Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating A Video Modeling Approach To Teach Shelter Volunteers How To Interact With Dogs In The Shelter, Sean Michael Will

Theses and Dissertations

Well-trained volunteers are required to help meet the daily needs of dogs waiting to be adopted in animal shelters and to find new homes for them. Inadequate volunteer training leads to mismanagement and attrition of volunteers who are essential to helping shelter dogs get adopted. However, animal shelters often lack access to the resources and funds required to provide adequate training for volunteers. Using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design, this study evaluated a cost-effective program consisting of video modeling with voiceover instruction, on-screen text, examples, and non-examples that instructed volunteers to interact with the dogs in a specific manner to …

The Illusion Of Stability In Family Law, Kaiponanea T. Matsumura

Vanderbilt Law Review

Stability is universally accepted as a central value in family law. Within the context of adult relationships, stability determines which relationships the law will recognize and support. Within the context of parent child relationships, stability determines who will be recognized as a parent, whose parental rights will be terminated by the state, and who, among fit parents, will receive custody. This Article challenges stability’s pride of place in family law, identifying three problems with the law’s use of stability.

First, stability is often used in a circular way. Lawmakers treat stability as a requirement—a trait to which the law responds—even …

A Crust Of Bread: Religious Resistance And The Fourteenth Amendment, Kurt T. Lash, Stephanie Hall Barclay -- Professor Of Law

Vanderbilt Law Review

In Employment Division v. Smith, the U.S. Supreme Court denied heightened constitutional protection to religiously motivated exercise burdened by neutral and generally applicable laws. The history presented in this Article suggests that the Smith approach conflicts with the original understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment. Out of the crucible of religious abolitionist resistance to the Fugitive Slave Act emerged a substantive theory of constitutional religious freedom: American citizens should have the right to obey the Biblical command to care for the needy and provide the hungry a “crust of bread,” even if doing so was contrary to neutral and generally applicable …

Goodbye, Zoning?, Michael Allan Wolf

Vanderbilt Law Review

American zoning is under attack on multiple fronts. The concerns of zoning’s many critics range from social and racial justice, to private property rights, to the extreme shortage of affordable housing, to climate-change resilience and sustainability. A growing number of voices have called for, at a minimum, the elimination of single-family zones; some even champion the abolition of this ubiquitous method of American land use regulation. This Article is the first detailed look at what would happen if zoning’s critics got their way. The most efficient means for erasing zoning from American law would be for the U.S. Supreme Court …

Cultural Of Authenticity And Commodification: Analyzing The Aesthetic Waves And Collective Culture In The 2010s And 2020s, Stefanny Leung Yu

Student Theses

The “authentic self” is curated, aestheticized, and most notably, commodified. Digital algorithms, likes, views, and engagement are more than just digital metrics, they are the management of performance. For millions of other users — including the author herself — social media is the locus of personal expression. Most notably, sites like Tumblr, where users in the 2010s posted hazy images or overly filtered graphics along with melancholic song lyrics that match the vibe of the moment, expression was earnest and idealized. Today, social media in the 2020s, new creators like Hannah Neelaman, better known as Ballerina Farm, dress in pastoral …

Hashtags, Handcuffs, And Hush Money: Inequitable Application Of The Fourth Amendment In Electronic Surveillance, Karina Devi Etminani

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

A wealthy executive buries misconduct behind corporate nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and encrypted devices. Nearby, police wield geofence warrants to sweep the digital footprints of peaceful protesters demanding racial justice. Both scenarios hinge on the same Fourth Amendment but reveal a coin with two faces. For powerful abusers, privacy protections can conceal assault, intimidation, and corruption. For Black activists, rapidly emerging surveillance tools—including biometric scanners, phone “pings,” and social media mining—intensify a long legacy of racially targeted policing. As Jeannie Suk Gersen notes, two recent social movements– #MeToo and Black Lives Matter–reveal that “too much deference to privacy serves male entitlement, …

The Living Library Of Dune, Josey W. Wilson

Architecture Theses

This thesis investigates how language – as a natural, poetic force – can serve as a generative tool in architectural design. It argues that architecture must reclaim its mythopoetic roots, and that through the reintegration of narrative and literary language, built space can once again become a vessel for memory, cultural identity, and transformation.

As both a method and muse, Frank Herbert’s Dune becomes the central literary source for my resulting architectural design. This subjective translation takes form in The Living Library of Dune, a project located in Tacoma, Washington.

The final design of this thesis does not simply present …

Flat Pack Futures: Designing Affordable Rental Homes For Disassembly And Reuse In Minnesota, Shaptarshi Das Gupta

Architecture Theses

This research aims to investigate how flat-pack component-based prefabrication and circular design can be leveraged to address the housing affordability crisis in cold-climate urban environments. Based in the context of the redevelopment of Minneapolis's Upper Harbor Terminal, this thesis offers a novel paradigm of affordable, resilient, and regenerative housing model. The project responds to a severe shortage of affordable rental units in Minnesota, where nearly half of all renters are cost-burdened and traditional construction methods are inefficient, wasteful, and environmentally unsustainable. With a flat-pack construction strategy, the proposed system enables off-site manufacture, rapid on-site assembly, and future disassembly with zero …

The Long Road: Housing For The Marginalized Unhoused, Isabelle Ronette Fromm

Architecture Theses

This research explores the homelessness crisis in U.S. urban areas, emphasizing its disproportionate impact on marginalized groups, including African Americans, Latinos, veterans, and youth aging out of foster care. Key factors—poverty, housing shortages, mental health disparities, and systemic racism—worsen housing instability. Existing solutions often overlook these intersections. This study proposes flexible, sustainable housing models—specifically transitional and co-living designs—as viable solutions. Through historical analysis, policy reviews, and case studies, it investigates modular designs that offer safe, dignified, and accessible spaces, prioritizing economic feasibility and adaptability. Findings highlight the effectiveness of adaptive reuse strategies, promoting autonomy for vulnerable individuals. The concept of …

Unalome: Cultural And Environmental Approaches To Transforming Vietnam's Ktt Apartments Into Flourishing Communities, Tam Junior Le

Architecture Theses

This research aims to redefine the design of spaces to maximize functionality within condensed environments. In the highly dense urban context of Hanoi, Vietnam, affordable housing remains out of reach for many, particularly college students and blue-collar workers. The limited options available to these groups often fail to meet basic standards of sustainability, health, and well-being. By investigating Vietnam's housing challenges, historical trends, and strategies that promote positive impacts on human well-being, this study seeks to develop solutions that address the needs of underserved populations. The ultimate goal is to transform Vietnam's urban areas into equitable hubs of housing and …

Finding Civitas Dei Sine Terra, Alex Stalboerger

Architecture Theses

An exploration of humanity’s future away from Earth and among the stars. This thesis tackles some of the fundamental drivers of human civilization and what it means to create significant, sacred, space for humans to truly dwell. Utilizing language as a vehicle, this thesis delves into the realms of fiction where the future is discovered and invented simultaneously. This work heavily focuses on the use of architectural metaphors, through a phenomenological lens, utopian frameworks, discussions on dystopia, and is built on the shoulders of John Hejduk, Octavio Paz, and Martin Heidegger.

The Universal Language Of Music In Architecture: Bridging Cultures Through John Cage And String Theory, Bronson Knight

Architecture Theses

Music has been a fundamental part of human culture for tens of thousands of years, shaping and reflecting societal values, language, and stories. Beyond its role as entertainment or ritual, music has historically influenced other art forms, notably architecture. Throughout history, architects have drawn inspiration from musical principles such as harmony and rhythm to create architectural experiences that evoke emotional and multisensory experiences. However, in the modern era, architectural design has often shifted toward pure functionality, usually at the expense of deeper meaning or narrative. This contrast with historic times when music and architecture were intertwined, enhancing each other’s expressive …

A Story Of Service: Thoughts On Commemorative Architecture And The Anti-Monument, Cody D. Williamson

Architecture Theses

United States service members and their courageous actions have been the subject of countless monuments and memorials. Most of these are dedicated to events of the past. Never has design told a story about current military members and some of the unseen battles they fight on a regular basis. This thesis will seek to understand individual and communal memory faculties as well as learn from contemporary artistic expressions that focus on the recall of the past. The anti-monument will serve as a case study and combine with these insights to create a memorial that is dedicated to soldiers who have …

Catharsis In Illness: Atmospheric Healing In The Enclaves Of Detroit, Britta Pfeifer

Architecture Theses

The following research explores the contemporary hospital and its design through the lens of theory, laying out the deeper problems that exist in the modern system. The treatment of physical sickness over time has drastically improved, but at the cost of emotional and spiritual comfort, healing, and well-being within the hospital setting. These spaces no longer extend from concepts of the whole, interconnected human being and architecture’s origins as a practice of resonance and harmony. The result is medical atmospheres that serve no aid in aligning the body, mind, and soul, and induce further stress on patients. The design proposal …

Cultural Sustainability In Architecture: A Reinterpretation Of Kensington's Narrative, Madeline Elizabeth Knoll

Architecture Theses

Kensington is often defined by a narrative of crisis and neglect, yet beneath this surface lies a resilient, creative community. This thesis reframes Kensington through cultural sustainability, envisioning the neighborhood as a mosaic of identities shaped by reflection, learning, and growth. The architecture becomes a living palimpsest, where history and resilience converge. Strategies like cross-cultural variation, social design, place attachment, and well-being inform every spatial and programmatic decision. The Kensington Cultural Center is conceived as a mosaic, with each space expressing spirit and identity, and connective paths binding the whole. Materials reference the area’s industrial past, while the carved exterior …

Bridging The Gap: Restoring The Relationship Between Campus And Greek Life, Dawson Bechtold

Architecture Theses

This thesis explores the development of a new Greek Row at North Dakota State University, with emphasis on fostering stronger relationships between chapters and campus as well. The project will take philosophical readings and precedents that will improve engagement, chapter visibility, academic success, and social interaction. Through historical context, theory, and traditional Greek housing style, this project seeks to bridge the gap between North Dakota State University and the Greek life community. This design proposal aims to revitalize NDSU’s campus, while enhancing the experience of the Greek life community for current and future students.

Influence Of The Solicitors General On The Supreme Court: 2011-2023, Maxwell Tobin

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This project looks at the success rate of the OSG and how the data indicates that the government-more specifically between the executive and judicial- is not getting along. In doing so, this scholarship uses 337 Supreme Court cases where the OSG filed on these cases as an amicus brief. This project aims to fill the research gap since 2014. I argue the salience of this research is in 2020-2022 where SCOTUS has 3 new conservative members and the President during this time was leaning more progressive (even more than Obama). All of this works to explain the low success rate …

Rights Of Nature: The White Earth Nation's Rights Of Manoomin Court Case, Kathryn Schug

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Leading the rights of nature movement worldwide are Indigenous communities aspiring to enshrine legal protections for Indigenous values and create an environmentally sustainable future. This poster explores the first Tribal court case in the United States by a federally recognized tribe, The White Earth Nation in Minnesota. By examining the achievements of White Earth, the challenges they face in the context of the global rights of nature movement, and with the perspective of Joe LaGarde, founder of the Niibi Center for the Rights of Nature, we find future success depends on strategic partnerships with communities in the global south and …

Creating A Home Away From Home: Enhancing Student Well-Being And Persistence Through Student Programming In University Housing, Marissa J. Johnson

Honors Thesis

This honors thesis explores the impact that the University of South Dakota (USD) Housing Department sponsored Resident Assistant (RA) programming has on engagement. Programming has been proven by previous literature reviews as pivotal in building community-based environments on campus. This thesis will look at the way USD Housing has set up their programming to be implemented by student employees. This study aims to identify key components of programs that contribute to the success of the housing initiative, assess the cost and engagement in these activities, and provide recommendations for enhancing student programming within University Housing. Preliminary findings support the idea …

Under The Eyes Of The Oppressors: Exploring The Spatial Oppression Of African Nova Scotians, Lorenze L. Cromwell

Dalhousie Law Journal

Spatialization is a theoretical understanding of how space is used to enforce and replicate hierarchical power structures. Nova Scotia has used spatialized processes, such as enslavement, segregation, and panoptical power, to subjugate, oppress, and control African Nova Scotians for over 400 years. These practices of spatialization have been established and perpetuated by the law and legal mechanisms, creating a complex spatialized system of oppression against African Nova Scotians. This article defines spatialization, explores the historical and contemporary uses of spatialization, and analyzes the actuarial and symbolic effects created by spatialization. The author concludes by proposing remedial and reparative action that …

Guiding Principles For Successful Ai Integration & Agentic Ai: The Next Step In Ai Evolution, Andrew C.R. Nelson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

AI has revolutionized various processes throughout the value chain. When taking a focused look at Marketing and Supply chain functions, however, the two largest retailers in the world, Walmart and Amazon, have led the charge towards AI modernity within implementation. With AI’s impact on business taking the forefront of the collective consciousness, innovations have seemed to emerge daily. Agentic AI is the newest “flavor of the month” that is promising to further optimize and provide value to businesses and their different needs. With this advancement in AI reasoning, the realm of innovative possibilities has expanded greatly. This in combination with …

Spanish Language Accessibility Within Mississippi Courts, Meredith Dudte

Honors Theses

As the Hispanic population continues to rise in Mississippi, Spanish language access in the public sector is of increasing importance. This thesis will specifically explore Spanish language access in Mississippi courts, identifying strengths and weaknesses and recommending policy solutions based on the results. To gain a better understanding of court interpretation in Mississippi, I interviewed ten Spanish language court interpreters and two court clerks either working in Mississippi courts or courts in similar southern states. Responses highlighted two themes as strengths: the federal court interpreter test and compensation, four themes as weaknesses: compensation, standards, omissions, and dialects, and four themes …

Sacred Connections In Cartoonish Places: Exploring The Implications Of Teotl In Avatar: The Last Airbender (2008), Makenzie P. Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Taking Avatar: The Last Airbender (2008) seriously, Sacred Connections in Cartoonish Places explores the animated children’s series and how it is understood through the monistic Nahua (Aztec) concept of teotl. Relying on James Maffie’s text Aztec Philosophy: Understanding a World in Motion (2014), this thesis determines that Avatar: The Last Airbender benefits from monistic analysis. This analysis results in a breakdown of the show into four body chapters. These chapters respectively explore Aang’s role as a monistic representative, the differences between the physical and spirit worlds presented in the show, the kind of relationships that appear in the series, and …

School Counselors’ Lived Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katie M. Guzman Dunn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how school counselor perceptions of their roles may have been permanently impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological Systems Theory, which relates to the interactions of an individual and the environment around them, guided the study. The study’s central research was: What are public school counselors’ lived experiences regarding their role perception during the COVID-19 pandemic? Data was collected through virtual semi-structured interviews and photo elicitation with 10 school counselors who were members of the Kentucky School Counselor Association. The data collected from the interviews was analyzed using bracketing to …

Citizenship Christian Values Education Empowerment In Papua New Guinea Through Integration Of Curriculum, Funding, And Professional Training, Timothy Hawes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since 2018, the Papua New Guinea Education Department has opened the door for Christian Citizenship Value Education, but previously, no organization has successfully addressed this opportunity. The problem is that the CCVE program in PNG does not integrate curriculum, funding, and professional training. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to develop and deploy the CCVE Empowerment plan. Through a survey given to CCVE teachers and multiple focus groups with six different CCVE leaders, the CCVE Empowerment plan was developed. The plan included a new organizational structure, the prayer model, the self-teaching student journals, sufficient funding, and applied …

The Imposition Of Constitutional Rights, Alvin Padilla-Babilonia

Faculty Publications

One of the central principles of constitutionalism is that citizenship stands for equal rights under the law. According to this ideal, a U.S. citizen living in Puerto Rico or Guam should have the same constitutional rights as a citizen living on the mainland. However, throughout U.S. history, constitutional rights have been neither uniform nor centralized. While constitutional rights held im- portance, they coexisted with ideals of democratic self-governance and legal pluralism. Today, Supreme Court justices and legal scholars argue that all constitutional rights should apply in the territories. This view upholds citizenship, equal rights, and the rule of law. But …

Some Fixed Point Theorems In Complete Neutrosophic Metric Spaces For Neutrosophic Ψ-Quasi Contractions, Anwar Bataihah, Ayman A Hazaymeh, Yousef Al-Qudah, Faisal Al-Sharqi

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Uncertainty-Based Measurement Of Job Satisfaction Evaluation Of University Teachers: An Improved Bipolar Neutrosophic Multi-Criteria Approach For Enhanced Decision-Making, Jing Liu

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Multineutrosophic Analysis Of Financial Statements As A Basis For Strategic Decision-Making In Uncertain Environments, Edison Aquiles Olivero Arias, Jorge Luis Chabusa Vargas, José Alejandro Flores Sánchez, Stephanie Marcela Delgado Estrada

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Neutrosophic Inverse Gaussian Distribution In Economic Policy Design Under Indeterminacy, Ahmedia Musa M. Ibrahim, Zahid Khan

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.