 2025-2026, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

University Standing Committees

2025 – 2026 SWOSU Standing Committees

Unsettling Settled Science: The Perils Of And Rationale Behind Blind Faith In Forensic Evidence, Jaclyn Marra

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Science—a seemingly compelling and infallible adjudicative element—plays a pivotal role in criminal trials, serving as a cornerstone for evidence interpretation and decision-making. However, the perceived infallibility of scientific evidence often masks its inherent limitations and vulnerabilities. Forensic methods, widely regarded as objective and precise, can suffer from a plethora of inconspicuous constraints—including flawed methodologies, human error, and biases—which undermine their reliability. The American public and legal system frequently place undue trust in forensic evidence and experts, influenced by portrayals of their certainty in media and popular culture. This phenomenon has been referred to as the “Reverse CSI Effect.” This note …

On The “Storied” History And Sustained Impact Of A Thriving Social Justice Journal, Mario L. Barnes

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

No abstract provided.

Separate But Equal In The Bold New City Of The South: A Shadow Of What Remains, Charity Dera

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

This project undertakes the task of analyzing the historical and contemporary landscape of Jacksonville, Florida, the “Bold New City of the South,”1 from a multidisciplinary vantage point. It argues that the spirit of the overturned “separate but equal” holding of Plessy v. Ferguson2 and its bold segregationist ideologies reverberate today in both subtle and overt ways. Yet, that reality has not come without the resilience and perseverance of pioneering natives who have resisted such ideals in bold ways. While segregation is deeply rooted in U.S. history and scholars have readily addressed the contemporary effects of landmark cases such as Plessy …

Development Of A Preclinical Model That Can Be Used To Test Novel Therapeutics For The Treatment Of Mild And Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury, Hayden Anderson

Honors Theses

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when a foreign object induces damage to the skull and brain through a forceful blow or whiplash. It is one of the most frequent injuries in the United States, with approximately 250,000 cases of different levels occurring annually. It is well known that severe TBIs can result in persistent physical, cognitive, and socioeconomic consequences and the timing of treatment following this injury can play a critical role in the ultimate outcome. It would be beneficial to develop a safe therapeutic that could be administered rapidly after impact and improve the recovery of the patient. However, …

Identifying Mosquito Species From Gyrfalcon Nests In Nome, Alaska, Zosha Kocemba, Annastasia Waters, Michael Henderson, Kara Beer, Travis Booms, Carly L. Tolle, Anna Grimstein, Stephanie J. Galla

2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Climate change in the Arctic is accelerating much faster than the rest of the globe, changing the disease ecology of Arctic environments. A prime example of this are disease carrying mosquitoes (Family: Culicidae) expanding their realized habitats and interacting with new animal hosts. To understand this changing disease ecology in the new Arctic, methods to identify disease vectors- like mosquitoes- are needed. This study aims to identify mosquitoes that may carry avian malaria (Plasmodium spp.) taken from nests of immunologically naive Arctic Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus). This ongoing study focuses on characterizing mosquito species found in Gyrfalcon nests …

The Scarlet - Volume Civ, No. 11 (April 24, 2026), Scarlet Staff

The Scarlet (Student Newspaper) (2011-present)

The April 24, 2026 edition of The Scarlet (est. 1939), Clark University's student-run newspaper. The Scarlet is intellectually and editorially independent of the University.

The Pam-1 Aminopeptidase Does Not Protect Against Ptl-1 Mediated Neurodegeneration In C. Elegans., Ethan E. Schuff

Honors College Theses

Debilitating neurodegenerative conditions are increasingly prevalent in our aging population, yet treatment options remain limited. Though neurodegenerative diseases vary in pathophysiology and clinical manifestations, these diseases are related to one another in that many involve misfolded proteins. Tau is a member of the microtubule-stabilizing MAPT/MAP2/MAP4 family, and misfolded tau proteins form the neurotoxic aggregates called neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Designing a study to elucidate the neurotoxic role of tau is difficult because other MAPs may have compensatory mechanisms which confound study data. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) …

Ontogeny Of Microbial Community Structure In Shoal Grass Grown In Biochar-Amended Sediments, Sajeda Slhoub, Nicole Katz, Joey Ciocher, Jack Denvir, Jenisse Louis, Katelynn Zagami

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in the United States and contributes over $55.4 billion annually to Florida’s economy. Since 2010, more than 52% of the IRL seagrass meadows have been lost, reducing both the ecological and the economic potential of this ecosystem. Biochar, a stable carbon material produced by pyrolysis, added to soil enhance organic productivity perhaps because of increased microbial activity in the soil (Lehmann et al., 2017). Our study evaluates the use of biochar to grow resilient strains of seagrass for ecosystem restoration in the IRL.

N.A.U.T.I.L.U.S.: Natural Aquaculture Using Technology In Living Underwater Systems, Joey Ciocher, Abby Vallejo, Will Marble, Martin Pham, Roger Jiang

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are small subsets of marine ecosystems with limited to no access to exploitation to promote sustainability and growth of healthy populations of marine organisms. Factors that affect the performance of MPAs include Size, Age, Level of Protection, Enforcement and Compliance, Isolation and Connectivity, and Habitat Quality and Diversity.

Microgravity Simulator, Aruna Dookeran, Alexander Montano, Elias Orellana, Aiden Smart

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Microgravity significantly affects biological growth, but space-based experiments are costly and difficult to access. Ground-based systems provide an alternative; however, many require continuous manual supervision to maintain operating conditions.

Dual-Lev: A Dual-Axis Ultrasonic Acoustic Levitator, Trevor Hennington, Alyx Mason

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

sound waves to create a standing wave, where regions of high and low pressure form stable nodes that can trap small objects. The upward acoustic radiation force at these nodes balances gravity, allowing the object to float in midair. This technology is applicable in various fields such as chemistry, biological engineering, and sub-gravity simulation. It can also be used for drop dynamics studies, crystallization, and

Unf Student Research Symposium Conference Program Spring 2026, Office Of Undergraduate Research, Graduate School, Digital Humanities Institute, Hicks Honors College

UNF Student Research Symposium

Formerly known as SOARS, ARISE and U-GLIDE, the Student Research Symposium is a multi-disciplinary conference series at the University of North Florida (UNF) in which undergraduate and graduate students showcase their research projects during the fall, spring and summer semesters. Research at UNF includes inquiry and investigation in all forms. Communication of knowledge produced through student research can be presented in poster format or as an oral presentation at the Student Research Symposium in a welcoming environment. This is an excellent opportunity for students to refine their presentation skills through interaction with peers and faculty as they explain their projects, …

Photochemical Activation Of Cyanine-Based Nanogels For Controlled Drug Delivery, Presley Clary

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Student Publications

Cyanines are highly conjugated molecules with useful properties, such as ease of aggregation and fluorescence. In this project, they were incorporated into an acrylamide-based nanogel made through organic synthesis to exploit these properties for controlled drug delivery. Exposing the nanogel to nearinfrared (NIR) light causes it to react with reactive oxygen species (ROS), forming an unstable intermediate. The intermediate splits into two fragments, releasing the nanogel's cargo.1 The cargo, temozolomide, is an alkylating agent which can be used to disrupt the DNA of cancer cells.

Phenotype Variations Among Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Under Quorum-Sensing Conditions, Marcel Pedrosa

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Student Publications

Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication system that allows unicellular microorganisms like the eukaryote C. reinhardtii to regulate phenotypic switching as a function of cell density due to the accumulation of signaling molecules.  The goal of this study is to evaluate whether QS in C. reinhardtii is regulated by nutrient availability. We propose that in a nutrient-limited environment (low nitrogen TAP (N-TAP)), cells of C. reinhardtii (cc124) would adjust their motility-driven dispersion of cells and upregulate chlorophyll and carotenoid production per cell.

How Mindfulness And Yoga Practices Are Implemented In Occupational Therapy, Madeline Roberts

Honors Theses

The application of yoga and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in occupational therapy (OT) and their effects on occupational, cognitive, emotional, and physical outcomes are examined in this literature review. Occupational therapy is a comprehensive, client-based field that helps people engage in everyday activities to improve overall well-being, health, and independence. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in using mindfulness-based interventions in occupational therapy, as they align with OT's focus on well-being and quality of life. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, WMU Library Search, and ScienceDirect to identify peer-reviewed research on mindfulness-based interventions, yoga, and occupational …

The Predictors Of Adverse Birth Outcomes In Pre-Eclampsia: An Explanatory Sequential Study, Maadwoa F. Asamoah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Objectives: The goal of this study was to identify health factors associated with adverse birth outcomes among women diagnosed with preeclampsia. Three logistic regression models were developed and analyzed. In addition to the quantitative analysis, 10 women discussed their experiences with provider communications, access to resources, barriers to care, and the quality of the postpartum support they received.

Research questions: Research questions asked how women diagnosed with preeclampsia feel about their care. 1. Does learning about preeclampsia before diagnosis help reduce negative birth outcomes? 2. Which personal and health factors align with birth outcomes? 3.What barriers do women face in …

Molecular Cloning And Bioinformatic Analysis Of S. Aureus Surface Antigens For Chimera Vaccine Development, Jack Wood, Ruben Ferreira Paiva, Micah David, Juliette Tinker

2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Staphylococcus aureus is a primary cause of bovine mastitis, which has significant agricultural and economic implications, affecting the health of cattle and dairy production globally. As antibiotic resistance increases, providing a preventive vaccine is essential to alleviate the economic burden and improve herd health. The goal of our research is to identify and clone immunogenic S. aureus genes that can serve as components of a future cholera toxin chimera subunit vaccine targeting S. aureus infections. The target genes, which encode potential surface antigens, were amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and directionally ligated into a high-expression vector that will create …

Environmental Dna Barcoding For Non-Model Organisms: Challenges And Outcomes Of Developing Barcodes For Freshwater Mussels, Nicholas Duellman

Longwood Senior Theses

Freshwater mussels are a keystone species providing crucial ecosystem services and river composition resiliency. Globally, they remain one of the most imperiled invertebrate groups, facing threats of water quality declines and urban development. Traditional field sampling can often be laborious and ineffective in surveying rare species’ distributions. Anecdotal evidence suggests the presence of freshwater mussels within the Appomattox River; the specifics of population sizes and suitable habitat remains an open question. Environmental DNA (eDNA) usage in conservation ecology has increased dramatically within the past two decades, being a far less invasive and cost-demanding option than traditional surveys. In an effort …