In Keeping With Heller, Kevin Schascheck

Buffalo Law Review

Evaluating the constitutionality of modern firearm regulations under the Second Amendment requires recourse to historical evidence under Bruen v. New York State Rifle and Pistol Association. Generally, the government bears the burden to demonstrate that modern firearm regulations are consistent with the nation’s historical traditions. But the Supreme Court’s earlier opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller stated that certain categories of firearm restrictions are longstanding and thus presumptively lawful. And yet, litigants are inviting courts to reject this presumption, arguing that presumptively lawful regulations should be subject to the same historical test as presumptively unlawful regulations.

Courts should reject …

Gun Regulation After Loper Bright: The Statutory Interpretation/Policymaking Continuum, William D. Araiza

Buffalo Law Review

The Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, rejecting “Chevron deference” to administrative agency interpretations of their organic statutes, has caused great uncertainty about the fate of federal regulation. This Essay considers that question in the context of federal gun regulation. Using examples of regulatory actions taken by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, it illustrates the wide range of functions reflected in agency actions—in particular, how those actions can span the spectrum from pure statutory interpretation to pure policymaking, with hybrid way stations between those two extremes.

The variety of functions agencies perform suggests …

The Discerning Gatherer: A Synodal Model Of Priest Presider, Daniel J. Finucane

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This project proposes a synodal model of priest presider as a Discerning Gatherer. Central to the argument is the idea that any such model must emerge out of an ecclesiological vision; given the centrality of synodality for this model, this means that a model of priest presider must arise from and be in service to the ecclesial assembly. Furthermore, this model must be embedded within a particular ecclesial context, in this case, the US Church. Therefore, the argument begins by assessing the need for a renewed and reconfigured theology of ordained ministry, given the persistent specter of structural clericalism in …

The Experience Of A Personal Relationship With God: William Barry And The 20th Century Renewal Of Ignatian Spirituality, Chris Williams

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

William A. Barry made a significant contribution to the renewal of Ignatian Spirituality following Vatican II. A central theme of his life and work was the experience of a personal relationship with God. This thesis will tell the story of how Barry came to view the experience of a personal relationship with God as central to his own spiritual life and to Ignatian spirituality. It first explores Barry’s upbringing and formation in a pre- Vatican II Catholic Church and Society of Jesus, before turning to his experience of the transformations in the Church and the Society following Vatican II. It …

An Improvement Science In Practice: Empowering Paraeducators Working With Students With Disabilities In Supporting Student Engagement And Self-Regulation, Carol Anne Barnes

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Paraeducators play a vital role in supporting students with disabilities, contributing to their academic, social, and emotional success in both special education and general education classrooms. This ISDiP study employed a convergent mixed methods design and action research methodology to implement a tiered model of professional development aimed at increasing paraeducators’ feelings of self-efficacy in applying skills and knowledge to support students with disabilities. The tiered model of professional development incorporated didactic instruction, modeling, coaching, and feedback. As part of the intervention, paraeducators completed pre-and post-surveys, attended at least two of four training sessions, and provided qualitative feedback through exit …

The Integrated Teacher: A Mixed Methods Study On How Professional Development In Comprehensive Wellbeing Practices Affect Special Education Teacher Stress And Efficacy, Katlyn Hagley

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP) sought to examine the effects of mindfulness-based and trauma-informed instruction on special education teachers' (SETs’) perceived levels of stress and self-efficacy to improve teacher wellbeing, reduce attrition, and foster a stronger sense of school community. This study was conducted in a large, urban public school district in the Northeastern United States using a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design within a participatory action research framework. The research addressed the following questions: Does participating in an eight-week virtual training in mindfulness exercises positively influence the perceived levels of jobrelated stress among SETs? Does participating in an …

Protecting The Dignity Of The Child: A Study In Trauma-Sensitive Practices And Collective Efficacy In An Alternative Educational Setting, Erin Dessureau-O'Hara

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This dissertation addresses the issue of ineffective proactive approaches to students' emotional regulation by educational staff, which contributes to a high incidence of punitive discipline. The study aims to increase teachers' trauma-sensitive approaches to students' emotional needs to reduce the use of punitive and exclusionary discipline practices. Using a convergent mixedmethods research design, data were collected through interviews, exit tickets, classroom observations, focus group discussions, student behavior data, and pre-and post-assessments of collective efficacy. Participants included elementary teachers, support staff, and behavioral staff. The findings demonstrate that professional learning focused on trauma-sensitive approaches, the science of emotions and the brain, …

Populism And Religious Rhetoric In Spain's Right-Wing Vox Party, Ainsley Taylor

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This thesis examines the intersection of populism and religious rhetoric in Spain’s right-wing political party, Vox. By analyzing Facebook posts from Vox’s national and regional accounts in the months leading up to the 2019 and 2023 national elections, as well as key regional elections in Andalusia and Cantabria, this study explores how the party strategically employs religious themes to shape its populist discourse. The findings indicate that Vox primarily uses religious rhetoric to construct an exclusive national identity, framing perceived external threats such as immigration, secularism, and leftist politics. While the party's use of religious rhetoric declined slightly between 2019 …

Establishing Age-Related Changes In Gait Dynamics, Human Movement Variability, And Person Identification, Tyler M. Wiles

Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

This dissertation explores the development and application of the NONAN Gaitprint dataset, a comprehensive resource for studying human gait’s variability and individuality. Gait, a fundamental aspect of human locomotion, is inherently variable. No two steps are exactly alike, and a series of steps is not arranged randomly. In fact, consecutive steps share information that reveal non-random patterns over time. Those patterns can be described using nonlinear analytical methods, such as the Hurst exponent, sample entropy, and recurrence quantification analysis. Many of these time series-based analyses require natural overground walking over a long enough duration to reveal the temporal structure of …

Breaking The Black Box: The Impact Of The 2023 Changes To The Japanese Penal Code On Rape, Lee Smith

Washington International Law Journal

In 2017, the Japanese penal code was amended to broaden protections for victims of sexual assault. However, pressure mounted for further protections after several decisions on cases involving rape shocked the nation in 2019. In 2023, the penal code was amended again including to raise the age of consent to 16 and broaden the definition of rape to include nonconsensual sexual acts. This comment examines the history of rape law in Japan, introduces challenges that victims of sexual assault face when trying to seek justice, and analyzes the first cases determined under the amended code. Finally, it looks to the …

Comparing Fastbridge Reading Assessment Scores: Reading Interventionist Vs. Lexia Powerup For Sixth-Grade Students, Amanda K. Boss

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This study investigates the differences in FastBridge reading assessment scores among sixth-grade students at a middle school in Southeast Minnesota. A sample of 266 sixth graders participated in the technology-based intervention program, Lexia PowerUp, while 35 students received additional support from a reading interventionist using the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Initiative) Foundations curriculum. Employing a quantitative, non-experimental post hoc analysis, the research revealed that both Lexia PowerUp and UFLI: Foundations enhanced FastBridge AUTOreading scores; however, FastBridge aReading scores showed no significant changes for either program. Notably, students utilizing Lexia PowerUp consistently improved throughout the year, whereas those in the …

Imitation And Text Relationships In Tomás Luis De Victoria's Missa O Magnum Mysterium, Natasha Ann Monroe

Master's Theses

Unusual musical relationships surrounding the compositions of Tomás Luis de Victoria have intrigued scholars for decades, but their purpose remains hidden. Robert Stevenson has suggested that textual connections can be found alongside these musically similar passages. I revisit this suggestion by analyzing an imitation mass by Victoria: Missa O magnum mysterium based on his motet O magnum mysterium. When trying to understand any intentional textual connections, it is necessary to consider the composer's broad perspective. In the case of Missa O magnum mysterium, the logical starting points are Victoria's life-long involvement with the Catholic Church and the feast …

Maximal Independent Set Algorithms Within Procedural Planar Maps: A Large-Scale Evaluation, Chaucer Ihrig

Honors College Theses

Analysis of a childhood game has led us to the problem of maximum independent sets in planar graphs. We wrote a graph creation utility using R to generate a random planar map and its dual graph. This utility then finds a graph’s maximal independent set using a variety of six algorithms. We investigate statistical connections between graph structure, colorability, and the maximal independent sets found using these algorithms over an incredibly large and procedurally generated dataset. We find one can always win the coloring game if the resultant graph is two-colorable. The algorithms perform statistically and practically significantly better on …

Immigration Policy In The Second Trump Administration: Restriction, Removal, And The Limits Of Maga Nativism, Caroline R. Nagel

Faculty Publications

Donald Trump's three presidential campaigns have centred on promises to stop unauthorised immigration, whether by ‘building the wall’ or by enacting the largest mass deportation in American history. To deliver on these promises, Trump has appointed Stephen Miller—an anti-immigration hardliner who was responsible for the first Trump administration's draconian border policies – to a key White House position. Trump is often described as breaking from liberal-democratic norms; but when it comes to immigration policy, he is following a well-worn path by hiring Miller. This brief commentary places the Trump/Miller brand of anti-immigration politics in historical context, showing how anxieties over …

Immigration Policy In The Second Trump Administration: Restriction, Removal, And The Limits Of Maga Nativism, Caroline R. Nagel

Faculty Publications

Donald Trump's three presidential campaigns have centred on promises to stop unauthorised immigration, whether by ‘building the wall’ or by enacting the largest mass deportation in American history. To deliver on these promises, Trump has appointed Stephen Miller—an anti-immigration hardliner who was responsible for the first Trump administration's draconian border policies – to a key White House position. Trump is often described as breaking from liberal-democratic norms; but when it comes to immigration policy, he is following a well-worn path by hiring Miller. This brief commentary places the Trump/Miller brand of anti-immigration politics in historical context, showing how anxieties over …

The Sound Of Young America/The Soul Of Young America: A Sonic Rhetoric Inquiry Into 1965 And The Music Defining A Generation In Crisis, Jessica Dyche

All Dissertations

The Sound of Young America/The Soul of Young America: A Sonic Rhetoric Inquiry into 1965 and the Music Defining a Generation In Crisis builds a case for sonic rhetoric theory that sees sonic rhetoric move outside of pedagogy, becoming a valuable tool for rhetorical analysis outside the classroom. To this end, The Sound of Young America/The Soul of Young America employs sonic rhetoric concepts and methodology grounded in cultural rhetorics, social history, and sociomusicology to inquire into the cultural and social relevancy of rock music, specifically to this project, in 1965. Sonic rhetoric sees sound and music as underexplored, but …

Grossly Misunderstood: How Two Low Socioeconomic Black Parents In The Rural South Perceive Their Involvement In Their Children's Education, Diana Carver

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of low-socioeconomic Black parents living in the rural South regarding education. The study was designed to amplify the voice a marginalized community that is misunderstood regarding their children’s education. Using a detailed narrative design, I interviewed two single-parent families living in a Section 8 apartment complex to capture their perceptions of their children’s education.

In this study, the participants were single mothers who expressed their desires and goals for their children. In addition, these mothers shared their backgrounds and experiences growing up and attending school, which shaped and molded …

Level Of Fidelity Adaptation Of Structural Models To Support In-Space Servicing, Assembly, And Manufacturing (Isam), Maximilian Manuel Rothblatt

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) operations increasingly rely on digital twin technology to perform predictive structural analysis in resource-constrained environments. A key challenge in deploying structural finite element analysis (FEA) within a digital twin lies in determining mesh fidelity settings that balance simulation accuracy with computational efficiency. This thesis presents the development of a MATLAB-based adaptive mesh refinement framework designed to identify optimal FEA mesh parameters prior to integration into a digital twin system.

The tool iteratively refines mesh resolution across faces, edges, and vertices based on von Mises stress distribution and convergence behavior. Termination criteria are governed by …

Intellimad: A Framework For Secure Machine Learning Models Evaluation And Fine-Tuning In Federated Setting, Dmitrii Korobeinikov

Theses

In contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) appli- cations, Machine Learning (ML) models are core components enabling AI-driven functionalities, yet selecting and fine-tuning a model and its hyperparameters remains challenging. ML model architecture, as well as key model training parameters, such as the number of training epochs, batch size, and learning rate, are highly dependent on both the dataset modalities and the specific task resolved in a particular application. More sophisticated execution setups may require determination of additional environment-related parameters, such as identifica- tion of computational capabilities required for execution of a particular AI-driven task, or discovery and establishment of desired security-related …

Punk's Not Dead, You Are: Punk, Shock-Effects, & Self-Reflection, Fernando Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In this thesis, I argue that punk can be anything, but dead. I honor punk as part of a wider avant-garde movement. In that spirit, I lay out a theoretical framework of shock-effects that I eventually employ as a lens for analyzing data. In “reviewing” the literature, I call attention to the mysteries that early scholarship revealed, how present-day scholars have turned these mysteries into practical approaches to living, and the importance of autoethnographic approaches to studying punk. To employ autoethnography, I generated data through personal memories of punk, self-observation and self-reflection of punk in my life, and considered what …

The Narrative Effects Of Cure On Representations Of Disability In The Medical Procedural And Body Horror Genres, Will Schuessler

FCRH Honors Program Theses

In disability studies, “cure” can refer both to literal cures and to the cultural belief that disabilities are problems with the body that can and should be solved through these medical interventions. In recent years, disability scholars have written about this topic of cure critically, but an academic media analysis approach to cure has yet to be taken, despite the prevalence of narratives where disabled characters are cured. This thesis explores how cure shapes disabled stories that are told through film and television, by viewing a sample of over 50 films and 70 episodes of television focused on disabled characters …

Citizens United, Congress Divided: Examining The Connection Between Independent Expenditures And Polarization In The U.S. House, Daniel Melia

FCRH Honors Program Theses

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v. FEC, issued in January of 2010, allowed an unprecedented amount of money to enter federal elections by removing spending limits for corporations on independent expenditure (referred to as ‘IE’, and meaning money spent of the proprietor’s accord, rather than directly by or in coordination with a political party or candidate). This paper addresses the lack of research on the outcomes of this ruling; there are few studies on the impacts of Citizens United on the ideological composition of Congress. To test the theory that this ruling led to significant polarization in Congress, …

Ripples On The Bronx River: Exploring Gentrification And Indigenous Magical Realism Through Creative Storytelling, Olivia Griffin

FCRH Honors Program Theses

The Bronx River has been left largely unexamined in the realms of literature and art in the 21st century. Prior to colonization, the riverbanks served as a home and resource for Indigenous communities. However, by the Industrial Revolution, the river had become a dumping ground, starting with the first watermill in 1666 in West Farms. Of the twenty-three mile river, the lower five miles served as an informal sewer and was hidden from the public eye, "its few access points blocked by gigantic mounds of submerged cars, worn-out tires, less identifiable garbage, and rusting junk," (Jonnes, 463). Only in the …

Patulin As A Negative Regulator Of Wild-Type Elp1 Splicing In Familial Dysautonomia-Derived Cells, Katherine P. Cáceres Bravo

FCRH Honors Program Theses

Although the human genome has a limited number of genes, alternative splicing allows the production of thousands of proteins. Alternative splicing is a regulated mechanism in which a messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesizes different proteins called isoforms, variants of the same protein that may have different cellular functions [1]. The unspliced sequence, also known as the primary transcript, results from the transcription of a genetic sequence by RNA Polymerase II, which produces an mRNA containing introns (non-coding regions) and exons (coding regions) [2]. The splicing process is catalyzed by the spliceosome, a ribonucleoprotein mega-particle composed of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), U1, …

Blackness Under The Big Top: Racism And The Circus Of The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries, Christian Joseph

FCRH Honors Program Theses

Rattling through American towns large and small during its heyday, the archetypal, three-ring railroad circus was a novel attraction of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era, the circus was the dominant entertainment industry in the United States. Using both archival and historical research methods, my project offers an anatomy of the circus industry in America, both tracing its development and exploring its centrality to American culture and iconography. As a distinctly American institution, the growth of the industry was expressly linked to the physical expansion of the nation, which was …

Efficacy Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy For The Treatment Of Children With Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Sarah Herman

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a prevalent mental health condition in children, characterized by persistent and excessive worry that interferes with daily functioning and overall quality of life. Anxiety disorders are considered the most common psychiatric disorders among children. The trajectory of untreated anxiety in early life can result in more resistant and chronic presentations in the future, complicating both therapeutic engagement and outcomes. Parent- Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) has emerged as a potential alternative treatment for children displaying anxiety symptoms, particularly those diagnosed with GAD. This literature review endeavors to assess the effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy as an …

Law And Political Economy: Missing Markets, Missing Law, And Missing Political Economy, Andrew P. Morriss, Roger E. Meiners

Faculty Scholarship

This Article critiques the "Law and Political Economy" (LPE) framework. It aims to challenge the Law and Economics (L&E) approach. We argue that LPE lacks a coherent theoretical foundation and fails to engage with empirical evidence, rendering its critiques of markets, law, and political economy incomplete and unpersuasive. By contrast, L&E provides robust analytical tools and a well-developed understanding of legal and market dynamics, is grounded in empirical research, and has theoretical consistency. We illustrate these points through historical examples in the evolution of L&E and suggest ways LPE can evolve to offer a meaningful alternative. Rigorous intellectual competition will …

Despair Against Boredom: Hyperstitional Narrativization In The International Relations Of Populist States, Rayna Summerfield

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Academic scholarship on populism in the digital age, thus far, has focused heavily on radicalization, social reorganization, and other ways the internet and social media facilitate the rise of populist movements, rather than the impacts of the internet on the actual desires of the citizenry. In this theoretical piece, I argue that modern populists engage in a contract with their supporters to create an “entertaining” political environment closely mimicking online dynamics. Next, I use the lens of hyperstition, a concept devised by the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit, to explain the means by which the patterns of human interaction found more …

Deciphering Tragedy: Understanding Student-Teacher Ratio's Impact On School Shooting Outcomes, Samantha Sutton

Master's Theses and Capstones

Increasingly fatal school shootings present an urgent challenge for researchers. Apart from issues surrounding firearms, factors that can reduce outcomes from school shootings events are increasingly sought after. Student-teacher ratios are associated with outcomes of school based juvenile delinquency and deviance, where more ideal ratios are linked to lower outcomes and less ideal ratios are linked to higher outcomes. Using this background knowledge, this paper tests for associations between student-teacher ratios and the outcomes, in terms of both casualties and fatalities, of school shooting events. Two different theoretical frameworks are tested to determine which better predicts results: social disorganization theory …

Comparative Trends In Campaign Fundraising For United States Democratic Senatorial Candidates After Citizens United, Averi E. Foster

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Political polarization has grown more prevalent in the United States political atmosphere in recent years (Pew Research Center 2017). While political polarization is a prevalent topic of discussion, there is a limited understanding of exactly how polarization affects various aspects of political elections, such as the financing of campaigns. This research aims to explore the relationships between the ideological scores of U.S. Senate candidates and the varying types of campaign funding that they received, such as individual contributions, independent expenditures, PAC contributions, and party contributions. A data analysis was conducted utilizing Stanford University’s Database on Ideology, Money in Politics, and …