Digital Commons Network^™

Prisoner Reentry Into Society Viewed Through The Lens Of Women, Jalak Parekh

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs and initiated a series of policies that were intended to combat the use of illegal drugs by implementing severe sentences for drug-related crimes. As a result, the focus of the criminal justice system veered away from rehabilitation efforts. Today, the U.S. criminal justice system has considerably high rates of recidivism. This paper examines the importance of successful reentry into society for formerly incarcerated women, especially those who must resume a caregiver role to their children. However, a relapse into criminal behavior seems imminent due to societal barriers in obtaining …

Forensic Psychology Of Serial Killers, Karla Suarez

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Many serial killers share patterns in psychological and neuropsychological disorders and behaviors. These behaviors and patterns should be recognized and acknowledged to understand why serial killers murder without remorse or guilt. It is important to discuss matters such as common patterns, typologies, and characteristics within serial killers. After looking at these essential aspects of serial killers, common neurodevelopmental disorders, brain damage, and biological epigenetics will be further explored. In order to fully assess this topic, forensic psychology and behavioral analysis are essential to aid in understanding serial killers and how their brains function to lead them to the actions that …

Comparative Analysis Of Forensic Science Systems: Scotland Vs. America, Alec Noland

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Forensic science plays an important role in the justice system of both the United States and Scotland, but the structure, application, and effectiveness differ significantly. This research paper presents a comparative analysis of forensic science in two different legal and institutional contexts, examining differences between the two forensic science systems. This includes forensic laboratories and services, education and training, policing, court procedures, legal framework, and crime scene investigation. The analysis highlights significant differences such as Scotland’s centralized system versus America’s decentralized system, which impacts resource allocation and standardization for forensic science. Despite major differences, both countries emphasize scientific reliability, standardized …

Transnational Methodological Engagements With Artistic Narratives: Challenging Hierarchies And Building Community, Lauren Stetz

The Qualitative Report

Through the analysis Violence Against Women Art Map Project, a publicly accessible online platform that utilizes data visualization to understand the contextual complexities of violence against women (VAW), this article explores how comics and narrative artworks can be utilized to provide voice on sensitive or controversial subject matter, challenge accepted societal hierarchies and norms and build community. Considering social media as a transnational dialogic space, graphic works within online spaces can provide qualitative researchers with the potential to expose the multilayered and entangled experiences of individuals across cultures and to interrupt frequently silenced issues that often go unwitnessed and unspoken. …

A Comparison Of Museums From The U.S. And Mexico Within National History, Leticia M. De León

Museum Studies Theses

With the creation of nation-states, the implementation of museums within a society is used to propagate a national agenda. A Comparison of Museums From the U.S. and Mexico Within National History will discuss the social and historical contexts of public museums in the modern nations of Mexico and the United States of America. Using Benedict Anderson’s definition of a nation, this thesis will conduct a comparison between the two countries in how their museums uphold their chosen national identities. The topics of religion, politics, colonization, race relations, and more will be explored in a discussion of how these phenomena play …

Determining Diagnostic Criteria To Define Infant Swallowing Through Dyad Interviews With Experts, Evon Youkhana

Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

INTRODUCTION: With the increasing incidence of pediatric dysphagia, understanding what constitutes normal swallowing is essential to identifying aberrant swallowing. The purpose of this investigation is to understand how expert clinicians define swallowing disorders in infants and young children through a qualitative analysis of clinical decision-making processes.

METHODS: Data collection occurred in two phases. Phase I consisted of an online survey, which gathered demographic information and expert opinions on pediatric feeding and swallowing assessments. Phase II consisted of two dyad interviews to discuss key clinical and instrumental components important in determining the presence or absence of swallowing problems in infants and …

Quixotes, Quacks, And Laughing Philosophers: Humor And Intellectual Authority In The Long Eighteenth Century, Macklin Fanning

English Theses and Dissertations

Quixotes, Quacks, and Laughing Philosophers: Humor and Intellectual Authority in the Long Eighteenth Century recovers the fascinating and forgotten story of John Elliot (1747–1787), a novelist, physician, mad scientist, pioneering optical theorist, criminal lunatic, and Gothic antihero whose life and work illuminate a strange new history of science, medicine, law, and literature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Montana Environmental Information Center V. Montana Department Of Environmental Quality, Alexis Karbowicz

Public Land & Resources Law Review

No abstract provided.

Towards Inclusive Advocacy: Addressing Colonial Legacies, Evangelical Influence, And Nationalism In Uganda’S Lgbtqi+ Rights Movement, Rodrigo Pedraza Calleja

Senior Theses

This thesis explores Uganda’s homophobic legislation and attitudes, rooted in colonial morality codes and reinforced by U.S. evangelical campaigns. It critiques Western advocacy approaches and emphasizes grassroots efforts rooted in Uganda’s indigenous values. The research offers a framework for advancing LGBTQ+ rights that balances cultural sensitivity with universal human rights.

#Justicepouradama : The Problem Of Police Brutality With French Police Targeting Former French African Colony Immigrants, Madalyn Von Hassel

Senior Theses

There is an urgent need to address systemic police violence and racial profiling in France, particularly against Black and African communities. It poses a critical question: how do instances of police brutality reflect and reinforce systemic discrimination in French society, and what can be done to dismantle these structures? To answer this, the analysis begins with the 2005 riots, a landmark moment of collective outrage triggered by police actions, which set a precedent for future protests and highlighted the grievances of marginalized communities in the banlieues. It then shifts to the death of Adama Traoré in 2016, whose case became …

"Artificial Intelligence And Economic Development In Ghana: Assessing The Role Of Government Policy And Regulation", Sebastian Sharma

Senior Theses

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming economies worldwide, with profound implications for economic development in the Global South. Various questions arise regarding whether these changes will positively or negatively impact the economy and individuals worldwide. In this thesis, I examine how Ghana has implemented AI and utilized it to generate economic growth for all members of its society. I argue that through government regulation and framework Ghana was able to maximize the benefits AI has to offer while also minimizing the various risks it may bring. Ghana is a perfect example of how a country in the Global South despite …

Mexico's Gender Violence Alerts: Ambiguous, Under-Resourced, And Uneven Impacts On Women’S Human Rights, Molly Ewing

Senior Theses

Mexico has some of the highest rates of violence against women and femicide in the world and these numbers continue to rise. Over the past few decades, Mexico has attempted to address this issue through a series of penal code reforms, social campaigns, and comprehensive legislation, but the impacts of such measures are undercut and unevenly felt due to a series of under looked contributing factors. Mexico is the first in the world to implement the Gender Violence Alert Mechanism (AVGM), which was established under the General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free from Violence (LGAMVLV) of 200. …

Revolution Beneath The Burqa: Afghan Women’S Grassroots Resistance And A Goal Of Sustainable Change Under The Taliban (1990s-2000s), Ava Stover

Senior Theses

This case study examines two juxtaposing initiatives; The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) and Beauty Without Borders, and their differing approaches to addressing systemic oppression and empowering Afghan women post-Taliban takeover in 1996. RAWA employs a grassroots model while Beauty Without Borders, a Western-led initiative, emphasizes beautification. The study considers RAWA’s effectiveness in addressing structural inequalities while highlighting the limitations of externally driven programs like Beauty Without Borders. This analysis contributes to understanding how grassroots movements can achieve sustainable systemic change, while the West’s continuous misinterpretation of cultures and lifestyles different from their own has perpetuated failed …

Searching For Seismic Precursors: The Barry Landslide Hazard, Gabrielle Davy

Geosciences

Landslides pose a serious geohazard, particularly when they occur in steep coastal or fjord environments where they can generate tsunamis. Barry Arm, located in Prince William Sound, Alaska, exemplifies this threat. The unstable slope, with an estimated failure volume of 500-700 million cubic meters, could produce a tsunami capable of devastating communities such as Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova. Recognizing the potential consequences, the region has been intensively monitored since 2020, providing a valuable opportunity to study the interactions between seismic activity, environmental drivers, and slope stability. Monitoring landslide-prone regions with seismic and geophysical instruments can offer insights into the processes …

Teaching Spanish As A World Language In Waldorf Schools For Grades One To Eight, Ryan Thomas Edwards

Education

Waldorf education provides a unique opportunity for students to fully experience their lessons in an integrative, artistic, and purposeful way, and this is certainly true for world language classes. Throughout a typical curriculum, various art forms are utilized along with physical movements and actions, allowing students to live through the lessons in an interesting and enjoyable way. At times, it becomes difficult to separate between songs, poems, skits, gestures, plays, or games, when all of these methods can be interwoven simultaneously. By integrating rhyme, repetition, gestures, music, movement, and visuals, classes become quite lively and interactive. It takes a lot …

Alive Old-Time Radio Play: Performance-Based Drama Therapy With Cognitively Healthy Older Adults, Aaron T. Dore

Expressive Therapies Theses

The live radio play format is uniquely positioned to offer social benefits for older adults when explored through a performance-based drama therapeutic lens. Though firsthand familiarity with old-time radio is not a prerequisite for meaningful participation in a group styled after this bygone era of storytelling, the format naturally supports accessibility needs common among the older adult population. The minimal blocking requirements, script-in-hand approach, and adaptable format make it especially accommodating to a wide range of skill levels and areas of interest. Research into therapeutic interventions for older adults tends to rely on reminiscence and life review approaches with an …

Icanfeel: A Digital Art Activity To Support Distress Detection In Adult Oncological Patients, Marie J. Deschamps

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Considered the 6th vital sign, distress, a combination of hopelessness, anxiety, fear, and depression, can impact patients’ quality of life, treatment adherence, and mortality. While screening is required in oncological centers, distress remains under-detected. This study examined the use of Icanfeel, a novel digital art-based tool, to complement traditional psychometric assessments such as Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), to support patients’ expressions of symptoms and distress detection. Hospitalized adult oncological patients (N = 22) engaged twice with Icanfeel and with an active control condition. At various time points during the protocol, patients self-reported symptom burden using ESAS, self-disclosure …

Drama Therapy And The Collective Male Identity: An‬ Examination Of Masculinities,‬ Violence, And The Unique‬ Position Of Drama Therapists In‬ Violence Prevention, Austin Taylor Winchester

Expressive Therapies Theses

Traditional narratives of masculinity have been historically constructed and reinforced by systems of power, shaping a rigid framework that often emphasizes dominance, emotional suppression, and control. Literature on hegemonic masculinity and identity development reveals that masculinity is not a fixed truth but a social construct shaped by external expectations and internal negotiations. This critical review examines the fluidity of masculinity across historical, cultural, and psychological contexts. Drama therapy emerges as a promising intervention for reimagining masculinity in a more inclusive and adaptive way. Through techniques such as role exploration, embodiment, and storytelling, drama therapy provides a relational framework for men …

Belonging To Self: Moments Of Body-Oriented Expressive Arts Psychotherapy & Inpatient Trauma Recovery, Arielle N. Ruggeroli

Expressive Therapies Theses

Expressive therapists have reported difficulty working in inpatient settings due to the gap between what the expressive modality theoretically offers and what is possible in practice due to both acute patient symptomology and limitations of the institutional setting. Early career clinicians especially contend with finding meaning in their clinical work, belonging among the clinical team and exploring how their expressive modalities are applicable or not to the systemically established treatment goal of stabilization. Concerns that excessive restriction upon patient expression inhibits possible aspects of recovery beyond stabilization, such insight or creativity, are explored. The subgoal of increasing momentary …

Respectability, Code-Switching, And Expression: Examining The Experience Of Black Expressive Arts Therapists Through A Sociolinguistic Lens, Darrien Bush

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review explores how the linguistic phenomenon of code-switching can be applied to expressive arts and expressive arts therapy to describe the experience of Black expressive therapists. The review outlines the evolution of the term, reasons why individuals switch codes, and how this affects their experience. The understanding of code-switching is then examined in expressive arts and the expressive arts therapy field. A history and understanding of code-switching in Black communities is also explored, connecting Black experiences of code-switching and expressive arts therapy programs. A discussion suggests that culturally relevant practices are implicitly discouraged due to dominant expectations. Future …

Quantum Chemical Methods And Multiscale Modeling In Computer-Aided Drug Design, Hunter W. La Force

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) leverages a diverse toolkit of computational methods to accelerate the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. Among these, quantum chemical calculations provide unparalleled accuracy in understanding molecular interactions, albeit at a higher computational cost. This accuracy is crucial for identifying and quantifying fundamental interactions that dictate drug efficacy and selectivity, as exemplified by our investigation of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes. These metal-based compounds are model systems for studying covalent coordination bonds between ruthenium and its ligands and noncovalent interactions with DNA and protein targets. Local Mode Vibrational Theory emerges as a powerful lens within this framework, enabling …

The Lre Provision Of Idea's Impact On Deaf Students' Socio-Emotional Satisfaction In K-12th Grade Education, Shealyn Junge

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

The education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students represents a unique challenge in implementing inclusive practices that balance physical integration with meaningful language and communication access. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) provision reflects a federal commitment to educating students with disabilities alongside their non-disabled peers whenever possible. This mixed-methods study examined how mainstream, co-enrollment settings, and Deaf schools shape the socio-emotional development of DHH students, including those transitioning between settings. While participants across placements reported increasing DHH identity pride, their social experiences diverged markedly: mainstream-educated participants universally reported loneliness by high school. Deaf …

May 17, 2025, Seattle University School Of Law

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

“How Can We Sing In A Strange Land?” The Pastoral Musician As A Master Griot/Griotte, Dollie Howell

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

The writer of Psalm 137 asks a question that poignantly resonates with the experiences of enslaved Africans who were taken captive, exiled from their homelands, and told to forget their languages, worship practices, and tribal traditions. Their dehumanization was intensified by expectations that “required a song and . . . mirth.” The question was “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” In response to this question of engaging in song as a community while in a strange land of deep and persistent systemic suffering, enslaved African-descended people founded a unique tradition within Christianity that responded to …

Nonlinear Phenomena Of Discrete Wave Systems With Nonlocal Coupling, Austin E. Marstaller

Mathematics Theses and Dissertations

There is a long and rich story of nonlinear dynamics in discrete lattices. A particular well studied model is the discrete Nonlinear Schr\"odinger Equation, with many applications, most notably in nonlinear optics.

Recent studies have explored dynamics in scenarios where coupling amongst the array elements is nonlocal. The interest in particular is that in the longwave approximation, it leads to fractional diffraction. In this contribution, we consider two long range interaction lattice wave models, the fractional discrete nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation and the Long Range Ablowitz-Ladik system. By use of perturbation methods, asymptotics and numerical simulations, we present results on modulational …

Rethinking Resource Exploitation: Shared Capitalist Motivations In Ghana’S Gold Mining Sector, Benedicta Donkor

Senior Theses

The relationship between Chinese involvement in Ghana's gold mining sector and its impact on sovereignty, development, and resource governance has ignited significant debate. While neo-colonial frameworks often dominate discussions, this thesis argues that such perspectives oversimplify the complex dynamics at play. Instead, Chinese involvement is better understood as mutual capitalist exploitation, where both Chinese and Ghanaian actors are driven by shared profit motives within a global capitalist system. This mutual exploitation is enabled by weak governance, regulatory gaps, and systemic corruption, creating a permissive environment for resource exploitation at the expense of societal and environmental well-being. The thesis critically examines …

Navigating Tensions: Security And Political Implications Of The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Chris J. Ortiz-Gonzalez

Honors College Theses

Initiated in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a broad foreign policy strategy designed to foster regional and global development through infrastructure investments. The initiative aims to integrate China’s growing economy with the rest of the world via land and maritime networks. A key element of the BRI is the 3,000 km China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which includes highways, railways, oil and gas pipelines, and a fiber optic network connecting Kashgar in China’s southern Xinjiang to Gwadar in Pakistan’s Balochistan. However, numerous regional and global leaders remain wary of China’s intentions, believing that the …

In Their Own Words: Exploring The Political Lives Of Women Legislators In Guam, Sarah G. Elmore-Hernandez

Anthropology

In 2018, Guam experienced a historic political transformation with the election of its first woman governor and a supermajority of women senators. This electoral outcome was widely framed as a feminist milestone, reinforcing dominant narratives that equate increased female representation with progressive policy advancements. This study critically examines these assumptions by shifting the focus from quantitative representation to the political strategies and lived experiences of Guam’s women lawmakers. Employing oral history interviews, this research investigates how lawmakers conceptualize their political roles, navigate institutional structures, and shape legislative agendas. The findings reveal that while many advocate for policy priorities traditionally associated …

Evaluating Sustainability Policies By Measuring Well-Being: Evidence From Mongolia, Amgalan Batsuuri

Natural Resources

The study examines the relationship between sustainability policies and resident well-being within Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's Ger district, through a case study of the 19th subdistrict of the Bayanzurkh district. The primary research question is: Are well-being attributes being used to determine the efficacy of sustainability policies? Using mixed methods, survey questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups with 30 participants across three stakeholder groups (Ger district residents, subdistrict officials, and district officials), the research identified 15 key well-being attributes. The identified well-being attributes were used to assess whether these attributes serve as efficacy determinants in sustainability policies across national, municipal, and district governance …

Kiŋikmiut Ukpuliivut: An Iňupiaq Framework For Bridging Spirituality And Stewardship In Natural Resource Management, Vernae Angnaboogok

Rural Development

Despite decades of traction and respect that Indigenous Knowledge has gained, Western and other sources of academic sciences diverge at the point of what is acceptable, what is real, and what is valid regarding Indigenous spiritual belief systems interwoven throughout Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous management practices. My project uses Kiŋikmiut1 ukpuliivut2 and iniqtautit3 as a framework to bridge the understanding for people outside our culture about how our spiritual belief system and customary Iňupiaq4 laws ensure balance and sustainability5 ofthe resources that our people depend upon. In this work, I seek to address the misconceptions that dominant Western scientific worldviews …