Digital Commons Network^™

From Franco To Vox: Historical Memory And The Politics Of Immigration In Spain (2026), Abby Fitzwater

International Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

Spain’s transition to democracy following the death of Francisco Franco in 1975 prioritized political stability and national reconciliation through the “Pacto del Olvido” (“Pact of Forgetting”), limited public confrontation with the authoritarian legacies of Francoism. This paper examines how unresolved historical memory and nationalist narratives continue to shape contemporary immigration discourse in Spain, particularly through the rise of the far-right political party VOX. Drawing on scholarship surrounding nationalism, historical memory, immigration, and right-wing populism, this study argues that elements of Francoist nationalism persist within contemporary political discourse through narratives emphasizing national unity, cultural cohesion, and territorial defense. Using qualitative discourse …

How Have Trump-Era Immigration And Visa Policies Affected International Students From The 75 Restricted Countries At Minnesota State University, Mankato, Ameer Wazwaz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Trump era immigration and visa policies have created a restrictive environment that disproportionately burdens international students from countries subject to United States travel restrictions and heightened vetting regimes. These policies operate through nationality-based entry restrictions, discretionary denials, extended administrative processing, and intensified screening. At Minnesota State University, Mankato, students from restricted countries face delayed arrivals, visa denials, disrupted reentry after travel, and uncertainty regarding immigration compliance, potentially reducing enrollment rates, increasing dropout risk, intensifying psychological stress, and weakening institutional trust.

This study employed a mixed methods of explanatory case study design centered on Minnesota State University, Mankato. Data sources included …

The Relationship Of State/Trait Anxiety And Performance In High School Athletics, Jason Dzierwa

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

The relationship between anxiety and sport performance has been investigated since the early 1900s when Yerkes & Dodson coined Yerkes-Dodson Law, which stated that there was an inverted “U” shape between arousal and performance (Gill et al., 2025, p. 158). Although this research was originally conducted using an animal model, it was eventually applied to human contexts, including athletic performance. According to this law, athletes must have a moderate level of arousal in order to perform at their best, while having too little or too much arousal will negatively influence athletic performance. Because anxiety often includes physiological (i.e., somatic) and …

The Importance And Development Of Team Record Keeping Practices: The Development Of Record Keeping Practices For Bowling Green Men's Rugby, Fitzpatrick Metzger

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

If you participated in team sports, do you know the history of the teams you played for? It is fair to assume that athletes who play at the top collegiate level have greater knowledge of the team’s history for which they play. These high-level collegiate teams have the funding and resources necessary to document their team’s history properly. Club and Varsity sports indeed have separate budgets and resources available. Throughout the sports industry, it is well known that each university provides its athletic department with differing annual budgets, which are dependent on many different factors. Based on the Proposed Fiscal …

Sense Of Belonging In Black Female Student Athletes At Predominantly White Institutions (Pwis), Danai Hardges

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

Where do I belong? This is a question most people ask themselves when placed in new environments. This is a common experience for marginalized individuals. Feelings of belonging can have an intense impact on how an individual interprets their experiences within a setting. Looking at the individual differences that influence an individual’s sense of belonging is important in understanding their experiences. This concept has been explored with intercollegiate athletes in the past. There is a plethora of research grasping an understanding of the difference in realities for student-athletes versus non-student athletes, female athletes versus male athletes, and Black student-athletes versus …

Reinforcement Learning-Enabled Control And Design Of Rigid-Link Robotic Fish: A Comprehensive Review, Nhat Dinh, Darion Vosbein, Yuehua Wang, Qingsong Cui

Faculty Publications

With the rising demand for maritime surveys of infrastructure, energy resources, and environmental conditions, autonomous robotic fish have emerged as a promising solution with their biomimetic propulsion, agile motion, efficiency, and capacity for underwater inspection, monitoring, data collection, and exploration tasks in complex aquatic environments. Inspired by fish spines, rigid-link fish robots (RLFRs), a category of robotic fish, are widely utilized in robotics research and applications. Their rigid, actuated joints enable them to reproduce the undulatory locomotion and high maneuverability of biological fishes, while the modular nature of rigid links between joints makes them cost-effective and easy to assemble. This …

Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes (T2dm) In A Rural County In Texas: A Diabetes Intervention Bundle, Roxanne Morales

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains a significant public health concern, particularly in rural and underserved communities where patients often face barriers to effective self-management. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated the impact of a diabetes intervention bundle consisting of individualized diabetes education, biweekly support phone calls, and digital self-monitoring tools on glycemic control, body weight, diabetes knowledge, medication adherence, diet compliance, and physical activity. The project was implemented over an eight-week period in a rural family medicine clinic and included 18 adults with uncontrolled T2DM (HgbA1c >7%). Participant outcomes were evaluated using pre- and post-intervention clinical measures, the Diabetes …

Fulbright Project In Iceland In The Summer Of 2026, Irina Filina

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

This upcoming Fulbright project is inspired by an ongoing debate in the scientific community about the tectonic origin of Iceland. A long-standing theory of Iceland’s formation by excessive magmatism at the Mid-Atlantic spreading center over the well-known hot spot (i.e., oceanic crustal affinity) was recently challenged by the alternative hypothesis that the Icelandic crust is continental in nature and is being stretched and gradually modified by magmatic processes. Based on this hypothesis, a new sunken continent, Icelandia, has been proposed. One of the foundations for the proposed Icelandia is the presence of felsic lavas (indicative of continental flavor in the …

Analyzing The Impact Of Sunscreen Pollutants On The Development Of Lytechinus Variegatus, Christina M. Lillenas, Chesney J. Anderson, Ann M. Buchmann

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Lytechinus variegatus or the variegated sea urchin is found in shallow, tropical waters. Lytechinus variegatus can be found in sandy reef beds, and sea grass, covered in algae and debris to protect itself from the UV rays and predators. Sea urchins play a crucial role in coral reef ecosystems. Sea urchins follow an omnivore diet, feeding on algae and phytoplankton. In coral reef ecosystems, sea urchins eat unwanted algae, allowing coral reefs to continue growing and thriving. Without the presence of sea urchins in coral reef communities, algae can negatively affect the growth and success of coral reefs. Sunscreen serves …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Body Composition And Bmi In Rotc Air Force Cadets, Joseba Iparraguirre

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to categorize weight status and screen for obesity-related health risk; however, BMI does not distinguish between fat mass and fat-free mass and may misclassify physically trained individuals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between BMI and percent body fat in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets at Bowling Green State University and to examine sex differences in BMI and adiposity. Eighteen cadets (11 males, 7 females; ages 18–23) completed anthropometric assessment for BMI calculation and body composition assessment using air displacement plethysmography (Bod Pod). A Pearson product–moment correlation indicated …

Increasing Oral-Gut Axis Health Literacy In Underserved Communities With Community-Involved, Pantry-Accessible Nutrition Education: A Conceptual Framework And Program, Audrey Kho, Yinon Gankin, Polina Pine

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In metropolitan U.S. areas, health inequities caused by socioeconomic disparity continue to influence oral health, nutritional status, and the risk of chronic diseases. Diets heavy in added sugars and poor in fiber and vital micronutrients are especially harmful to the oral–gut axis, which connects diet, microbial balance, inflammation, and systemic and neurological health. Due to institutional hurdles to health literacy, limited access to preventive health education, and food poverty, these eating habits are more common among low-income individuals. Only 36% of low-income parents in Chicago report being in good health, compared to 75% of parents with better incomes, underscoring the …

Advancing Ethical Innovation In Human–Ai Collaboration: Trust And Legitimacy In Technology-Mediated Teams, Sanket Ramchandra Patole

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Human Resource Development (HRD) confronts a central paradox in the digital age. The technologies designed to broaden access to learning and collaboration often reproduce the same social hierarchies that HRD seeks to challenge. Artificial intelligence (AI), digital collaboration platforms, and algorithmic management are widespread features of organizational life. Yet these systems do not generate inclusive outcomes for all workers. Women of Color (WoC), situated at the intersection of racialized, gendered, and technological structures, experience digital transformation as both possibility and constraint. They encounter opaque decision systems, diminished authority in virtual teams, and digitally-mediated microaggressions, while also developing new capacities for …

Parents’ Discursive Constructions Of Digital Play During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rebekah Willett, Jacqueline Kociubuk

Graduate School of Library and Information Studies Faculty Publications

This article analyzes parents’ discursive constructions of their children’s digital free play during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on interviews in the United States with 21 parents who had children ages four to 11, the article first identifies characteristics of play that are evident in parents’ descriptions of their children’s digital play. These characteristics indicate parents’ shifting understanding of digital play under the conditions of the pandemic, particularly ways digital play responded to the social and emotional needs of their children. The analytic discussion which follows complicates two dominant discourses parents employ: digital play as social and safe, and digital play …

Rethinking Temporalities Through Being With Children: A Dialogic Reflection, Markéta Supa, Rebekah Willett, Kristiina Kumpulainen, Harini Rajagopal, Jenny Byman, Layla Coleman, Jacqueline Kociubuk, Jenny Renlund, Chin Chin Wong, Melanie Wong

Graduate School of Library and Information Studies Faculty Publications

Children’s everyday lives are shaped by shifting rhythms of movement, suspension, and retrospection through which time becomes lived, imagined, and meaningful. This article brings together interdisciplinary and international perspectives, with members of a collective reflecting on temporality in children’s lives. Across a prologue and nine reflective pieces developed through prolonged dialogue, the article explores time in children’s diverse everyday contexts — including home, school, public, digital, and natural environments — in Canada, Czechia, Finland, and the USA. By applying a temporal lens to projects spanning literacy, ecology, placemaking, and media, the collection conceptualises time as non-linear, plural, situational, and relational. …

Ordered Mini-Batch Training For Differentially Private And Encrypted Logistic Regression, Ryan Leone

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Logistic regression has found extensive use as a supervised machine learning algorithm due to its simplicity and efficiency in binary and multivariate classification tasks. As data sharing grows across connected devices, safeguarding sensitive personal and industrial information is of increased importance. Privacy-preserving machine learning techniques such as differential privacy and homomorphic encryption offer mathematically rigorous security guarantees, but introduce difficult accuracy, privacy loss, and computational overhead issues. This thesis investigates PPML for logistic regression through a collaborative mini-batch training framework. I propose and implement an ordered mini-batch strategy, compare it to standard shuffled methods, then integrate differential privacy noise injection …

Inferring Genes And Biological Systems Under Selective Pressure In The Secondarily Temperate Cryonotothenioids, Esteban Cabrera

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Notothenioid fishes represent one of the most compelling examples of adaptive radiation driven by extreme environmental change, having diversified in the chronically cold waters of the Southern Ocean. While most cryonotothenioids evolved highly specialized cold-adapted characteristics, several secondarily temperate species later re-invaded warmer environments. These lineages provide a rare opportunity to examine evolutionary reversibility and the genomic mechanisms enabling escape from extreme specialization. In this study, we investigate two secondarily temperate species, Dissostichus eleginoides and Champsocephalus esox, comparing their protein-coding orthogroups to background sets from Antarctic cryonotothenioids and basal temperate teleosts. Using phylogeny based evolutionary models (BUSTED, aBSREL, and RELAX) …

A Trajectory Of Zostera Marina (Eelgrass) Ecosystem Recovery: Pre- And Post-Hurricane Sandy Degradation In Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Edgar A. Medina

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Hurricane Sandy struck Barnegat Bay, New Jersey in 2012 and obliterated the benthic marine ecosystem with extensive damage to Zostera marina meadows. Previous genetic assessments of Barnegat Bay Z. marina in 2008 revealed low heterozygosity and low connectivity between populations. The great disruption caused by Hurricane Sandy motivated us to investigate the long-term effects of the storm on the genetic condition of the eelgrass populations in the year 2021. The investigation revealed improvements in heterozygosity, inbreeding, and connectivity. These findings drove us to investigate the genetics of Barnegat Bay eelgrass populations in the intervening years of 2013 and 2017 with …

Examining The Enactment Of Teacher Leadership Through Self-Created Social Network Maps, Shanna Dawn Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Much of a teacher’s work is unseen. It extends beyond classroom instruction and into collaborative, relational work that positions teachers as essential actors in educational change. Yet this work occurs within a neoliberal education system that intensifies accountability, erodes professional autonomy, and reinforces hierarchical, patriarchal models of authority. Although schools depend on teachers’ expertise, these structures constrain opportunities for collaborative professionalism and relational forms of leading and learning. This study pushed back on the neoliberal agenda and examined the phenomenon of teacher leadership. Using descriptive and interpretive phenomenology, I analyzed self-created social network maps and narrative data to understand how …

Seeking The Goodness In Culturally Responsive Practices Of New Jersey Suburban Public Elementary Teachers, Kimya S. Jackson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In the United States, suburban elementary schools continue to diversify, while teaching staff remain predominantly White, creating urgency for culturally responsive practices (CRP) in non-urban settings (Stanford, 2023). In this study, I examined CRP’s goodness enacted by four teachers in New Jersey suburban elementary schools, a context shaped by state mandates for diversity and inclusion (New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), 2022). The question guiding my research was: In what ways do New Jersey suburban elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade) schoolteachers engage in culturally responsive practices? Using Lawrence-Lightfoot and Hoffman Davis’s (1997) portraiture methodology, I developed portraits of four suburban …

Introduction To Shakers At The Center: Manifesting Spirits & Spectacles In Nineteenth-Century America, Douglas L. Winiarski

Religious Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Grown-Ups, Grown-Downs, And Pan-Generationality, In Parents, Children, And The Ripples Of Transitional Justice (Kirsten J. Fisher & Caitlin Mollica Eds., 2026), Mark A. Drumbl

Books and Chapters

Until one becomes a grown-up, one perhaps remains a ‘grown-down’. Indeed, a refrain among concerns that have been raised about demobilization programmes for former child soldiers is that they treat former child soldiers as grown-downs, often even as infants, notwithstanding the experiences of these young people in terms of fighting and foraging and fending and fleecing which, indeed, surpass the kinds of challenges that many grown-ups ever face. In the end, then, as Grace Akello has poignantly demonstrated, many decommissioned child soldiers remain grown-downs who end up going down paths on which they shift from armed conflict to drift into …

Board Of Barbering And Cosmetology, Jordan Simoes, Marcus Friedman

California Regulatory Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

Ai As A Support Tool For International Students, Gabi Alvarez, Derrel Fincher

Posters

This poster presentation explores the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to enhance teaching, learning, and communication in higher education, with a special focus on supporting international students. Demonstrating how AI can serve as a supportive tool to foster inclusion, improve communication, and enhance learning experiences for diverse student populations. Drawing on my experience as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Teaching and Leadership at Pittsburg State University, this project examines how AI-supported strategies can help bridge language barriers, clarify academic expectations, and improve student engagement. Many international students arrive at PSU with strong academic backgrounds but must …

Z Variant Heterozygosity In Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: Disease Risk And Treatment Implications, Craig P. Hersh, Jeffrey H. Teckman, Pavel Strnad, Aaron Hakim, Tomás P. Carroll, Ian P. Hall, Auyon J. Ghosh, Igor Barjaktarevic, Noel G. Mcelvaney, Joseph E. Kaserman, David A. Lomas, Charlie Strange, M Bradley Drummond, Stephen I. Rennard, Kathi E. Hanna, Virginia C. Clark, Monica P. Goldklang, Peg Iverson, Andrew A. Wilson

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Individuals heterozygous for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) have one copy of the normal "M" allele and one copy of an abnormal allele ("Z", "S", or another variant) in the SERPINA1 gene. Historically, evidence has been lacking to support the concept that heterozygotes are at increased risk for liver and/or lung complications compared to individuals homozygous for the M allele. However, growing evidence suggests that inheritance of a single Z allele increases the risk of disease in some individuals. The Alpha-1 Foundation convened a workshop on October 27, 2023, in Bethesda, Maryland that included stakeholders from the research, pharmaceutical, and …

Integrating Discipline-Specific Literacy In Business Education: Implications For Skill Development, Katherine M. Mitzner, Quinn J. Longueville

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Literacy is a vital part of a students’ education. Not only is it important to know how to read, but it is also important for students to comprehend what is read. There are many aspects of literacy, including content area literacy and disciplinary literacy. This thesis explores the importance of disciplinary literacy in the context of a business education lens and how business literacy impacts the success of a secondary student. It explores disciplinary literacy, the impacts of business literacy on other fields, implementation in the classroom, and professional development for literacy strategies. Application materials related to the findings are …

Music-Based Interventions And Social Communication Outcomes For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tom M. Coughlin

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent differences in social communication, social interaction, and ritualistic and repetitive behaviors. This thesis examined participation in music-based instruction and intervention to support social communication outcomes for students with ASD. Literature studies included systematic reviews, empirical interventions, and music-based approaches, including improvisational music therapy, song-based instruction, classroom-based music intervention, and technology-mediated music-making. Across the literature, music-based practices were analyzed considering engagement, joint attention, emotional understanding, initiation, reciprocal interaction, and expressive communication. The literature reviewed suggests that music-based instruction and intervention provide meaningful contexts to support social communication skills for ASD students, highlighting the …

Lyell, Elizabeth Interview 21 November 2025, Elizabeth Lyell, Maughn Rollins Gregory, Megan Jane Laverty

All IAPC Oral Histories

In this IAPC Oral History Interview, Dr. Elizabeth Lyell reflects on her participation in the first cohort of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree with a Concentration in Philosophy for Children at Montclair State College during the 1981–1982 academic year. Lyell recounts her introduction to philosophy for children, her intensive year of study with Matthew Lipman, Ann Margaret Sharp, and Phil Guin, and teaching philosophy in public school classrooms in Montclair, New Jersey and Harlem. Lyell offers vivid memories of Lipman as a teacher, mentor, and moral presence, highlighting his pedagogical generosity, seriousness, and commitment to grounding philosophy in …

An Evidence-Based Approach To Standardizing Occupational Therapy Services For Functional Neurological Disorder: Protocol Development And Provider Education, Kimberly Yuen

OTD Capstones

Functional Neurological Disorder is a complex neurological condition that continues to be misinterpreted and stigmatized by healthcare practitioners. Occupational therapists play a vital role in the care team for an individual with FND, as their scope of practice helps to empower individuals with this condition to return to daily, meaningful occupations. However, there remains a lack of evidence-based protocols and resources for occupational therapists to utilize when treating functional neurological disorder (FND), resulting in minimized confidence and understanding of how to treat this population. This capstone project addressed these concerns through the creation of multiple deliverables to help improve clinician …

Preparing For Change: Supporting Dementia Transitions Through Occupational Therapy And Caregiver Education, Kelly Ann Mooney

OTD Capstones

This capstone project focused primarily on supporting caregivers of individuals living with dementia within a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). Caregivers of spouses with dementia often experience increased burden, stress, and difficulty navigating the transition from independent living to higher levels of care. Guided by principles of occupational therapy, this project aimed to enhance caregiver knowledge, confidence, and overall well-being through the development and implementation of targeted educational resources and support strategies. 

Interventions included the creation of evidence-based educational handouts addressing common challenges for caregivers such as activities of daily living (ADLs), sleep, mealtime, and behavioral changes. Additionally, a structured …

Preface, C.J. Box

Wyoming Law Review

No abstract provided.