Digital Commons Network^™

Whispers From The Islands Preserving And Reinterpreting Caribbean Myths Through Augmented Narratives, Tatyanna Gay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis explores the role of design as a contemporary medium for preserving, reinterpreting, and disseminating Caribbean cultural myths through visual storytelling. Focusing on using Augmented Reality (AR) and paper sculpture, this research examines how immersive technologies can bridge the gap between oral traditions and digital innovation to safeguard intangible heritage. Centering Caribbean folklore, specifically myths such as the Chickcharney, the Lusca, and the La Diablesse, this work analyzes these stories' historical, symbolic, and social functions within Caribbean identity formation and collective memories.

Drawing on interdisciplinary frameworks from mythology studies, design history, and visual culture, the project investigates how AR …

Exploring Emotional Awareness Through Interactive Design, Mona Gandomkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This research was inspired by my emotional journey after relocating to the United States. Navigating a new culture, language barriers, and unfamiliar routines brought a complex mix of emotions. These experiences led me to begin to better understand and manage my emotional responses. That process revealed the importance of emotional awareness and became the foundation for my exploration into how design can help individuals recognize and engage with their emotions more meaningfully.

Emotions are significant in human life, from social relationships to decision-making. However, many people fail to understand their emotions or how to control them. Individuals experience emotions differently, …

Commissioning Of Electron Blocks In Monaco And Diode Correction Factors, Sadaa Alotaibi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This work examines the Elekta Monaco TPS Monte Carlo electron beam dose calculation model for electron treatment planning. The primary goals are to commission electron blocks and establish correction factors for diode measurements with the use of ion chamber output as references, improving dosimetric procedures and adhering to the AAPM for clinically acceptable precision. Output factor measurements of diodes were compared to ion chamber OFs on a 6 MeV to 15 MeV Elekta Versa HD linear accelerator. TPS calculations were held on the Monaco TPS system. To balance the computational costs and accuracy of the solution, grid sizes of 2 …

An Analysis Of Doctor Of Philosophy Time-To-Degree Predictors, Christian A. Decle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Doctoral-granting institutions invest time and resources to support the success of their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students. Despite these efforts, doctoral attrition rates remain high. One measure used to understand doctoral attrition and completion rates is time-to-degree (TTD). In 2020, the median TTD from the start of graduate school increased to 7.5 years (National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics [NCSES], 2020b), highlighting the need for continued analysis of factors affecting TTD. This study used data from the 2021 Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED; NCSES, 2021a) to provide a more recent analysis of the relationship between TTD and both student …

Community, Placemaking, And Preservation: Historic Neighborhoods In West Palm Beach, Florida, Aislinn Cruz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Historic preservation: the act of protecting landmarks and buildings, often through active participation with the community. The project aims to explore perceptions of those living in historical neighborhoods in West Palm Beach, Florida about:1) Neighborhood cultural connection, 2) Placemaking locations, 3) Relationship with the city, and 4) Knowledge of preservation projects. Using digital and in-person surveys, the project utilized Likert-scale and short-response questions to collect data. Results showed residents had mixed feelings about their cultural connection. Though a majority described their neighborhood positively, some negative responses came from a specific northern neighborhood. Locations of placemaking notably included parks and community …

Assessing Repetitive Loss Factors In Miami-Dade And Broward Counties, Fl, Rebecca Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This dissertation examines repetitive loss factors in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, Florida. It focuses on physical building characteristics and socioeconomic characteristics in an historic analysis of claims data from 1977 through 2014. Later, the focus is on predicted areas, or “hotspots” where climate-change induced sea level rise in conjunction with increased storm activity may cause increased flooding in the future. The study employs various statistical models, including Poisson and negative binomial regression modeling, spatial regression modeling and hot spot analysis to analyze FEMA property claims data and socioeconomic indicators.

The first part investigates the relationship between building characteristics and flooding …

The Quiet Gnosticism Of Samuel Beckett’S Endgame, Andrew Dean Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis draws on and extends previous Gnostic readings of Samuel Beckett’s fiction which has located the figure of the demiurge mostly in the background and finds through close reading that in Endgame the demiurge takes the foreground.

This thesis proposes that Endgame’s gnosticism goes further than recreating gnostic themes and tropes. Rather, Endgame’s gnosticism fuses the gnostic laughter of the gnostic Christ, Schopenhauerian tragedy, and Quietist paradoxes to create a system of progressive enlightenment which culminates in a revelation evidenced by a laugh that, in Beckett’s Watt, is called the mirthless laugh. This laugh, I propose, is the laugher’s …

The Politics Of Housing Exploitation Power, Resistance, And Compliance In Florida’S Post-Covid Affordable Housing Crisis, Annabelle Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

By the time of the 2022 midterm elections, housing affordability had become a prominent policy issue in Florida, as post-COVID economic conditions, including rising rents and inflation, heightened political attention and debate at the local level. Two counties—Palm Beach County and Orange County—became focal points of this debate, each introducing a ballot referendum offering divergent solutions to local housing affordability challenges. Palm Beach County pursued a market-driven approach, passing a $200 million housing bond to incentivize private-sector development, while Orange County attempted a regulatory intervention through a rent stabilization ordinance, directly challenging Florida’s dominant pro-growth housing framework.

This dissertation examines …

Maternal Stress And Infant Anxiety: Examining The Link Through Fear Temperament, Melissa Ayala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This study explored the relationship between maternal stress and infant fear temperament. Infant temperament is important because it allows the caregiver to understand the individual variation in the emotional and social needs of the child. Due to previous research, it can be inferred that maternal stress can influence the development of infant fear temperament. The current study looks at the relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear temperament. In this study there was no relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear when collapsing the across conditions and emotions expressed during the Lab-TAB. However, infants varied in their fear …

Things Goin’ On: Hierarchical Order, Olivia Rachel Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Things Goin' On: Hierarchical Order is a series of mixed media works examining power dynamics and structured relationships within human life. This body of work explores social class, gender roles, and systemic power structures through a combination of found textiles, altered objects, and diverse rendering techniques. Each piece investigates how individuals are positioned within broader social and natural systems. The works collectively encourage reflection on the universal and historical role of power dynamics in shaping human experiences and interactions.

#Tribe: A Study On Digital Tribalism In Saudi Arabia, Maha Alrehaili

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This dissertation examines digital tribalism in Saudi Arabia as a lens through which to explore the complex interplay between state, identity politics, and social media in an era of rapid transformation. Amidst ambitious modernization efforts under Vision 2030 and ongoing economic restructuring, the Saudi state has sought to establish a national identity by leveraging tribal heritage. This study investigates how the three major tribes, Harb, Qahtan, and Otaibah, are responding to rapid modernization through an examination of their digital presence on X (formerly Twitter).

Employing a comparative case study design and content analysis of three years of digital activity, this …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Integration In Counselor Education: Theory, Development, Implementation, And Efficacy Of A Dbt-Informed Supervision Protocol For Counselor Trainees, Clara Bossie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This multi-manuscript dissertation illustrates the progression from theoretical development to practical intervention research in counselor supervision, introducing innovative supervisory practices in counselor education that balance well-being with academic rigor, addressing counselor trainees' common challenges such as anxiety, burnout, and limited self-efficacy. Following a literature review, this dissertation bridges theory and practice by offering counselor educators and supervisors a comprehensive, evidence-informed approach to developing resilient, competent, and psychologically well counseling professionals. The research progresses through three interconnected phases using qualitative and quantitative methods. Constructivist grounded theory (CGT) explores counselor trainees' supervisory experiences, highlighting the significance of responsive supervisory relationships and validation. …

Reassessing Pre-Ceramic Mortuary Practices In Florida, John S. Duggan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis synthesizes mortuary practices among Florida’s Paleoindian to Late Archaic populations, from the earliest documented burials to approximately 2,500 BP. While sites like Windover and Little Salt Spring are well-studied, broader burial traditions across the region remain underrepresented. To address this, data from fifteen key sites, chosen for geographic and temporal diversity, were compiled and analyzed. Using an exploratory research design, a descriptive methodological framework was developed to evaluate cemetery types, burial positions, artifact associations, demographic indicators, and spatial orientation. Methodological challenges such as poor preservation, site destruction, and inconsistent documentation are also considered. Findings are contextualized within wider …

Exploring Undergraduate Students’ Use Of Mental Health Applications: A Phenomenological Study, Chelsea D. Fullilove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This phenomenological dissertation explored undergraduate students' lived experiences of using mental health mobile apps, AI, and other technology to manage mental health symptoms. The research focused on exploring three research questions: (a) perceptions of app effectiveness, usability, and features; (b) barriers and integration into mental health care routines; and (c) influences of privacy, peer influence, cultural backgrounds, and personal beliefs on app use.

Data were collected via purposive sampling through semi-structured interviews (N=12), each consisting of 15 open-ended questions, with students using a mental health app to improve their mental health. The interpretive data analysis was conducted by …

Do Marketers Need To Know? How Firms' Newfound Quest For Customer Data Is Eroding Firm Performance, Victor Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Firms today spend more than 30 billion dollars on marketing data. This obsession with data has been propelled by a firm's ongoing need to better understand its consumers and, in turn, drive positive firm performance. While the relationship between brand equity and firm performance has been confirmed for the last two decades, this study explores how data collection negatively moderates the existing relationship by testing multiple variables of privacy risk. This theoretical paper with a pilot study explores how the conflicting balance of shareholder theory and stakeholder theory can lead firms towards data collection practices that indirectly diminish the firm’s …

Assessment, Modeling, And Advanced Applications Of Marine Energy Systems, Sasha Ivana Fung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) technologies, particularly Ocean Current Turbines (OCTs) and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), offer promising pathways for sustainable power generation in tropical and subtropical regions. This dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation into the resource potential, modeling, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, and application-driven evaluation of these systems for green hydrogen production and offshore aquaculture.

A novel HIL testbed was developed using a dynamometer and OPAL-RT real-time platform to emulate OCT dynamics under measured ocean current conditions. This setup enabled advanced testing of variable-speed and blade-pitch control strategies. Coupled with a PEM electrolyzer model, the system achieved instantaneous hydrogen production …

Microplastics In Coastal Sediments, Halaina Hahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Marine and coastal sediments are considered to be sinks for plastic pollution. The dispersal of microplastics through ocean dynamics (winds, waves, currents, and tides) may be dependent on the type of microplastic and sedimentation of the coastal environment. Coastal tourism significantly contributes to the sources of plastic, especially in the state of Florida. Microplastic pollution impacts all facets of the environment impacting ecosystem services, wildlife, and human health. However, few studies have been conducted to quantify the abundance and type of microplastics found in coastal sediments under different seasonal conditions. This project aimed to evaluate the abundance of microplastics in …

Anthropogenic And Natural Influences On Beach Geomorphology And Coastal Resiliency, Leanne Hauptman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Beaches are complex, dynamic systems that provide important habitat, protection from storm impacts, support tourism, and provide numerous benefits to the economy. Coastal erosion is a natural phenomenon but is becoming a growing problem due to factors such as rising sea levels, intensity of major storms, lack of sand input from rivers, and anthropogenic activities. Florida's 825 miles of sandy beaches are experiencing accelerated erosion and adaptive management practices are needed to ensure sufficient sediment remains in the littoral system. Beach geomorphology and sedimentology research is critical to understand complex coastal processes to improve coastal management strategies for the resiliency …

Does Federal Funding Address Fundamentals? Examining The Equity Effects Of Title I On Student Achievement, Veda Hudge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This dissertation examines the equity effects of Title I funding on student achievement in Broward County Public Schools, one of the largest school districts in the United States. Title I, established under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, aims to address educational disparities by providing financial resources to schools that serve economically disadvantaged students. Despite over five decades of federal intervention, significant achievement gaps persist, particularly among marginalized populations. This study investigates the effectiveness of Title I funding in improving student outcomes in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics during the period 2016–2020.

Using a quantitative research …

Enhancing Seaport Resiliency With Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Traci Ann Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Seaports are essential for international commerce as they facilitate movement of cargo through global trade networks. Failure of a seaport to remain operational during a disruptive event, such as a natural disaster or security threat, not only affects that seaport and the economy it supplies but can have far reaching impacts on supply chains worldwide. Enhancing seaport resiliency is essential to maintaining functionality in the event of crises that pose a threat to trade continuity and economic stability. This research explores the efficacy of using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to enhance resiliency building efforts in three case studies representing different …

Exploring Mindfulness, Mindful Self-Care, And Perceived Burnout Among Professional Counselors: A Latent Profile Analysis, Sheria Kwok

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Promoting counselor well-being and burnout prevention through research efforts is necessary. This study explored the findings (emerging unobserved profiles) from a latent profile analysis (LPA) examining mindfulness, mindful self-care behaviors, and perceived burnout among licensed professional counselors and supervisors in Ohio (N = 328). The study evaluated the differences in individual demographic variables across the identified latent profile memberships derived from the LPA. As a result, we found two latent profile memberships: Low Mindfulness/Mindful Self-Care and High Burnout Group (n = 146; 44.5%), and High Mindfulness/Mindful Self-Care and Low Burnout Group (n = 182; 55.5%). Based …

A Study On Sentence-Level Argument Identification In Imbalanced Student Essay Corpora, Rishabh Lingam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Writing is an essential skill that affects success in nearly every academic subject and professional field. For undergraduate students, strong writing helps them organize ideas, communicate clearly, and perform better in both written assignments and overall coursework. Good writing also supports critical thinking, which is key to problem-solving and academic growth. Beyond school, writing continues to be important in the workplace, where it is used for emails, reports, presentations, and formal documents. Yet, despite its importance, many students and graduates do not have strong writing skills, and this gap is noticed by employers. A recent survey by Ashley Finley [1] …

Conversion Of Orange Waste To Chemically Modified Activated Carbon Adsorbent Materials For Aqueous Phase Phosphate Removal, Sierra Mugan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Phosphorus pollution in surface waters drives harmful algal blooms, creating ecological, public health, and economic risks. This study examined citrus processing waste as a sustainable, low-cost precursor for producing chemically modified adsorbents for phosphorus removal. Orange waste was pyrolyzed, resulting in a carbon-rich material with low ash content, as confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis. The material was modified using lanthanum chloride, iron (III) chloride, and calcium chloride at varying mass ratios and screened under standard conditions (1 mg P/L, 1 g/L dosage, 24-hour contact time). Lanthanum- and iron-modified samples demonstrated the best removal efficiencies and underwent further evaluation. The lanthanum-modified sample …

Is Infant Fear Related To An Increase In Maternal Stress?, Janairis F. Munoz-Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The impact of infant fear responses on mother stress throughout the first year of life was investigated in this study. Between six and fourteen months, thirty mother-infant pairs were examined at three different time intervals. Maternal responses from the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) and behavioral observations made during standardized lab tasks were used to evaluate infant fear. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure maternal stress at all time points, and behavioral stress was coded during the first session. The findings showed no overall significant correlation between the mother's subjective stress and the behavioral fear of her infant. …

Exploiting Undulating Fin Kinematics For Multi-Directional Swimming Control, Omar S. Odeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The Black Ghost Knifefish achieves remarkable swimming gait transition by leveraging the distinctive morphology and kinematics of a single, elongated undular fin. Alongside bi-directional swimming, complex maneuvers incorporating vertical movement and pitch control can also be attained. Inspired by the Knifefish, we explore a novel propulsive and directional control method for an undulating membrane affixed to a robotic vessel utilizing counter-propagating waveforms in tandem with a sigmoidal spatiotemporal pattern to control forward, backward, and turning of the vessel. The proposed actuation supplied the propulsion necessary for the robotic vessel to swim bi-directionally with heading control under varying flow speed conditions. …

Wellness Among Bipoc Counselors-In-Training: Mediation Impact On Stress And Burnout, Javier E. Ponce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The purpose of this research study was to gather data on stress, wellness, and burnout levels from counselors-in-training (CITs) who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) to compare them to norm groups and assess the mediating effect of wellness on the association between stress and burnout. The researcher conducted this study to aid counselor educators in incorporating wellness into interventions that can help BIPOC CITs not only reduce their stress and burnout levels but also augment their overall wellness. The final sample consisted of 118 BIPOC CITs who thoroughly completed a demographic questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Five …

Importance Of Social Support: Buffer To Social Identity Threat In Institutions, Kaylah J. Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Due to the minority status non-white students face in higher education, they are susceptible to social identity threat (Steele & Aronson, 1996), which may lead to psychological distress. However, social support, particularly from in-groups, offsets related distress consequences, e.g., self-esteem, anxiety, and depression (Haslam et al., 2021). This study investigates social support, through collective racial socialization, as a buffer for social identity threats to minority college students. I investigated Hispanics and Black undergraduates' self-esteem, using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1979), before and after stereotype threat, with participants in minority-centered organizations as the moderator. Results revealed that there was a …

Examining The Relationships Among Land Surface Temperature, Surface Urban Heat Islands, Land Cover, And Societal Impacts In The Miami Metropolitan Statistical Area, Alanna D. Shapiro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Surface Urban Heat Islands (SUHI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) are important to study because they can have large impacts on human and environmental health and well-being. The research described in this dissertation includes three separate but related studies of SUHI and LST. The first study evaluates historic LST trends in a multiscalar view and examines the impact of environmental and socioeconomic explanatory variables on LST. Results show that NDVI and impervious surfaces are significant explanatory variables for the dependent variable LST. The rate of change (RoC) of each of the regression models ranges between 0.29oC/decade and 1.56oC/decade. The second …

Sleep Quality, Volumetric Brain Biomarkers For Ad, Executive Function, & Cognitive Decline In Older Adults, Layaly Shihadeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Objective: Our aims were to examine differences in sleep quality sub scores and total scores across diagnostic groups cross-sectionally and longitudinally, correlate executive function scores and volumetric biomarkers of AD (prefrontal cortical and hippocampal volumes) with sleep quality scores, and explore how demographic variables may serve to moderate how sleep quality effects diagnosis. Method: 381 participants were classified into 3 diagnostic groups (Cognitively normal (CN), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia) based on the CDR global score. Prefrontal cortical volume, hippocampal volume, and PSQI total and sub scores were used as predictors of progression status. Daytime dysfunction, sleep duration, and …

Institutional Learning And International Student Enrollment: A Case Study Of Perceptions Of Practice, Debra Szabo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This dissertation examines the application of Peter Senge’s Learning Organization Theory at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), focusing on administrators' perceptions of institutional learning amid increasing international student enrollment. Higher education institutions must balance market-driven behaviors with collaborative learning environments as they navigate a competitive global landscape.

The study stresses the need to investigate institutional learning outcomes and the impact of rising international student enrollment on university policies, procedures, and organizational learning. It explores the relationship between espoused theories, strategic goals designated by FAU, and theories-in-action, which reflect actual practices in recruiting and supporting international students. By integrating Argyris and Schön's …